Welcome to the pristine south of Tanzania!
An exciting adventure trip awaits you! You land in Dar es Salaam and spend a night there in the lively city. Then it's takes you to the Udzungwa Mountains, where you will visit the Sanje Waterfalls. Then the Ruaha National Park awaits you with its elephant herds. After another stop in Mikumi National Park, things get really wild - in the Selous Game Reserve. Explore the area on a hike, boat tour, and game drive. At the last, you will return to Dar es Salaam. Alternatively, you can also fly from Selous to Zanzibar.
Country | Tanzania |
Accommodation | Mid range |
Food | Fullboard |
Minimum number of participants | 2 person |
Arrival at Dar es Salaam Airport - Dar es Salaam
Arrival at Dar es Salaam Airport. There you can get your visa (US $ 50 per person), pick up your luggage and go through customs. Our driver is already waiting for you and takes you to the Hotel Slipway in Dar es Salaam - check-in (bed and breakfast)
Moorish arches and palm trees vie with Victorian street lights to create a homely atmosphere in this small hotel and shopping center. Hotel Slipway has an interesting waterfront location (you can occasionally watch the fishermen at work as they work on their boats in the old shipyard). The Slipway offers clean, comfortable rooms and countless shopping opportunities in the area and several restaurants. The whole complex is designed like an indoor-outdoor bazaar.
20 km - depending on traffic conditions 30 minutes - 1.5 hours
From lively Dar es Salaam to the Udzungwa National Park
Today you leave the colorful Dar es Salaam and drive to the breathtakingly beautiful Udzungwa National Park. At noon you will stop in Morogoro for a delicious lunch before we continue to the national park. When you arrive at the park, check in to your accommodation, the Udzungwa Forest Camp. This is located on the border of the huge Udzungwa Mountains and a very pristine rainforest, which is inhabited by various species of monkeys. After check-in, enjoy dinner before going to bed for the first evening in the wilderness.
Driving time: 370 km - 6 - 7 hours
Hike in the Udzungwa Mountains - Sanje Waterfalls
Udzungwa Mountains is a still very unknown national park in Tanzania. The mountain range stretches from Kenya to Tanzania and offers a unique biodiversity, especially in Udzungwa. You will find 2500 species of plants (25% of them are endemic) and over 400 species of birds have a home. There are also six species of monkeys, two of which can only be found here.
Today a hike to the Sanje Waterfall is on the program. Early in the morning you will be escorted to the main gate, where you will meet your guide. After a brief introduction and completion of all formalities, you start your tour.
There are different options - either you just hike to the first waterfall and then return, or you dare the big tour to the big waterfall - you can decide this right at the start.
After the hike, you will return to the accommodation.
Driving time: 10 km - 15 - 20 minutes
From the Udzungwa Mountains to the largest national park in Tanzania - Ruaha
Today you leave the Udzungwa Mountains and continue to Tanzania's largest national park - Ruaha. You cross small, typical villages, meet some locals and can marvel at fascinating landscapes to the west. In the evening you arrive at the accommodation and check in. The Ruaha River Lodge offers a fabulous view of the surrounding landscape and is located directly on the large Ruaha River, the lifeline of the national park. Enjoy your dinner here, then sit back and relax and gaze at the starry sky when the weather is clear.
Travel time: 400 km - 9 hours
With the elephants in Tanzania's largest national park - Ruaha
The Ruaha National Park has become more and more popular in recent years. Especially in the dry season, great animal sightings can make your game drives an unforgettable experience. & Nbsp; The park is home to large herds of elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, giraffes, cheetahs and with a bit of luck you will come across a pack of wild dogs. After an exciting day in the park, return to the camp and enjoy the mild, African night
From the elephants in Ruaha to Mikumi National Park
Today you leave the Ruaha National Park immediately after breakfast and continue to the Mikumi National Park. The journey time is approx. 7 hours. The Mikumi belongs to the Selous ecosystem and is home to the typical African savannah inhabitants such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest and lions, and leopards and hippos can also be observed. Your accommodation, the Stanley’s Kopjes, is a champ located on a rock and offers a stunning view of the wide, picturesque plains and a watering hole where animals regularly stop to drink.
Travel time: 345 km - 7 hours
On game drives in Mikumi National Park
Animal sightings are best, especially in the morning. If you want, you can start early in the Mikumi today. Go in search of the residents of the third largest park in the country. The landscape is sustainably shaped by wide grass savannahs and some forest areas. After the full day game drive, you will return to the camp.
Let's go wilder - the Selous is waiting for you
Today you leave Mikumi Park and drive to the huge Selous Game Reserve. You take the route through the densely forested Uluguru Mountains and via Morogoro directly into the reserve. First game drives await you today on the way to Selous River Camp. This is quite idyllic in the forest on the banks of the large Rufiji River. Here you can enjoy delicious meals prepared from fresh produce and served in the thatched, open dining area with a view of the water.
Travel times: 350 km - 7-8 hours
Selous Game Reserve - be wild!
Even before breakfast, you will go on a guided hike today to find the tracks of the smaller and larger animals that were in the area the night before. After breakfast you go on an exciting morning game drive. Return to camp for lunch. In the afternoon you will explore the park from a completely new perspective: a lively boat trip takes you over the cool waters of the Rufiji River. Dinner and overnight will again take place at Selous River Camp.
Full day game drive in the Selous Game Reserve
In 1982 the Selous Game Reserve was declared a World Heritage Site. During today's game drive it becomes clear how important it is to protect ecosystems like the Selous Game Reserve for our children. It offers an unadulterated nature experience. Large parts of the reserve are covered with forests. On the banks of the river you will always discover wild animals that quench your thirst.
