Countries: Tanzania
Destinations: Dar es Salaam , Ruaha National Park , Nyerere National Park (Selous Game Reserve)
Group Size: 2
Duration (days): 11
Number of Adults: 2
Number of Children: 0
Discover the hidden wildlife jewels of Southern Tanzania with the All Asilia safari offer, the ultimate way to explore the region’s most remote and spectacular wildlife reserves. Fly and drive for free between these pristine landscapes, where you will encounter a dazzling array of animals and birds in their natural habitats.
This 11-day Southern Tanzania Circuit Safari will take you on a journey of adventure and culture, from the spice markets of Dar es Salaam to the rugged wilds of Ruaha National Park and Usangu Expedition Camp. Experience the thrill of walking safaris, night drives, stargazing at Kokoko Camp, and the beauty and diversity of Nyerere National Park, where Roho ya Selous awaits with boating safaris and more. This safari is the ultimate wildlife experience, with true variety of experience, wilderness, and wildlife.
Itinerary Outline
Day 1 : Dar es Salaam
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel. Once you’re settled in, and if time permits, you can explore the city’s spice markets and museums, or simply relax by the pool, enjoying the tropical warmth and sunshine. Get a good night’s rest ahead of your safari which begins tomorrow.
A land full of icons, with the names Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar immediately evoking images of exotic locations and abundant wildlife. A Tanzanian safari is an experience for all of the senses, and caters for every kind of traveller.
Tanzania is a country which was seemingly designed with the word "safari" in mind. There are enough national parks and different safari activities to keep travellers coming back year on year, with the added benefit of easily combining beautiful tropical beaches with the wildlife rich plains.
A Tanzanian safari is a journey in the true sense of the word, with each itinerary feeling like an exploration out into the wilderness. Moving from park to park, either by road or air, the countryside offers something new at each stop.
The plains of the Serengeti have become synonomous with an African safari, and by visiting the right areas and camps, you will be able to see the legendary wildebeest migration as it moves across the grasslands in constant search of fresh grazing and water.
To the south of the country are the remote reserves of Selous and Ruaha, while in the west you can trek into the mountains to witness chimpanzees along the shores of the mystical Lake Tanganyika.
Founded by the Sultan of Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam remained only a small port until the German East Africa Company established a station there in 1887. During the German occupation in the early 20th century, Dar was the centre of colonial administration and the main contact point between the agricultural mainland and the world of trade and commerce in the Indian Ocean and the Swahili Coast. It served as the capital of German East Africa (1891 to 1916), Tanganyika (1961 to 1964) and Tanzania (1964 to 1974,) when Dodoma was designated Tanzania’s national capital.
Buildings in Dar often reflect the city’s colonial past and display a rich mix of architectural styles incorporating Swahili, British, German and Asian traditions. Post World War II modernisation and expansion brought contemporary multistoried buildings including a hospital complex, a technical institute and a high court. Educational facilities comprise the University of Dar es Salaam (1961), several libraries and research institutes as well as the National Museum. Other historical landmarks include St Joseph’s Cathedral, the White Father’s Mission House, the Botanical Gardens and the old State House, which make for an interesting walking tour around the waterfront and city centre.
Dar’s natural, nearly landlocked harbour is the outlet for most of mainland Tanzania’s agricultural and mineral exports and is also a transit port for the Congo River. The city is the terminus of a rail line west to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika, north to Mwanza on Lake Victoria and south to Zambia.
Experience urban living at its most cosmopolitan at Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel, located at the heart of the city centre business district, just moments from sandy Indian Ocean beaches, a bustling fish market and eclectic crafts markets, boutiques and restaurants. A garden oasis of tranquillity and charm, our five-star Dar es Salaam hotel promises the warmest of welcomes, vibrant experiences and vivid memories of your stay.
For discerning business and leisure travellers with a taste for the very finest, our distinctive five-star hotel is a place to call home. Exceptional security and impeccable service as well as world-class amenities and cuisine create the perfect retreat within a thriving metropolis.
Acclaimed as one of Tanzania’s most prestigious hotels, Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel offers a perspective that is the essence of the city itself: diverse and stylish yet exceedingly relaxed and down-to-earth.
Day 2 - 4 : Ruaha National Park
After a welcome rest and a delicious breakfast, we will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Ruaha National Park. Enjoy aerial views of the beautiful landscapes before you arrive at the airstrip. A guide will welcome you and you will depart to the camp on a game drive transfer.
As you drive, learn about this only recently explored region in the south of the park, and the research that has been done to learn more about the biodiverse it holds.
Usangu Expedition Camp is your base for explorations, tucked into the woodland.
Game drive in search of herds of sable and roan antelope, watch elephant along the shore during a boat safari, and walk the expansive grasslands during the dry season. Sleep out in a star cube under the enormous canopy of the African night sky for a true adventure. Night drives with thermal cameras offer a unique perspective, watching predators on the prowl and using the latest technology to complement your safari experience.
Also on the southern circuit, but even further removed than the Selous, Ruaha National Park provides a wild and game rich safari experience, with an incredible dry season concentration of animals.
With its variety of landscapes, and excellent sightings, as well as the remote location far from any major human habitation, Ruaha has made a name for itself as one of Africa's great game reserves.
