The wild side of Tanzania: vast, uncrowded parks, boat safaris on the Rufiji and wild chimpanzees beside Lake Tanganyika.
Plan a trip here →Southern and western Tanzania are for travellers who want wilderness without the traffic. Nyerere, Ruaha and Mikumi offer big game across enormous landscapes, often with a handful of other vehicles in sight, while remote Mahale on the shore of Lake Tanganyika is one of the few places in Africa where you can track wild chimpanzees on foot.
The south is defined by space. Nyerere is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, and Ruaha's baobab-studded hills carry big predator numbers, including lion prides. Few roads and fewer camps mean you can spend an afternoon with a sighting and nobody else.
It is also the best place in Tanzania to do safari differently: by boat on the Rufiji River among hippos and crocodiles, on foot with a ranger, or by trekking chimpanzees through the forest at Mahale. Waterfalls and rainforest in the Udzungwa Mountains add hiking to the mix.
A nine-day circuit through Tanzania's less-visited southern parks - Ruaha, Mikumi and Nyerere - combining classic game drives with a boat safari on the Rufiji River. Domestic flights…
A remote wilderness trip to Mahale National Park on Lake Tanganyika, centered on tracking wild chimpanzees with experienced guides. It's rounded out with lake activities - boat trips…
A southern Tanzania trip that pairs open-plains game drives in Mikumi with a hike to the Sanje Waterfalls and a walk through Magombera forest in the Udzungwa Mountains. It's a private…
Peak months: Aug, Sep, Oct.
June to October is the best window for game viewing, when animals concentrate at the rivers. Mahale's chimpanzee trekking is at its best in the dry months from May to October. The March to May rains are quiet and green, but several camps in the south close.
Mikumi is about four hours by road from Dar es Salaam. Nyerere and Ruaha are usually reached by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar. Mahale has no road access: you arrive by scheduled flight and boat.
Tell us your dates and interests — we’ll shape a private itinerary around Southern Tanzania.
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