7 Days / 6 NightsSlow & ImmersiveModerate
The Wild South
Seven untamed days in Ruaha and Nyerere: boat safaris along the Rufiji and raw solitude among the baobabs.
Route:Ruaha National ParkNyerere National Park (Selous)
fromUSD4,150per person
Southern Circuit
Ruaha National Park
"Tanzania’s untamed southern heartland of red dust, sand rivers, and predator packs."
Landscape CharacterRugged hills, sand rivers, massive baobabs, and miombo woodland
Optimal Season & TimingJune to October (dry season when wildlife crowds the riverbeds)
Key Wildlife Species
Lion ·Leopard ·Greater Kudu ·African Wild Dog ·Roan & Sable Antelope ·Elephant
Field Perspective & Terrain
Ruaha is where northern and southern African fauna overlap. Here you find the greater kudu of southern Africa alongside the grant’s gazelle of the north.
The Great Ruaha River flows through the park’s eastern border, creating a series of deep pools in an otherwise parched landscape. Massive prides of lions—often exceeding twenty individuals—rely on these pools to hunt buffalo and giraffes.
For travellers seeking the silence of vintage safari exploration, Ruaha delivers an experience that the northern circuit cannot match.
Destination Highlights
- Home to roughly 10% of Africa’s remaining wild lion population
- Superb walking safaris through sand riverbeds with armed wilderness rangers
- Exceptional sightings of greater and lesser kudu with twisting spiral horns
- Vast wilderness where you can drive all day without encountering another vehicle
Tested journeys
View all routes →Routes Passing Through Ruaha National Park
View route→
Where we sleep
View all accommodations →Camps & Lodges in Ruaha National Park
Ruaha & NyerereExpedition CampTier 3 · Premium Reserve
Great Ruaha Sand River Camp
Set on high granite banks overlooking a broad bend of the Great Ruaha River, this wild camp places you in the heart of Tanzania’s most predator-dense southern park. Massive baobab trees dominate the landscape, and during dry months, elephants and buffalo spend hours digging for sweet water in the sand river below your private tent deck. With only six open-fronted canvas pavilions, you will rarely encounter other guests. Evening dinners are served under a canopy of stars with lions calling across the dry riverbed.
Six ultra-exclusive canvas pavilions on raised timber decksEnsuite bathrooms with open-air copper bush showersPrivate plunge tub overlooking the dry sand riverbed
fromUSD650per night