Click here for a map of Tanzanian Parks
The Southern Circuit
The southern national parks offer a truly wild experience. If you're flying into Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park is easily accessible by road. But in most cases you'll catch a flight on a small aircraft to reach these parks and reserves.
Best time to Visit the Southern Circuit
The best time to visit parks in Southern Tanzania is during the dry season (June - November) because the roads are passable and you can actually drive around (which helps on safari!). The dry season also means that the game is more concentrated around the rivers that run through these vast parks, thus making it easier to spot wildlife. From December - March you get more chance of seeing young animals but the weather is very hot and humid. More about Tanzania's Climate.
Parks and Reserves in Southern Tanzania
- Selous Game Reserve
Selous is Africa's largest reserve, a world heritage site, and not nearly as crowded as the Serengeti. You can see elephants, cheetahs, black rhinos, African hunting dogs, and plenty of hippos and crocodiles. The Selous swamps, rivers and wetlands allow tourists to enjoy their safari by boat which is a big draw. Walking safaris are also popular here and you can also enjoy night drives.Selous Game Reserve has problems with poaching and sometimes the wildlife is skittish because of this. Apparently the area is not suited for cattle because of the high prevalence of tsetse flies. Local folks therefore hunt wildlife for their meat and naturally poaching for game trophies, ivory, etc. is still prevalent. Hopefully with more visitors, the park will receive more money and be able to patrol more effectively.
Accommodations in Selous and surrounding areas are somewhat limited but all offer a very intimate and unique safari experience. Accommodations include:
For firsthand accounts of people who have recently visited the Selous Game Reserve, click here
- Ruaha National Park
Ruaha is remote, large, and full of wildlife -- especially elephants. There are also lions, cheetah, leopard, lots of kudu and almost every other African mammal you'd like to see. The park is home to the Great Ruaha River and it's here during the dry season (May to December) that you get some spectacular game viewing.Ruaha is only accessible by light aircraft and it's suggested you stay at least 4 nights to make it a worthwhile trip. This also gives you enough time to explore this huge area of unspoiled African wilderness. Luckily the accommodations in Ruaha mean it's a pleasure to spend several nights.
- Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park is very accessible from Dar es Salaam (a four hour drive) and is therefore the most visited park by local Tanzanians. The National Park borders Selous and shares its abundant wildlife including lions, giraffe, buffalos, eland, African hunting dog and many more.Mikumi is a good stop over point if you're on your way to Selous or Ruaha. The best time to visit is June through February during the dry-season. There are several places to stay inside Mikumi National Park. If you're on a budget there are a few guest houses in the village outside the park where you can also organize a safari from.
Add-ons to the Southern Circuit
- Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a two hour drive from Mikumi and is famous for its bio-diversity. If you like rare plant life and rainforests with enchanting waterfalls, it's well worth a trip.
- Saadani National Park is a nice mixture of bush and beach. Situated on the Indian Ocean facing the island of Zanzibar, Saadani is accessible from Dar es Salaam by road (4 hours) or charter flight. You can see lots of hippos, crocodiles, and elephant. Boat safaris and walking safaris are popular here. Best time to go is January to February and from June to August.
- Zanzibar: Zanzibar is one of Tanzania's biggest tourist draws and a popular add-on after a dusty safari. Stone Town, in the heart of the main island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The streets are perfectly preserved in this ancient trading town. You can also enjoy spice tours, snorkeling, scuba diving and much more.
