Dry Season East Africa, 2023: Tanzania

Returning from the Mara in Kenya you’ll be privately transferred to Nairobi’s international airport so that you’ll be well-positioned for tomorrow’s early morning flights into Tanzania. The afternoon and evening are free. Overnight at the airport Crowne Plaza.
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Take a morning flight to either Zanzibar or Dar-es-Salaam where you can easily connect onto a local flight into The Selous. Recently renamed Nyerere National Park after Tanzania’s first president, Julius Nyerere, The Selous is an one-of-kind wilderness - and one that is in serious danger! Only a few years ago it was Tanzania’s largest wilderness when massive hunting reserves and the central game reserve were combined into what many had hoped would become one of the world’s greatest attempts to save Africa as it originally was. That hope lasted for a very short time and for the last several years Tanzania has embarked on a Chinese financed meta-project to build one of the largest dams on the continent. The original Selous Game Reserve is defined by the great Rufiji River and the lowland forests that rim its banks. For the time being – perhaps one of the few silver linings of the pandemic – it survives pretty much in tact. Hot, jungly and remarkably biodiverse, the reserve while only 80 miles from the Indian Ocean resembles much of Africa’s rich interior jungles. The big river has some of Africa’s biggest crocs and its densest collection of hippo. There are literally hundreds of elephants easily seen each day along with all the rest of the big game. The famous Selous lion – often unmaned – prowls the sandy meadows in search of numerous species of antelope. At the edge of the central and southern African biospheres, the bird life is extraordinary. Here you can see more different species of bee-eaters and large raptors than anywhere else on the continent. Arrive at camp for lunch followed by afternoon game viewing. Meals and overnight at Selous Impala Camp.
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In addition to traditional game drives in open safari vehicles, equally productive are the boat safaris that travel up and down the great Rufiji River. There are numerous inlets running into swamplands and groves of mangroves and giant water lilies. You can also go fishing for some of giant tiger fish and mudcats that are so abundant in this area. Meals, activities, game viewing and overnight at Selous Impala Camp.
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A final full day in The Selous. Game view, fish or just relax, you chose how to spend your day in this remarkable environment. Meals, activities, game viewing and overnight at Selous Impala Camp.
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This morning a nearly two-hour flight brings you into some of the most remote wilderness in central Tanzania, the great Ruaha National Park. What you’ll notice almost immediately are the large numbers of great baobab trees, the “tree of Africa.” These monsters of the ancient are usually leafless and give the impression of being upside down! The park is larger than the Serengeti and Ngorongoro combined though its terrain is not as diverse. But the sheer enormity of the wilderness has protected a range of rare wildlife like wild dog and lesser kudu that is difficult to find elsewhere. This huge area of nearly 20,000 sq. miles in central Tanzania is about a hundred miles east of the giant Lake Tanganyika. It is mostly a sand woodland, the remnants of a very ancient giant sea. Several important rivers like the Ruaha and Mwagusi cut swaths of beauty through the otherwise slightly desiccated landscape, draw enormous amounts of game and become the focus of most game viewing. There are large numbers of elephant, buffalo and substantial groups of kudu. Sable and roan – two very rare antelope – are occasionally seen. Interestingly leopard rather than lion dominates the carnivore presence, probably because of the enormous numbers of impala and the many trees. Meals and overnight at Ikuka Safari Camp.
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Game viewing can be very traditional with early morning and late afternoon drives, or you can order a picnic and go out all day! The great splendor of Ruaha is its size and the few visitors it attracts to its very distant location, assuring you of an inspirational experience of truly wild Africa! Meals and overnight at Ikuka Safari Camp.
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One final full day to explore this vast wilderness! Meals and overnights at Ikuka Safari Camp.
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This morning you fly back to the coast, to either Zanzibar or Dar-es-Salaam depending from where your international return home begins. Most international connections actually are better served by Zanzibar. On arrival you’ll be privately transferred into Stone Town with an overnight at the Serena Inn. The majority of flights will depart this evening, but for the few morning departures the hotel is available through Sunday morning.
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Hotel checkout is at 10 a.m. Private transfers are available individually back to the airport on demand.
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DON'T GO HOME YET! Please inquire about a longer stay in Zanzibar. Fascinating Arab Stone Town is the oldest community in sub-Saharan Africa having roots back to the 13th century, and Zanzibar’s famous white sand beaches draw sun-lovers from around the world.