Enjoy the best of Tanzania without the crowds!

Abandon the beaten path and explore the vast national parks that most visitors to Tanzania miss! These remote southern parks are rarely visited, offering spectacular wildlife viewing without the crowds.

Your journey begins with a taste of things to come amid the wild wonders of Mikumi National Park. Part of the magnificent Selous ecosystem, Mikumi is your introduction to Tanzania's wildlife, as it is also the gateway to Southern Tanzania and only a stone's throw from Udzungwa Mountain National Park. Isolated in the ancient forests along the Rift Valley escarpment, Udzungwa is often referred to as the "Galápagos of Africa" for the dozens of unique species-from exotic birds to newly-discovered primates-that are found here.

From there you'll fly to the Southern Highlands where you'll explore tea plantations and remote villages by horseback or mountain bike. Then it's on to Katavi, a park so remote that it receives fewer than 300 visitors a year. Katavi literally thumps with wildlife, as herds of buffalo, zebra, and giraffe thunder across the plains and drink from rivers thick with huge "monster" crocodiles. You'll continue on to Ruaha, a stunning wilderness of mighty rivers and plunging gorges, rolling hills, and countless baobab trees. This breathtaking trip is far-flung Tanzania at its unspoiled best.

Activities

Game viewing by 4-wheel-drive vehicle, occasional bush hikes, local guides at each camp

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience Tanzania’s massive and rugged southern parks untouched by most safari tours
• See all the big game, plus dozens of endemic birds and varieties of kudu, antelope, and hartebeest found nowhere else
• Explore local agricultural communities seldom visited by Westerners

2010 PRICES
$4,295 per person, double occupancy (2 members)
$1,100 single supplement
$350 park fees
$2,000 internal airfare

Duration: 12 days Start Location: Dar es Salaam End Location: Dar es Salaam Best time to go: May - November

Itinerary

• Day 1 : Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

  Arrive in Dar es Salaam, which means "Haven of Peace" in Swahili. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore Dar, the economic and cultural center of Tanzania.

• Day 2 : Dar - Mikumi National Park

  You'll be picked up at the hotel and taken to the airport for the flight to Mikumi National Park. After lunch you'll begin your exploration of Mikumi, which touches the northern border of the Selous, one of the largest game reserves in the world. The park consists of a wide plain surrounded by the eastern arc mountains of the Ulugurus and Udzungwas to the southeast and the Ruhumero range to the west. Ecosystems within the park are varied, ranging from coastal scrub to bushland to miombo woodland. This diversity makes for a staggering variety of both flora and fauna, and the bird-watching here is exquisite, with over 400 species in residence, including African jacanas, eight types of kingfisher, and the massive Goliath heron.

• Day 3 : Udzungwa Mountain National Park

  You'll set out from Mikumi to explore Udzungwa, a mountain range that reaches to 8,000'. The ecosystem ranges from lush rainforest to fire-maintained sub-climax woodland to pristine montane forest. The relative isolation of the area and the huge number of rare, endemic species found here have caused Udzungwa to become known as the "Galápagos of Africa." The primate species are of particular interest and include blue monkeys, vervets, hehe red colobus, dwarf galagos, and the extraordinarily rare Sanje crested mangabey, which is found only in Udzungwa. In fact, the recent discovery here of a primate known as the kipunji has been hailed as the first new genus of monkey identified in 82 years! You'll search for all of these species and more as we trek through the gorgeous mountain terrain, pausing at the top of the Sanje waterfalls to drink in the breathtaking views of the Rift Valley below.

• Day 4 : Mikumi National Park

  Today you'll journey deeper into Mikumi, with a focus on seeing the astounding variety of animal life here. The lush pastures of the Mkata plain attract wildlife from the surrounding mountains, and our safari camp-a classic, tented, luxury outpost-is situated atop a hill overlooking the Mwanambogo watering hole. Dozens of different animals travel these wild areas, and in particular you'll be on the lookout for Nyassaland wildebeest (absent from the other parks you'll visit), colobus monkeys, crocodiles, hyena, and eland-not to mention the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino) and the Cape hunting dog! After long days in the bush, you can go for a plunge in the camp's pool, then kick your feet up with a sundowner and watch the parade of wildlife as it emerges at dusk.

