Call 01306 744 656 or
Call 01306 744 656 or
As you drift along the Rufiji River, look out for tiny terrapins swimming past your boat and hippos basking in the shallows …
Come to Nyerere National Park for a taste of true Tanzanian wilderness. Formerly known as Selous, it was renamed in recent years to honour the country’s first president, Julius Nyerere. This mammoth park is larger than Switzerland and four times the size of the Serengeti, yet tourists rarely venture this far south. This means that you’ll often have the plains all to yourself – game drives in Nyerere are as close as it gets to a traditional African safari.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its rich biodiversity, there’s nowhere else quite like Nyerere. Some of the continent’s largest populations of buffalo and lion find sanctuary here while 50-strong herds of giraffe can be seen drinking at the river. In fact, it’s one of the very last places that you’ll have a chance of spotting endangered African hunting dogs. Explore in a 4×4, bouncing across grassy plains where herds graze and predators hunt, to miombo forests filled with elephants and vast, bird-filled lakes.
Nyerere is bisected by the might Rufiji River, which will play a huge part in your stay. As Tanzania’s biggest river, it creates a network of swamps and channels surrounded by thick forests patrolled by baboons. Discovering this watery wonderland by boat is a highlight in Nyerere. As you drift along, look out for tiny terrapins swimming past your boat and hippos basking in the shallows. You’ll spot animals lapping water from the riverbank, stalked by Nile crocodiles, as birds flutter in the surrounding trees. End the afternoon with sundowners on a sandbank, sipping a cocktail or G&T while the sky changes colour over the water.
Adele Jones’s abiding memory of Tanzania is seeing wild dogs for the first time within moments of arriving in Selous, an experience made all the more special by the lack of other vehicles around. As well as the off-the-beaten-track authenticity of the country’s southernmost National Park, she recommends soaking up the views from the rim of Ngorongoro Crater and kicking back in sleepy Zanzibar.
Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Gemma, who's travelled extensively in Tanzania. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it on their own. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the rangers who'll ensure you'll spot the best wildlife, the village chiefs who'll give you a genuine insight into local life and the camp managers who can recommend the very best spot to enjoy your sundowner.
Freephone an expert 01306 744 656
