9 days Safari Mikumi + Ruaha + Selous

Upon arrival at Dar Es Salaam airport, you will meet your Tanzania Specialist guide. This will take you to your hotel and the rest of the day is at leisure, you can relax and enjoy the African atmosphere. Your personal and experienced Tanzania Specialist guide not only knows a lot about the Tanzanian culture, but can also tell you a lot about the beautiful national parks and sights of the country. So don’t be afraid to ask your Tanzania Specialist guide questions – he will be happy to answer them all.

This trip is an exclusive private safari so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest! You can decide for yourself when to leave in the morning and when to return in the evening. You can also observe a specific animal or herd for as long as you like during the safari. You don’t have to be considerate of anyone. Your personal guide will advise you during the safari so that your trip will be an unforgettable experience.

Tomorrow morning your safari will begin!

After breakfast your driver will pick you up at your hotel and you will drive to Mikumi national park. This is a 4 hours drive and upon arrival you will do your first game drive in the park.

Mikumi’s open horizons and abundant wildlife draws frequent comparisons to the more famous Serengeti Plains. The park has a great variety of animals and most visitors come to Mikumi national park aiming to spot the ‘Big Five’ – cheetah, lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino. The chance that you will encounter lions climbing trees here is greater than in other parks!

Today you have the entire day to explore more of Mimumi national park on a full day game drive.

The Mkata Foodplain is a wide area in Mikumi national park that is very good for wildlife viewing. Lions survey their grassy kingdom – and the zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo herds that migrate across it – from the flattened tops of termite mounds, or sometimes during the rains, from perches high in the trees. Giraffes forage in the isolated acacia stands that fringe the Mkata River, islets of shade favoured also by Mikumi’s elephants.

Mkata Foodplain is perhaps the most reliable place in Tanzania for sightings of the powerful eland, the world’s largest antelope. The equally impressive greater kudu and sable antelope haunt the miombo-covered foothills of the mountains that rise from Mikumi national park’s borders.

Hippos live in a pair of mud pools and are one of the highlights. These are situated 5 km north of the main entrance gate. They are supported by an ever-changing cast of water-birds.

After breakfast you will leave Mikumi national park to drive to Ruaha national park. This is a 5 hours drive and upon arrival you can do an afternoon game drive to explore Tanzania’s second largest park!

The Great Ruaha River flows through Ruaha national park and is the most important river in the park. Since it has a huge population of African elephants, chances are very good to spot large groups of them roaming around. It is probably home to more elephants than any other parks in East Africa and it has nearly 10% of Africa’s lion population!

Have your camera ready for some good pictures…

On today’s game drive through Ruaha national park you will probably notice the big variety of plants and trees. It is mainly characterized by its acacias and the many baobab trees. There are over 1,650 plant species that have been identified.

Besides Ruaha’s huge population of African elephants it is also home to great mammals like kudu, sable and roan antelopes which cannot be found in any other national park. Other animals to spot here include leopards, cheetahs, giraffes. Many zebras, elands, impala, bat eared foxes and jackals live in the park.

With a bit of luck, you may also see the endangered wild dogs in Ruaha national park!

Today you fly from Ruaha national park to Selous game reserve. It is one of the largest game reserves in the world – it is even bigger than Denmark! It has a large number of wildlife such as lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, Masai giraffes and many more! With a bit of luck you can even spot the endangered black rhino or the hard-to-find East African wild dogs.

It is a lot quieter in Selous than in the other parks, so you can enjoy a unique and undisturbed safari experience! The Rufiji, that ends in the Indian Ocean, crosses the entire reserve. Around this river there is a swampy area that crocodiles love. The Stiegler Gorge is a special attraction here. This is a gorge 100 meters deep and 100 meters wide.

Selous is also one of the few national parks where you can go on a walking safari with an armed ranger. If you prefer this, we can arrange it for you. But even in the car you can enjoy the landscape to the fullest and spot many animals!

After breakfast you will start your boatsafari to explore a lot of the Rufiji river and its lakes. From the boat you will spot a lot of animals that come to the water to drink or to cool down. Very commonly seen are giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, kudus, warthogs and sometimes bathing elephants. You will enjoy a picknick lunch at the edge of one of the lakes. The view and nature is absolutely amazing and you can enjoy the sounds of the many habitant birds. The full day boat tour is highly recommended and the easiest way to get as close to the animals as possible.

You will love it!

In the morning you can make another game drive or walking safari in the game reserve, depending on your accommodation and flight. Then your driver transfers you to the airport for your departure flight and on day 9 you will arrive back home.

You like to extend your safari to visit more national parks or with a beach holiday? Tanzania offers perfect paradises to unwind after your safari, such as Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.