• Days 5 - 6 : Mikumi to the Southern Highlands

  You'll lift off from Mikumi in a Cessna and fly over the seemingly endless African bush to the cool air of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, set at nearly 6,000'. Situated on the southeast facing escarpment of the Rift Valley, the economy of the area is dominated by tea plantations, and the bright green of the "tea tables" stands in contrast to the surrounding montane forests and silvery eucalyptus trees.

  
  As you can imagine, the birding here is first rate and you'll be on the lookout for the startling red and green of the Livingstone turaco. Upon arrival at the airstrip near Mafinga, you will be driven through small villages and large plantations until reaching a high point of 6,700 feet at Sawala. From there you drop down through the undulating, rainforest terrain. During the day you'll explore on horseback or by mountain bike, then retire to the lodge to enjoy a round of tennis or croquet, or simply read quietly in the evening stillness.

   

  The highlight of this portion of the trip is the interaction with the people of Igoda, a subsistence community where blacksmiths and brickmakers work alongside witch doctors and local artisans. The chance to spend an extended period in this type of close community is a rare treat, and one seldom experienced by most visitors to Africa.

• Day 7 : Katavi National Park

  Once again you board planes, this time to Katavi. Just short of Lake Tanganyika you'll reach a series of sprawling floodplains, where masses of black dots will slowly take shape as herds of buffalo, zebra, topi, and giraffe. After landing, you'll be taken by open vehicle across the Katuma River where upwards of 600 hippos jostle for space at the watering holes. The monster crocs-and they don't come any bigger than these-stalk otters, snakes, and mongeese in the shallows.

  
  After skirting the Katisunga floodplain and its thundering herds you'll arrive at Katavi Wildlife Camp, which consists of six luxurious tents set cleverly back in the trees so as to provide for spectacular wildlife viewing from your private veranda. The floodplain stretches out endlessly to the east, providing panoramic views over one of the wildest places on earth, where the last great herds of buffalo in East Africa roam.

• Days 8 - 9 : Katavi National Park

  After awakening to a chorus of birdsong and the aroma of fresh coffee, you'll set out to explore the 2.5 million acres of the Katavi wilderness. This park receives fewer visitors in a year than the Serengeti does in a single day, so the territory here is as unspoiled as it is rugged. On multiple excursions you'll journey to the Katisunga floodplain, the Katuma River and the plains of Chada. You're likely to see rare roan and sable antelope, which are normally shy and skittish but here graze the plains without fear. This park has one of the densest concentrations of wildlife found anywhere in Africa, and the local knowledge of your guides will help to direct your game drives to the most fruitful viewing locations. In the evening you can stretch out on the veranda or by the campfire and know that you have experienced Africa as the early pioneers did centuries ago.

• Day 10 : Katavi to Ruaha National Park

  After one final breakfast in Katavi you'll return to the airstrip for the flight to Ruaha National Park. Ruaha has recently been expanded to 15,000 square kilometers, making it the largest park not only in Tanzania, but in all of Africa. More importantly, Ruaha straddles the boundary between southern and western Africa, making this area home to a staggering biological diversity, including over 1,600 species of plants alone.

• Day 11 : Ruaha National Park

  The heart of this park is the Great Ruaha River, which flows for a hundred miles through rugged gorges and out into the open plains. Since annual rainfall in this area is sparse, the Ruaha is the lifeblood of this ecosystem, and this is where you will do your best wildlife viewing. The diversity of species is far too great to list, but some of the highlights include many types of gazelle, hartebeest, and antelope. The high country abounds with elephants, klipspringer, leopards, and rock hyraxes.

   

  Your guides will help you decide how best to explore this massive park, but the options are limitless. If you choose you can take a full day's game drive along the Ruaha to the confluence with the Mwagusi Sand River, the perfect spot for a picnic among the forests of acacia, as you keep your eyes peeled for cheetah and Grant's gazelle. You can take breakfast in the secluded riverside dining room or else opt for an early morning safari walk to the Nyamakuyu rapids and the nearby pools where hippos snort and honk as they emerge from the depths. Some people say that if you see only one park in Africa, Ruaha should be it, and our extended stay here allows us full immersion into this remarkable ecosystem.

• Day 12 : Departure

  You’ll fly out of the wilderness of Ruaha and touch down in the modern metropolis of Dar es Salaam in order to connect to flights back home.
   

Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.

Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Besides showing you wonders you’d never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You’ll be in good hands with them every step of the way.

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