The Ruiji River - the heart and at the same time the most important water source for the game reserve - attracts elephants, buffalo, zebras, impalas, wildebeest and many species of birds.
Enjoy today and return to your accommodation in the evening.
Goodbye wilderness
Today you leave the Selous Game Reserve and return to the hustle and bustle of Dar es Salaam. On the way you can admire the many different facets of the impressive landscapes of Tanzania. Once you arrive, check back into the Slipway Hotel and explore the city in the evening.
Travel times: 200 km - 4-5 hours
Departure - Goodbye Africa
Today your journey comes to an end. 3 hours before your flight departure you will be picked from the hotel and transferred to the airport.
We hope you have packed a bag full of memories.
We are waving good bye and wishing you a safe flight back home!
Kwa heri na karibu tena!
Bye bye and welcome again!
The Slipway Hotel is only 7km from Dar es Salaam's center on the peninsula Msasani with a beautiful view over the Indian Ocean. The hotel provides a good value for money and is part of the Slipway complex. Here you can buy little souvenirs and have delicious food.
The Hondo Hondo (Udzungwa Forest Tented Camp) is located on the border to the Udzungwa mountains. The lush green grounds are next to the pristine rain forest and offer an excellent view over the green roof of the forest. Many different species of monkeys live there, for example the endemic Udzungwa Red Colobus, the remarkable Sanje Crested Mangebey and the Black and White Colobus. Several species of hornbill birds fly around the edge of the wood. Every evening at sunset they sit in the trees and their unique calls echo through the valley. The Hondo Hondo offers rooms for every taste. For those who love a little luxury in the African rain forest there are six luxurious en-suite tent rooms. For those on budget there are little huts with thatch roofs upon a hill as alternative. And for the adventurers there is a camping site with a bar, a restaurant and solar heated showers and public toilets.
The Ruaha Hilltop is about 110km from Iringa and 5km from the village Tungamalenga and close to Ruaha National Park. The lodge is located on top of a hill with wonderful view. You can watch the various birds, which live around the lodge.
The Angalia Tented Camp is only 4km from Mikumi Nationalpark. The camp offers a unique experience in the middle of the African Savanna. It was built in traditional African style with Makuti roofs and stones made of Tanga. The bathrooms are in the tents. The furniture was built by local craftsmen, who used ebony wood and Mninga.
The Selous River Camp is close to the border of the reservation and has a wonderful view over the river. You are sleeping in mud-walled huts with your own toilet and shower.
The Nyerere National Park (former Selous Game Reserve) is one of the largest protected area in Africa (31,000 km²). It is situated in the southwest of Tanzania and was named after the "Nation's Father" Julius Nyerere. It is famous for its big herds of elephants, hippos, crocodiles and wild dogs. It is also a paradise for 350 bird species and 2000 plant species. Next to game drives you can enjoy boat tours and walking tour. The Rufiji River is responsilbe to distribute enough water in this area for the animals, plants and filling up several lakes.
The largest national park of Tanzania is Ruaha (about 20,221 km²), covering roughly the size of Belgium. Ruaha is situated in the transition zone of the northern and southern hemisphere – here you can find migrant birds, as well as eastern African and southern African mammals! This creates an overwhelming amount of different bird species (530 known species, almost half of all species found in the country) and more than 1400 plant species, which account for a large amount of mammals. The large plain of the park is surrounded by mountains and steep slopes, grasslands, rocky summits and river areas. Regarding this range of natural habitats, it’s not surprising such a large variety of mammals is living in Ruaha.
The Udzungwa Mountain National Park is a woodland area and home of the rare iringa and colobus, as well as Mangabey monkeys. From the peak of the eastern mountain, you can see the Selous Game Reserve and sometimes even the Indian Ocean. The most popular route includes the Sanje Waterfall. If you like, you can ascent further to Mwanihana summit, the second highest peak of the park or up to Luhombero summit, which is the most difficult hike.
The Mikumi National Park is situated at the northern border of Africa’s largest reserve, the Selous Game Reserve, and is crossed by a paved road. This is the most accessible area of the 75,000 km² of wildness stretching almost until the Indian Ocean in the east. At the heart of the park, you can find zebras, gnus, impalas and herds of buffalo wandering around in the plains. Giraffes like to get their food from the acacia trees along the Mkata river. With much luck, you will see elands, kudus and sable antelopes. Up to 400 bird species are home to the Mikumi, as well as hippos and elephants.
4x4 Safari Auto - unlimited mileage
English speaking guide
all admissions and fees
2 nights at The Slipway Hotel with bed and breakfast
2 nights full board in the Udzungwa Forest Camp, hike, admission and guiding fee
3 nights full board at Ruaha Hill Top, entry to Ruaha National Park and 2 full day game drives
2 nights full board at Angalia Tented Camp, entry to the Mikumi National Park and a full day game drive
3 nights full board at Selous River Camp, reservation fees, conservation fees, a morning hike, morning game drive, afternoon boat tour and a full day game drive
Tourist tax
Security certificate according to German law
Flying Doctors Insurance - in the event of an accident or sudden illness, you will be picked up by the Flying Doctors at the nearest landing site and flown to a hospital in Nairobi. From then on, your international health insurance should cover the payment for the treatment
Visa fees - US $ 50 per person
personal things
alcohol
beverages
Cigarettes
clothing
Laundry service
Extra activities in Udzungwa
Hike in the Ruaha National Park - to be paid locally for an additional charge and with the approval of the authorities
Tips per day per group: Recommendation 15-20 US per day for the guide airport fees
Things of personal use
International flight