The remote Safari Parks
01.
SOUTH: RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha National Park, along with the Selous Game Reserve, comprise the most popular wildlife destinations in southern Tanzania. Though popular is a relative term as visitor numbers are just a fraction of the more famous and accessible northern parks. Despite recent incremental growth in tourism, Ruaha has remained essentially unchanged for centuries.
As Tanzania’s second largest national park, Ruaha is one part of a more massive ecosystem that includes the Rungwa and Kisigo Game Reserves, as well as several other protected areas. It is home to high concentrations of elephant, as well as large herds of buffalo, kudu, Grant’s gazelle, wild dogs, ostrich, cheetah, roan and sable antelopes and more than 500 types of birds.
Landscape
The terrain is varied, with wild fig trees, baobab forests, and gorges of glowing orange sandstone. The park’s main feature is the Ruaha River with its swirling rapids and deep pools inhabited by crocodiles and hippos.
Visiting Ruaha
If making the trip to Ruaha, one should stay for several days, allowing time to explore deeply into the park and to soak in the enormity of it all.
Travel Information
Travel Time: Kilimanjaro to Ruaha airstrips: 2-4 hours by bush plane.
Nearby
Selous Game Reserve (1 hour flight)
Best Times to Visit
June to November
Dry Season. Superior time for game viewing.
December to May
Green season. Excellent for birdlife, lush scenery and wildflowers; roads can be impassable after heavy rains.
02.
SOUTH : SELOUS GAME RESERVE
The Selous Game Reserve, covering more than 50,000 km² (larger than Costa Rica and comprising 5% of Tanzania’s total land area), is Africa’s largest wildlife reserve. It is named after Frederick Courtney Selous, an English hunter and conservationist. The reserve features vast expanses of unspoiled wilderness with relatively few tourists and lower wildlife densities compared to northern parks. However, it boasts Tanzania’s largest elephant population, rare black rhinos, African wild dogs, and a diverse array of mammals and birds.
Key Features
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River divides the northern sector (reserved for photo safaris) from the southern sector (used for trophy hunting). The river is home to crocodiles, hippos, and abundant birdlife. Unique activities include boat safaris on the Rufiji and extended walking safaris in the northern sector.
Travel Information
Travel Time: Kilimanjaro to Selous airstrips: 2-4 hours by bush plane.
Nearby
Ruaha National Park (1 hour flight)
Best Times to Visit
June to October
Peak game viewing season during the long dry season. Elephants emerge from the bush, and predators are more commonly seen.
November to February
Short rains in November and December followed by a short dry period in January and February. Excellent bird-watching opportunities and some good game viewing, though animals are more dispersed.
March to May
Rainy season. Roads are impassable, and most camps are closed.
03.
EAST: SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
Saadani is Tanzania’s most unique national park, covering 1,000 km² and straddling the Wami River as it feeds into the Indian Ocean. This creates a fascinating mix of beach, bush, and river environments. The park’s native plants provide a rich tapestry of habitats for a vibrant and abundant wildlife population.
Wildlife
Saadani’s diverse ecosystem supports a wide variety of animals:
- Savanna plains: Wildebeest, antelope, duiker, reedbuck, buffalo, zebra, and giraffe
- Beach: Elephants have been spotted
- Predators: Lion, leopard, and mongoose
- Wami River: Hippos and crocodiles
- Coastal areas: Pelicans and flamingos
- Marine life: Turtles and dolphins near the offshore sand island
The park is also a birder’s paradise, featuring a huge variety of migratory and indigenous species throughout the year.
Unique Experience
Game drives in Saadani are uniquely intimate, with rare encounters with other vehicles. Visitors should remain quiet and patient, as the park’s animals are unaccustomed to humans.
Travel Information
Travel Time: Kilimanjaro to Saadani: 7 hours by safari vehicle or 2 hours by bush plane.
Nearby
None.
Best Times to Visit
January to February
Short dry season with deep green vegetation. Good game-viewing opportunities.
