Simply the mention of this tour may raise interest and conjure up visions of untamed animals, vast vistas, and the life-and-death drama in the unforgiving Tanzanian wilderness. It takes around two weeks to complete the Tanzanian Great Safari Circuit, which should be savored rather than hurried. However, you’ll feel as though you’ve traveled for a lifetime by the conclusion of those two weeks.
Although less popular than its northern cousin, the Southern Tanzania safari circuit is no less stunning. The parks in the south offer a sense of pristine, distant wilderness because of their more varied topography and a feeling of isolation brought on by fewer people.
Here is a quick rundown of everything the south has to offer:
National Park of Ruaha
The Usanga Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park together make up the largest conservation area in the nation. Ruaha attracts wildlife from the southern and eastern reaches of Africa thanks to its special central location, and some critically endangered species, like the African wild dog, flourish in the park’s vast savannahs. Rivers play a significant role in the environment, with five major flows giving the park vitality throughout the dry season.
Game Reserve in Selous
On a safari in Tanzania, one of the highly exclusive places to go is the Selous Game Reserve. It is unusual to encounter other visitors on your jeep safari because they only make up about 5% of the country’s entire geographical area. The Rufiji River attracts an astounding 65,000 elephants to its banks, making it simpler to locate the species.
Park National Saadani
Saadani is East Africa’s national park that combines vast savannahs with crashing surf, making it a distinctive safari destination in Tanzania. With the Indian Ocean as a backdrop, its offshore position offers mangrove swamps, woods, and grasslands. At Saadani, visitors may see lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, coral reefs, and a myriad of fish thanks to this unusual combination of ecosystems.
Park National Mikumi
On the edge of the Selous Game Reserve is the comparatively modest Mikumi National Park. Due to this collaboration, despite its small size, Mikumi has a good concentration of wildlife, including zebra, giraffe, leopard, hippo, buffalo, elephant, lion, and various antelope species. Mikumi is also host to a fantastic variety of bird species. It is nestled on the flood flats of the Mkata River, and the Miombo forest dominates the edges.
National Park of Udzungwa Mountain
There are several trekking options in the Udzungwa Mountain National Park, making it a great day trip destination. Its forests have been home to a variety of primate species in addition to the common terrestrial animals, and the stunning Sanje River cascade makes for the ideal photo opportunity. Udzungwa is a wonderful addition to the biggest established parks on the southern circuit, and it helps to round out a Tanzania safari itinerary.
Manyara Lake
The safari will get out in stride with a visit to Lake Manyara after a typical stay in Arusha, the entrance to northern Tanzania. The Masai phrase for the euphorbia tirucalli shrub, which is used to make thorny hedges to defend their livestock, served as the inspiration for the title of this national park. As a landscape of lush flora and tropical forest at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, the park is breathtakingly magnificent. There is a variety of birds to see in this area, including flamingos, hornbills, and pelicans. Giraffes, zebra, buffalo, elephants, numerous antelope, and the uncommon tree-climbing Manyara lion are among the other wild animals that live nearby.
Victoria Lake
It is another name that piques your curiosity and begs you to put on your explorer hat and explore the crashing shoreline. The largest of Africa’s Great Lakes, this enormous expanse of water is beyond doubt. Moving further west from the Serengeti, one may see pockets of communities and farmlands along Lake Victoria’s shoreline. Fishermen still employ traditional fishing techniques in Speke Bay, and they are delighted to demonstrate them to guests while taking them out on a boat trip around the seas. The women are back on land, working in the fields or looking for cover from the sweltering sun.
To sum it up
Many visitors may stay an additional night in Arusha to unwind, breathe in the fresh rural air, and process everything they’ve seen and done. Some visitors could even stay an additional day to go trekking in Arusha National Park. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll feel you’ve made progress in learning about this intriguing, diverse, and stunning nation by the time this wonderful adventure is through.