Most visitors to Tanzania will fly in via Dar es Salaam, which means “Haven of Peace”, reflecting the relaxed and informal atmosphere of the city. From here visitors can take a fly-in safari to the game reserves to the south.

Less frequented than the national parks in the north, the southern parks provide a sense of African adventure unsurpassed anywhere on the continent.

The principal areas are Selous Game Reserve,Mikumi, Ruaha and the Udzungwa Mountains National Parks.

RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
One of Tanzania’s best kept wildlife secrets is the Ruaha National Park. Previous inaccessibility has ensured it has remained virtually unchanged for centuries, unaffected by the ravages of mankind.

Covering 10,300 sq km it is the country’s second largest park and biggest elephant sanctuary. Its name derives from the Great Ruaha River which flows along its eastern border, creating spectacular gorges. Flowing into the Rufiji River, the Great Ruaha is home to hippo and crocodile.

Waterbuck, reedbuck and buffalo venture to the river’s edge to drink, attracting the attention of lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and wild dog - or African Hunting dog as they should correctly be called. Various antelope species, such as eland, greater and lesser kudu, impala, sable and roan antelope, Grant’s gazelle and the tiny dik-dik thrive in the grasslands bordering the river alongside giraffe, zebra, warthog, mongoose, porcupine, wild cat and civet.

Birdlife is prolific, over 370 species have been recorded, some of which are not found in northern Tanzania. Eurasian migrants flock to Ruaha twice a year - March to April and October to November - joining the resident kingfishers, hornbills, sunbirds, egrets and plovers.

Best months for game viewing are during the dry season from May to December, when the animals are concentrated around the shrinking water-courses. The park has an airstrip for light aircraft on the western bank of the river.

Getting there: Up to a ten hour drive, or a one and a half hour flight, from Dar es Salaam.

SELOUS GAME RESERVE
The Selous Game Reserve is the largest protected wildlife area in Africa. A UN World Heritage site, this pristine, uninhabited area is larger than Switzerland. Only in the Serengeti will visitors see a greater concentration of wildlife.

Yet Selous boasts Tanzania’s largest population of elephant as well as large numbers of lion, leopard, African hunting dog, buffalo and hippo. Once home to over 3,000 black rhino there are sadly now only a few hundred left.

They tend to hide in the dense thickets but sightings are possible. Species commonly seen are bushbuck, red and blue duikers, eland, hartebeest, hyena, klipspringer, impala, giraffe, oryx, reedbuck, waterbuck and zebra.

Yellow baboon and vervet and blue monkey are always a common sight while families of black and white colobus may sometimes be seen moving from tree to tree. Endangered red colobus inhabit only the west of the reserve but visits to observe this rare breed can be arranged.

The bird-life in the Selous is prolific and the 400 species recorded include the globally threatened wattled crane and the corncrake.
The topography of the park varies from rolling savannah woodland, grassland plains and rocky outcrops cut by the Rufiji River and its tributaries, the Kilombero and Luwegu, which together cover the greatest catchment area in East Africa.

The Rufiji, which flows from north to south, provides the lifeblood of the Selous and sailing or rafting down the river is a superb method of seeing game, especially during the dry season between June and October. Crocodiles, hippo and an array of grazing antelope can be seen.

Linked to the Rufiji is Lake Tagalala, where waterbuck, reedbuck and bushbuck gather at the water’s edge. In the long grassland, safari enthusiasts may get a chance to see rare sable antelope, greater kudu - or lion.

The park gets its name from the hunter-explorer Frederick Courtney Selous, whose books were best sellers in Victorian England.

Walking safaris, game drives and boat trips are organised. The best time to visit is during the dry season, when game is forced from hiding places to the river to drink.

The waters of the Kilombero Game Controlled Area are home to the ferocious tiger fish and vandu catfish, the latter equipped with a primitive set of lungs which allows it to migrate from one landlocked pool to another.

Getting there: Between a seven and nine hour drive, but only in the dry season, or a one and a half hour flight from Dar es Salaam.

UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a conservation area of about 2,000 sq km. It lies in the Iringa and Morogoro regions of south-central Tanzania where it is bordered by the Great Ruaha River to the north and the Mikumu-Ifakara road to the east.

The major attraction of the park is its bio-diversity and unique rainforest where many rare plants, not found anywhere else in the world, have been identified. These range from a tiny African violet to 30 metre high trees.

As well as being home to about six types of primates, including two endemic and endangered species - the Iringa red colobus monkey and the Sanje crested mangabey - the plateau supports populations of elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard.

Visitors should not expect to necessarily see these larger species however as they tend to be found in the less accessible area of the park.

Bush baby, or galago as they are sometimes called, bush pig, civet, duiker, honey badger and three types of mongoose are more likely to be seen. The park which is about 65 km, or a two hour drive, south west of Mikumi National Park, is also home to a number of rare forest birds many of which are only found in this area of Tanzania.

Getting there: A five hour drive from Dar es Salaam.