A unique mix of species is found in Ruaha, with the park being located in the transitional zone between the acacia savannah of East Africa and the miombo woodland belt of Southern Africa.
Flowing along the eastern border of the park, the great Ruaha River is the lifeblood of the area, being the only source of water during the dry season, and therefore attracting an enormous concentration of wildlife.
Set on the outskirts of the Usangu floodplains, deep in the remote southern corner of Ruaha National Park, Usangu Expedition Camp offers an immersive, conservation driven experience for the adventurous traveller. The camp offers a wide variety of included activities alongside access to ongoing research projects in the Douglas Bell Eco Research Station. For those looking to further enhance this unique experience, there are customised conservation activities tailored to specific interests. With only four beautifully designed tents and full en suite facilities, Usangu Expedition Camp offers an intimate and unforgettably authentic safari experience.
Day 5 - 7 : Ruaha National Park
After breakfast and saying your goodbyes to your Usangu hosts, you will game drive north through the park. Ruaha National Park is renowned for its remarkable sightings of large predators and is home to lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, hyena and much more. This reserve is one of the most well-preserved and untouched wilderness areas on the entire continent.
Encounter the true feeling of the wild at Kokoko Camp, an expedition-style tented camp located in the prime wildlife area of the park on the banks of the dry Mwagusi river. The camp, booked privately for up to six guests, offers an exceptionally intimate safari experience hosted by one of Asilia’s top guides. The days unfold at the pace you choose, on exploratory walking safaris to uncover this rugged landscape, or venturing further afield on game drives. Afternoon drives and sundowners extend into night-time excursions to witness the secrets of the bush and spot the shy and often rare nocturnal animals. Perfect days end with stargazing and dinners prepared in the riverbed, surrounded by flickering lantern lights and the sounds of the surrounding wildlife.
Kokoko Camp, in the prime untamed wilderness area of Ruaha National Park, focuses entirely on the magnificent wildlife and the experience of the moment.
The adventure allows you to return to the authentic essence of safari, disconnecting from the everyday world and connecting with nature, your friends, and your family. Relish discovering and walking new trails, feeling like an explorer, and engaging all your senses. It is a journey embracing mindfulness and immersion in nature.
Booked privately for a maximum of six guests and hosted by one of Asilia’s top guides, our boutique Kokoko Camp offers you the opportunity to spend blissful days exploring the dry Mwagusi River of Ruaha on walking safaris, game drives and exciting night drives. Delight in incredible star gazing and enjoy secluded dinners in the riverbed, surrounded by flickering lanterns. This exclusivity ensures an intimate experience and connection with the surroundings. Delicious meals are cooked over an open fire and enjoyed in the open air whenever possible. Sense the sun’s warmth on your skin, the breeze on your face and the earth beneath your feet as you immerse yourself into nature and revel in the experience of it.
Day 8 - 10 : Nyerere National Park (Selous Game Reserve)
After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airstrip for your flight to the Nyerere National Park. Upon your arrival at the local airstrip, you will be greeted by a guide who will transfer you to the camp.
Roho ya Selous is situated on a small peninsula overlooking Lake Nzerakera in the heart of Nyerere National Park. This reserve is the largest in Africa and home to one of the continent’s most significant populations of wild dog. In addition, there are plentiful hippo, elephant, buffalo, hyena, giraffe and more than 400 bird species.
Nyerere National Park (Selous Game Reserve)
Originally named after the legendary hunter and explorer Sir Frederick Selous, the Selous Game Reserve, now known as Nyerere National Park, is one of the largest in the world, at over 50 000 square kilometers. Being on the less touristed southern circuit of Tanzania, Nyerere allows you to get off the beaten path, and enjoy an active and exclusive safari.
With the Rufiji River delta flowing through Nyerere and out into the Indian Ocean, the park offers activities on the river, including boat cruises and fishing trips, and another plus is that it is well located to take a short flight to one of Tanzania's tropical islands.
Visiting the less-touristed southern circuit of Tanzania offers you a very different experience to the northern parks of the country, and the Nyerere National Park is an exciting and activity laden destination.
Being about an hour flight from Dar es Salaam, or a 3 hour flight from Arusha, Nyerere is far removed from the main Tanzanian parks, and for this reason is a great place to wander away from the tourist track and enjoy a Tanzanian safari with a difference. While not being able to offer the same volume of wildlife sightings, and also being quite seasonal, Nyerere works on a basis of quality over quantity, and offers some of the higher ranges of safari experiences in Tanzania.
On a small peninsula overlooking Lake Nzerakera, Roho ya Selous is in the heart of Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), the largest reserve in Africa and home to one of the biggest populations of wild dogs on the continent.
It is a wildlife hotspot, with giraffes and elephants regularly sauntering through camp during the day and the sounds of nearby hippos and lions punctuating the night. With its network of lakes and rivers, this area is known for its water-based activities.
Our eight-tent camp is simple and stylish, with evening-breeze cooling systems above the beds making even the hottest nights more comfortable. During the day, cool off in the pool or spot wildlife making its way to the water from an armchair in our shaded dining tent or lounge area. Out and about, explore by vehicle, on foot or even in a boat, with fishing excursions available.
