fbpx

Southern Tanzania’s
Dry Season Safari

A 7-night tour of the Southern Tanzania circuit exploring lesser visited Selous & Ruaha with superlative wildlife viewing, small bushcamps, walking & fly-camps

EXPLORE
  • 7 Nights
  • June – October
  • Tanzania
  • £7,230 PP
  • Luxury

Trip Overview

Ruaha in the dry season offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Tanzania while the Selous wilderness is a total contrast. This is an ideal itinerary for for families who want to experience a sense of wild Africa with a bit of comfort along the way.

Not only is Southern Tanzania visited by a fraction of the people who travel to the better known parks in the north, it’s also somewhere that bristles with action, particularly between June and October.

Ruaha and Selous combine to provide great contrast and a wonderful experience of wild Africa. Amazingly, these parks still manage to remain somewhat off the main tourist trail today – particularly if you aim for the early season –  partly because their riches don’t necessarily reveal themselves all on day one. But to those willing to slow down and look, a safari to this part of the world has a charm all of its own.

Devote more than a flying visit to Southern Tanzania and you cannot fail to be smitten by both Ruaha and Selous.

+ Read More

Receive a copy of our into the wild brochure

A print anthology of safari and wilderness travel with over 220 pages of travel inspiration.

Tailor made

Top highlights of this itinerary

Often the best safaris involve looking beyond the obvious highlights. It’s about the exhilarating encounters that will make your heart sing. These are encounters that nobody could ever predict, but that make your safari genuinely unique.

Trip Itinerary

Southern Tanzania’s Dry Season Safari

Ruaha National Park (3 Nights)
3 Nights

Ruaha National Park

In Ruaha’s dry season, massive herds of buffalo graze the flood plains of the Ruaha and Mwagusi Rivers, drinking en-masse in the river beds in the mornings and evenings. At these moments interactions between the buffalo and Ruaha’s very large prides of lion are common. The two enemies are rarely far from each other and marauding attacks (successful or otherwise) are a regular feature of this park.

The river lines and rocky terrain in Ruaha provide exceptional cover for it’s leopard population and the park has deservedly built a reputation as one of the best places to see this illusive predator.

Elephant are a major feature, with large breeding herds gathering in the sand rivers to dig for water during the dry season, while groups of bulls feed their way from Tamarind to Acacia hoovering up nutricious seed pods during the heat of the day. They’re also a regular feature in many of the camps; waking to find a bull elephant gently feeding a few feet from your window makes for a truly unforgettable (if slightly sleepless) night.

Ruaha also has good cheetah and wild dog as well as a good number of the more unusual species if you’re really lucky, such as aardwolf (small bushy hyena-type creature) zorilla and caracal, all of which are present, if rare.

Accommodation

Kigelia Ruaha

With just six tents, one of which is for families, strung along a generally dry river bed, Kigelia is a classic safari camp, built of canvas and thatch and designed to immerse you deep in to the wilderness.

Learn More

Experiences in Ruaha

Parks & Areas

Selous Game Reserve (4 Nights)
4 Nights

Selous Game Reserve

Selous is a contrast with Ruaha in almost every way – dominated by the Rufiji River, its tributaries and oxbow lakes, it has a palpably wild feeling and offers not only excellent mammal and bird viewing, but also the chance to walk, boat and fly-camp as well as game driving.

This is Africa’s largest game reserve has a palpable sense of wilderness. It’s home to – and shaped by – the continents largest mammals; elephant and hippo in particular while it’s rivers and lakes team with crocodiles and myriad birdlife.

Accommodation

Open air rooms at Sand Rivers provide a spectacular perspective on the river. Hippo wallow below your room, their honks and laughter a constant backdrop to your stay here. In the morning you’ll wake to the sounds of bulbuls, kingfishers and weavers.

Sand Rivers Selous

Sand Rivers Selous is a first-class small safari lodge offering top quality safaris by vehicle, foot and boat well away from the crowds.

Learn More

Experiences

Parks & Areas

Much of the attraction of the Selous is its wonderful secret pockets, many of which are best reached on foot. Walk silently with your armed guide along paths swept by the feet of elephant and hippo to emerge in magical openings to find animals quietly feeding. The terrain in the Selous changes quickly in a short distance, which makes for ideal country to explore on foot or using a combination of drives, walks and boat safaris.

Other Inspiring Other Itineraries in Tanzania
  • luxury
  • Tanzania
  • 7 Nights
  • June – February

Lions of the Serengeti

See Itinerary
Up Next
01 | 05
Other Inspiring Other Itineraries in Tanzania
  • authentic
  • Tanzania
  • 7 Nights
  • June – October

Simple Brilliant Camps in Safari Heartland

See Itinerary
Up Next
02 | 05
Other Inspiring Other Itineraries in Tanzania
  • luxury
  • Tanzania
  • 7 Nights
  • January – December

The Wildebeest Migration from Seasonal Camps

See Itinerary
Up Next
03 | 05
Other Inspiring Other Itineraries in Tanzania
  • authentic
  • Tanzania
  • 5 Nights
  • January – December

Walking Safari in the Serengeti

See Itinerary
Up Next
04 | 05
Other Inspiring Other Itineraries in Tanzania
  • authentic
  • Tanzania
  • 8 Nights
  • June – October

Northern Tanzania For Active Families

See Itinerary
05 | 05

NOT SURE WHERE TO GO?

Get advice and recommendations from our safari experts.

Talk to our travel experts

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn More

Got it!
Close

Enquire Now

Please fill in the form below and one of our specialists will be in touch with you, or alternatively contact us on: