17 Days Wildlife, Mountains and Swahili Coast

Detailed Overview

Encounters with wild animals in the national parks, hikes to magnificent waterfalls and through tropical forests, relaxation on white sandy beaches and immersion in the culture of Tanzania, this trip is a colorful mix of unique activities, culture and relaxation.

For those who want to avoid crowds of tourists and experience a safari adventure “off-the-beaten-track”, the southern safari circuit would be perfect for that. The parks included in the southern safari circuit are Nyerere National Park (before Selous Game Reserve), which has been a World Heritage Site due to its biodiversity since 1982, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park, and Udzungwa Mountains National Park.

The parks in this region are huge, unspoiled, remote and are full of a spectacular diversity of wildlife and they offer exceptional birding opportunities. In Nyerere National Park you can find the world’s densest population of the last remaining African wild dogs and there are approximately 3,700 lions – one of the largest populations in Africa. Ruaha National Park, one of Tanzania’s and East Africa’s largest parks, is home to one of the largest elephant populations in the world and is a bird-watching paradise with about 500 species of birds. The source of life for this park is the Great Ruaha River, which attracts large herds and therefore many predators to its banks during the dry season.

The southern circuit offers activities that cannot be experienced in the north. For example, guided walking tours, that give you a chance to get closer to nature and boat safaris, like in Nyerere National Park where the Rufiji River with its numerous side arms and large lakes forms a labyrinth with islands, sandbars and lagoons and you can see crocodiles sunbathe on their banks and hippos wallow in the water.

The landscape of the Mikumi Nationa Park is often compared to that of the Serengeti and is considered one of the best observation areas for the biggest antelope in the world – the eland antelope.  And finally, the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, which is a part of 34 biodiversity hotspots due to its rich levels of biodiversity and endemism. Its massive forest panoramas and variety of gorgeous waterfalls are a great draw for trekkers. The park is home of an important population of primates, including the Sanje Mangabey and the Iringa Red Colobus, which you can find only here. There are 2500 plant species, 25% of which are endemic, and over 400 different bird species have been counted. On the way to Ruaha Nationalpark you can visit the “Isimila Stone Age Site” and the museum with small, well-captioned displays highlighting some of the discoveries. You walk through ancient canyons and pillars. Fossilized bones of mammals; an extinct hippopotamus and over 60.000 years old tools are some of the stone age finds found here.

The last highlight are the famous ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani, where a powerful and prosperous settlement was once ruled by independent African sultanates. Kilwa was the center of a vast trade network connecting the ancient Shona kingdoms and Zimbabwe’s goldfields with Persia, India and China. And as the last stop on this diverse safari you visit the Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park in southern Tanzania, close to the border with Mozambique. This park with its globally significant marine biodiversity is home to important populations of whales, dolphins, four species of turtle and numerous birds. The pristine white sands of Ruvula Beach complete this tropical paradise.