12 DayExploring Paths Less Travelled Safari Tour

Spend 12 days uncovering Tanzania's hidden utopias as you embark on this rustic tour of the less travelled paths of Selous, Mikumi, Ruaha and the Mufindi Highlands.

Tanzania Safari Tour Highlights

  • Exclusive use of vehicle and driver/guide throughout the safari.
  • This driving safari explores the areas between the iconic Southern Circuit Safari Route of Tanzania
  • Drive through remote, authentic rural African villages
  • Stay in comfortable tents and chalets in prime locations
  • Witness spectacular sunsets over the Rufiji River
  • Experience game drives, bush walks and boat safaris
  • Take hikes up forested mountain paths and search for the Iringa red colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey monkeys, found nowhere else in the world

What to Expect on this 12 Day Tanzania Safari Tour

This 12 day tour is ideal for a seasoned traveller who is hoping to navigate their way through the hidden gems of Tanzania. Encounter the paths less travelled as you follow the spoor of the diverse wildlife species into the wilderness. Venture out into the untamed bush of the Selous Game Reserve and explore the Rufiji River's waterways during a boating safari.

Traverse Mikumi National Park and observe the large herds of Nyasa blue wildebeest (not found in Ruaha), buffalo, zebra and giraffe. Wherever there are large herds, you can be sure that there are plenty of predators lurking not far behind them in the search for their supper. Take a day trip to Udzungwa National Park and spend some time hiking through the forest clad mountains of Southern Tanzania.

Enjoy your position on the banks of the Great Ruaha River as you watch the resident hippo and crocodile species occupy the water. A prolific list of bird species can be spotted on the game viewing excursions. The game species of the Ruaha National Park provide for impressive year-round viewing but the dry season between June and December sees the congregation of wildlife around the park's only permanent water source.

Hide away in the thick forests of the Southern Highlands as you enjoy time outdoors in the tea plantations of Mufindi Highland Lodge on the Rift Valley Escarpment. A wide range of outdoor activities are available for the adventurous spirits.

Day 1 : Dar es Salaam - Selous Game Reserve

Your driver/guide will collect you from your hotel in Dar es Salaam and drive you to the Selous Game Reserve, in Southern Tanzania. En route, your driver will find an ideal spot to enjoy a picnic lunch before proceeding to the camp.

You’ll arrive at the camp in the late afternoon, in time to watch an impressive sunset over the Rufiji River whilst sipping a cold beverage. Relish the remoteness of the area, the tranquility and fantastic bird life in and around the camp

Day 2: Bush Walk & Boat Safari

Wake up early and set off on a morning guided bush walk. Follow the spoor and track the various guests that visited the camp during the night. Return to camp for a sumptuous cooked breakfast and some time to relax in the camp. Delight in the antics of the vervet monkeys as they play in the trees fringing the riverbanks.

In the afternoon, board a boat, sit back and relax as you gently glide up river watching the numerous bird species, hippos and crocodiles. Maybe you’ll see a breeding herd of elephants, with their babies of varying ages, come down to the water to slacken their thirst.

Day 3: Full Day Game Drive

After breakfast, take a packed lunch out in the car with you, so that you can spend the whole day exploring the various terrains and habitats of the Selous Game Reserve. This vast reserve has many lakes, open plains, wooded areas and massive baobab trees. Meander along the Rufiji River and watch the elephants as they cross the shallows to feed on the lush trees of a small island. Follow the wild dogs as they chase down their prey, watch as the drama of the hunt unfolds.

The Selous is a rewarding game viewing area without the inconvenience of crowds of other tourists.

Day 4: Selous to Mikumi

Set off early in the morning for a long but rewarding drive through the Selous and into the bordering Mikumi National Park, where you’ll spend the next two nights. Appreciate the changing landscape as you move from park to park, game viewing along the way. Find a sensational viewpoint for a picnic lunch before continuing onto the camp. Arriving in the late afternoon in time for sundowners overlooking an active waterhole.

Day 5: Udzungwa National Park

Today you’ll get a chance to stretch your legs as you take a hike in Udzungwa National Park. Look for endemic bird species, such as the forest partridge, as you climb through the closed canopy forest. See if you can find all six species of primate that live in this forest, including the Sanje Crested Mangabey and Iringa red colobus monkeys, found nowhere else in the world. Feast on a picnic lunch as the monkeys and birds entertain you. After lunch, go for a refreshing swim at the waterfalls, before heading back to camp for a delicious dinner and some well earned rest.

Day 6 - 8: Ruaha National Park

The drive to Ruaha is mainly via tarred highway, but the road dissects Mikumi National Park allowing for some game viewing. Stop at Iringa Town for a welcome break. Admire the passing scenery as you wend your way to Ruaha National Park. Once inside the park enjoy some game driving as you reach the camp in time for dinner.

Day 9 - 11: Highland Adventures

After a cooked breakfast, depart Ruaha and drive through some impressive farmlands to the Mufindi Highlands, arriving in time for a farm fresh lunch.

Enjoy your remote location in the tranquillity of the Southern Highlands as you participate in outdoor activities such as fly fishing for trout, horse riding, bird watching, mountain biking, walking safaris, canoeing and golf. Spend your afternoon on the bar balcony sipping on a sundowner as you watch the sun descend into the horizon. When the evening comes, move inside to the heat of a cosy log fire.
The Ruaha National Park is home to a diverse variety of wildlife and bird species, including lesser and greater kudu, roan and sable antelope, eland and large herds of elephant. There is a healthy population of lion prides, cheetah and leopard in the park. The bird life is prolific with over 530 recorded species and more during the green season. Spend the next couple of days following the movements of the wild game on full day game drives. Dining either back at the camp for a hot lunch or taking lunch packs out with you. Relax in front of your riverside banda and take in the beauty, savagery and pure enjoyment of nature in the wild.

Spend evenings around a campfire as you engage in social interactions with the other guests. Alfresco dining is an experience that deepens your appreciation for the bush as you dine amongst the raw sounds, smells and sights of an unfiltered wilderness.

Day 12: Dar es Salaam

Set off in the early morning, after breakfast and head back to Dar es Salaam. Stopping enroute for a packed lunch, you’ll arrive in the city around dusk time. Your driver guide will drop you off at a hotel of your choice and bid you a fond farewell. In Dar es Salaam your Exploring Paths Less Travelled Safari comes to its conclusion and you will meet your onward travel arrangements.

Included

  • Private guided return road transfers from Dar es Salaam to Selous, Mikumi, Ruaha and Mufindi Highlands
  • 3 nights’ accommodation in Selous Game Reserve
  • 2 nights’ accommodation in Mikumi National Park
  • 3 nights’ accommodation in Ruaha National Park
  • 2 nights’ accommodation in the Mufindi Highlands
  • All meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Teas, coffees and purified water
  • Boat ride on Rufiji River and a guided safari walk in the Selous Game Reserve
  • Day trip to Udzungwa National Park with a picnic lunch (park fees included)
  • Exclusive use 4x4 game viewing excursions with an experienced driver guide
  • Activities in Mufindi - horse riding, golf, fishing, tennis, badminton and croquet
  • Entrance and conservation fees for all reserves as per itinerary

Not Included

  • All alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks and any optional extras to be settled direct
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