March to May
Wet season. The park remains open, but game viewing areas are limited.
June to October
Best game viewing period, as wildlife converges on the life-giving river during the long dry season.
November to December
Short rains cause animals to disperse.
04.
WEST: GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
Gombe National Park, made famous by Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research, is a small park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania. The park is renowned for its chimpanzee population and Goodall’s pioneering work, which began in 1960 and revealed remarkable insights into chimpanzee behavior, including tool use, social structures, and even warfare.
Key Features
- Picturesque forested valleys extending from the lake up the Rift Valley escarpment
- Home to various primate species, including chimpanzees, red colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and olive baboons
- Over 200 bird species, including the African crowned eagle and palm-nut vulture
- Diverse landscape comprising grasslands, woodlands, and tropical rainforest
Visitor Information
All forest walks must be ranger-guided, but visitors can walk freely along the lake shore. It is recommended to allow at least 2 full days in the park, plus travel time.
Travel Time
Kilimanjaro to Gombe: 5 hours by bush plane to Kigoma, plus 1 hour boat ride to Gombe (typically requires an overnight stay in Kigoma).
Nearby Attractions
None.
Best Times to Visit
March to June & November to December
Green season with superior chimpanzee spotting and lush vegetation.
January to February & July to October
Dry season, offering the best conditions for photography.
Note: Chimpanzee trekking is available year-round.
05.
WEST: MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Mahale Mountains National Park is one of Tanzania’s most remote and inaccessible parks, located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Africa’s longest and deepest lake. The park is renowned for its diverse habitats, ranging from lakeshores to forests, mountains, savanna, and miombo woodland, with elevations reaching up to 2460m.
Access and Accommodation
Access to Mahale is limited to air or boat travel, with air being the more practical option. Due to its remoteness, visitors should plan for a minimum stay of 3 nights.
Wildlife
The park’s main attraction is its large chimpanzee population, which outnumbers the famous Gombe chimpanzees by more than seven times. These chimps exhibit unique behaviors, tools, and dietary habits. Other wildlife includes elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, lions, and rare sable and roan antelopes. The park is also known for its large swarms of butterflies.
Activities
All game viewing in Mahale is done on foot, offering visitors a unique and intimate wildlife experience.
Travel Information
Travel Time: Kilimanjaro to Mahale: 4 hours by bush plane.
Nearby
Katavi National Park (1 hour flight)
Best Times to Visit
June to October
Dry Season. Superior time for game viewing.
November to May
Green season. Excellent for bird life, lush scenery and wildflowers. Note that trails can be excessively muddy during this period.
06.
WEST: KATAVI NATIONAL PARK
Katavi National Park offers a true remote wilderness experience far from other safari-goers. This large park contains miombo woodland and acacia forest, but its primary attraction is a huge floodplain, cut by seasonal lakes and the Katuma River.
Wildlife
As water sources dry up during the dry season, massive herds congregate around remaining water, providing unparalleled seasonal game-viewing opportunities. The park is home to:
- Large herds of buffalo
- Significant elephant populations
- Lions, leopards, and cheetahs
- Giraffes, zebras, and various antelope species including topi, eland, and reedbuck
- Hippos and crocodiles, which converge in shrinking pools during the dry season
Activities
Visitors can enjoy game drives and walking safaris with a ranger. The park also offers excellent photo opportunities, especially of hippos and crocodiles in shrinking water pools.
Travel Information
Travel Time: Kilimanjaro to Katavi: 3 hours by bush plane.
Nearby
Mahale Mountains National Park (1 hour flight)
Best Time to Visit
June to November
Dry season. This is the only reasonable time to visit, offering the best wildlife viewing opportunities.
December to May
Wet season. Roads become impassable, and wildlife disperses and migrates out of the park.
Accessibility and Accommodations
Flights into the park are twice weekly, and accommodations can be costly. The park’s remoteness contributes to its low visitor numbers.