Southern Tanzania is home to several remarkable national parks and wildlife reserves that offer exceptional safari experiences. Here are some of the key parks found in Southern Tanzania:

 

Selous Game Reserve/Nyerere National Park

This is the Africa’s Largest National Park! The Park with staggering size of 30,893km2 host one of the world’s largest concentrations of wildlife. The collection of wildlife both in diversity and abundance is just reparable! Visitors to this vast sanctuary will be able to see astounding volume of wildlife both rare and common species.

The park hosts the famous ‘’Big Five’’ and some rare species of antelopes like Roan Antelope, Brindled Gnu, Lichtenstein hartebeest, roan, and sable antelopes, Kudu etc.!

Getting there

The Park can be accessed by road or air.

Road: From Dar es salaam to Nyerere National Park is about 250km via Kibiti

Air: There are regular flights from Dar es salaam, Kilimanjaro and Arusha to a number of small airstrips in the Park.

Attractions

Nyerere National Park has numerous attractions that visitors to the place can enjoy. Some of the best attractions in the Park include the ability to see the big Five, Large concentrations of elephants and Hippos. The Rufiji River full of abundant wildlife, Largest population of African wild dogs to mention but a few. The Park is also endowed with beautiful and scenic landscapes that add to the beauty of this majestic place.

 

Mikumi National Park

As accessible as it is, Mikumi is the most appealing Park to a safari. This Park will give a true taste of an African safari while preserving your precious time.

The Park has a variety of wildlife that can be easly seen. Its closeness to Dar makes it an ideal place for weekend visitors who don’t have to spend a long time on an extended safari itinerary.

The park derives its name from a palm tree called Borassus palm which once grew there and covers an area of 3,230km2.

Getting there

The Park can be accessed by road or air.

Road. The park is 283km from Dar es salaam and 118 from Morogoro town.

Air. Scheduled flights from all the main centers in Tanzania but often routing via Dar-es-salaam.

Park attractions

The Park harbors fascinating attractions most notably the Hippo pools that provide close access to the mud loving beasts and bird watching. Zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo are found on the grassy plains.

 

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is a national park in central and southern Tanzania, located 130 kilometers west of Iringa. Spanning 20,226 sq. km (7,809 sq mi), Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania and one of the largest in Africa. Ruaha National Park is part of the larger Rungwa-Kizigo Mugesi eco-system which covers over 45,000 sq. km (17,000 sq. mi). Other protected areas encompassed in the ecosystem include Rungwa Game reserve, Mbomipa Wildlife Management Area, Kizigo, and Muhesi game reserves.

How to Get to Ruaha National Park

Tanzania safaris to Ruaha often begin in Dar-es-Salaam, and the country’s main entry is through Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR). Ruaha National Park can be accessed both by road and by air. The travel from Dar-es-Salaam to Ruaha takes around 10 hours, with much of it on a sandy, uneven road. Many visitors to Ruaha, however, like to stop at Mikumi National Park. Mikumi National Park is approximately 320km/200 mi and takes around 5 hours by road.

Nevertheless, the most convenient way to arrive in Ruaha is via chartered or scheduled aircraft from Dar-es-Salaam to any one of the park’s two airstrips, one in Msembe and one in Jongomero. When you arrive at the airstrip, a representative from your resort or camp will transfer you to your camp in a 4×4 safari vehicle.

These are just a few of the exceptional parks found in Southern Tanzania, each offering a unique safari experience and the opportunity to explore some of Africa’s most pristine and biodiverse ecosystems.

Park Attractions

Not only does Ruaha enjoy abundant wildlife, but the magnificent and constantly changing landscapes add a magical touch to the whole experience. Baobabs dot the rocky hillsides, the cool green shade along the River, the open grassy plains, all make a wonderful and exciting trip.