Incredible views!
We visited Ruaha Park during the second half of our Tanzanian Safari, after 10 days on the northern circuit. We spent 3 nights here toward the end of August. We drove in with our own guide and land cruiser, so I cannot comment on the lodge’s guides or vehicles. But we loved the lodge! Nicely appointed spacious stone chalets with wonderful viewing decks looking out over the Ruaha River with its resident hippos. Gorgeous views! In addition to the resident hippos, we were able to watch elephants, impala, baboons, storks, herons and more from our veranda. The beds were comfortable, and I loved listening to the hippos and other animals at night. One of the hippos passed by my window every morning on his way back to the river. The restaurant and lounge areas were comfortable, also overlooking the river. The bar was well stocked. The food was very good- nice selections for breakfast, served at your table. Dinner was buffet style, after the wonderful soups and bread were served. I’m not a buffet fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed these meals. I thought the box lunches were average, with more than enough food. The lodge uses a generator, setting specific times for availability of electricity. No WiFi, but we survived, and we knew that ahead of time. Charging stations are available in the room. Solar energy is used for hot water, so hot showers were best taken late afternoon/early evening. The bathroom was very large, somewhat dark when no electricity, with an interesting shower. Maasai escort you to and from your rooms, so you need to schedule “pick up” times. I really thought walkie talkies would be helpful here to give a little more flexibility. Laundry service is provided. The staff was wonderful-very helpful and friendly. There were occasional communication issues, but the involved staff person was always quick to get assistance if needed. The manager went out of her way to accommodate every request. Ruaha Park itself has the most striking landscapes, lots of baobab trees and is much less crowded than the northern parks. We saw lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, zebra, impala, greater kudu, yellow baboons, crocodiles, fish eagles, herons, storks and more. This was the first of three Fox camps we had booked, and while we hated to leave, we were looking forward to the next camp- Vuma Hills at Mikumi.