SOUTHERN CIRCUIT
The Southern Safari Circuit is virgin “Authentic Wild Africa”, untouched by mass tourism. The habitat, climate is different from the Northern Circuits. Wildlife like Roan antelope, lesser and greater kudu, endangered cape wild hunting dogs are but a few found in the miambo woodlands of the southern circuits with wild palm trees and large baobab trees. Selous Game Reserve, named after the British explorer and hunter Fredrick Selous 1896 is 48,000 sq km wilderness with one of the largest rivers running through it, the Rufiji River running 250km filled with hippos. North Selous is good for walking safaris and boat trips. South Selous is for hunting.
Mikumi National Park
3 hours drive from Dar es Salaam on the highway covering area of 3,230 sq km and is part of Selous ecosystem. It has lion, buffaloes, elephants, hippo pools which all can be seen within short time on a good day. More than 400 species of birds have been documented here.
Ruaha National Park
Located in the west is 12,950 sq km which will soon become the largest national park in Africa when combined with Usangu Game Reserve to increase size to more than 15,000 sq km.
Ruaha has magnificent undulating topography never ending escarpments deep as 1,000m with the Great Ruaha River running through it which habitats wild crocodiles, hippos and numerous bird life and around 10,000 elephants. Ruaha is relatively unexplored and needs a longer trip to enjoy.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
350 km south west of Dar es Salaam is a protected area with abundance of unique plant species not be found else where in the world like the African violet, some ferns and mosses with 100 ft high canopy forests. The high biodiversity is due to the climate remaining constant over million of years.
It has the famous Sanje water falls plunging 170 m down.
Kitulo National Park
2,600m in western Tanzanian know in Swahili as “Bustani ya Mungu” translated as the Garden of God is the Serengeti of Flowers. On the plateau it has rare 350 species of vascular plants, orchids over 45 species, aloes and many more to name but a few. It is the ideal place for hikers and botanists with breathtaking scenic views in the southern safari circuit.
Katavi National Park
Another un-spoilt wilderness flood plain lies in the rift valley and is the ultimate rough safari experience visited by few tourists due to under publicity supporting large amount of wildlife. Now it is starting to become popular.
Gombe Stream National Park
The smallest of all national parks in Tanzania covering an area of 52 sq km. It is chimpanzee habitat near the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It was made famous by the pioneering work of British researcher Jane Goodall in 1960’s. Just to the south is the Mahale National Park, with rugged hills having white beaches on the shores of Lake Tanganyika is the last remaining home for about 810 chimpanzees and other primates in the southern safari circuit.