Ruaha National Park

The dry season in Ruaha National Park rivals any location in Tanzania for sheer action and variety. This is somewhere you'll see a wide range of species from lion, buffalo and elephant to Greater and Lesser Kudu, Sable and Roan antelope and even a good chance of wild dogs. Low tourist numbers and open sided vehicles add to the experience.

Ruaha is undoubtedly one of Tanzania's best dry season locations. As the national park dries out between June and October, water sources become scarce, and animals are forced to come into the centre from the surrounding dispersal areas. The Great Ruaha River, the Mwagusi, Mdonya and Jongomero sand rivers become the focal point for large numbers of animals during the heat of the day.

The park has a wild and exciting feel and, in the company of a good guide it can produce some truly extraordinary game sightings. Elephant, Lion, buffalo in huge herds, Giraffe and Greater Kudu are just some of the more common species you're pretty much guaranteed to see. Lesser Kudu, Sable and Roan Antelope are amongst the rare species you're likely to see.

The prodigious numbers of buffalo in Ruaha are relentlessly trailed by some very large prides of lion, which can number over 20 individuals. Particularly along the Mwagusi Sand River and the Great Ruaha River there's regular interaction between the buffalo and lion, which can produce game viewing as good as anything we have seen.

In addition to the mammals, there are more than four hundred species of birds in Ruaha and until a few years ago, new species were still being found there - an indication of how little visited the area has been. (And we're not talking little brown birds; in 1994 the Black Eagle wasn't on the bird list for this area, despite the fact that a pair of these birds, resembling bombers with 9ft wingspans were nesting on Kimilamatonge Hill close to the airstrip).

Like Katavi further west, Ruaha is palpably exciting and has the ability to produce truly extraordinary game viewing in a genuinely wild location. But take your time if you come here - three days are a sensible minimum, and, if you can afford the time, you wont regret taking five. This is a very large national park, only around 5 percent is regularly driven by tourists and there are many areas, which only an experienced Ruaha guide will know about.