Southern Tanzania

Why Visit?

Explore Southern Tanzania in one epic vacation! Spend a day in Dar es Salaam exploring the culture and the tinga tinga paintings. The next day takes you to Selous Game Reserve where you can brag about the Big 5 you encountered! From there fly into Ruaha National Park - remote, large and full of unspoiled African wilderness and seriously great wildlife sightings! And the cherry on the cake is the relaxing ending to this most amazing adventure - relaxing on Zanzibar island on some of the best beaches in the world! Southern Tanzania is a great bang for the buck, is devoid of tourists and is highly regarded among serious safari goers!

Selous Game Reserve - Big 5

Is the largest Big 5 wildlife sanctuary in Africa, covering over 50,000 square kilometers. It is a protected site and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its wildlife diversity and undisturbed nature. Along with the Big 5, Selous is also home to plenty of other wildlife such as zebra, hippo, Masai giraffe, wildebeest, Nile crocodiles and the African wild dog. In fact, Selous is famous for the most fantastic sightings of these wild dogs drawing enthusiasts from around the world. Selous also has a large bird population and many fishing opportunities due to the massive rivers which are the lifeblood of the region.

Selous is truly a wild and remote reserve with big game density, while being totally underutilized. Selous puts most parks in Africa to shame due to the sheer numbers of elephants, buffalo and lions as they are arguably found in no greater numbers anywhere else on the planet. This is a great family and honeymoon destination due to ease of getting here and the complete lack of crowds.

And last but not least, Selous has the widest diversity of safari activities in the country offering standard game drives, walking safaris, boating safaris and the famous fly camping trips.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha is Tanzania's largest national park encompassing 20,000 square kilometers. The park offers excellent wildlife viewing and great predator watching with healthy populations of leopards, lions and cheetahs. Large prides of lions in the Mwagusi area can exceed 20 lions at a time and they regularly attack large animals like the Cape buffalo! Ruaha is also Tanzania's bird paradise with over 571 species of birds - and is the only place in the world where you see bird species that are endemic to both east and south Africa. Ruaha is also home to several species of antelopes that are hard to see in Northern Tanzania including the roan and sable antelopes. The lesser and greater Kudo also co exist here which is something rarely seen on the African continent and the elephant population is over 10,000 strong!

Ruaha National Park is an untouched African savannah offering an "off the beaten path" experience and safaris in Ruaha are unique due to the largely untouched and unexplored eco system. Allow yourself 2-3 days of game drives mixed with walking safaris around the Ruaha river for a real close up and personal experience! And do not forget the balloon safari offering you a birds eye view of this magnificent, wild environment. There are no rhinos at Ruaha, so it is not considered a Big 5, but the diversity and abundance of the wildlife population available will more than make up for this.

Ruaha National Park is an outstanding, authentic wilderness experience with limited, exclusive luxury camps! Imagine, sundowner in hand after a day of thrilling safari adventure, watching the magnificent African sunset! Plan on 4 nights minimum to give you the time to explore this immense unspoiled wilderness.

Zanzibar Island

Known as "Unguja" by the locals, Zanzibar is an archipelago, meaning it is made up of dozens of little islands. Zanzibar is still a semi autonomous state where they still make some of their own rules and laws to suit the Zanzabary way of life which is a little different to the Tanzanian mainland. Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar and has a very rich history, unique culture and rhythm of life! It feels very Arabic with its narrow lanes and is worth spending one night here before heading to your beach destination. Visit the wonderful "tingagy" stores offering brightly woven colorful fabric that is worn a lot in this part of the world and the street markets open up about 4 PM with amazing seafood.

Jozani Forest is located in the southern part of Zanzibar Island and is the last remaining indigenous forest on the island. It is now protected and is home to the Red Colobus monkey, found nowhere else on earth! You are not guaranteed to see the Red Colobus on your visit, but the bird life is spectacular and the walks through the forest are glorious!

Prison Island is located north of Stone Town and has some of the worlds oldest tortoises, some said to be over 130 years old. Prison Island is easily accessible by boat and need about half a day to tour. The water is very shallow, very clear with lots of activities such as kite surfing, diving and deep sea fishing. Catch and release is encouraged, especially with the Marlin and Swordfish.

Tumbatu Island is 100% Muslim, very traditional, conservative and seldom visited.. It is the third largest island in the archipelago, has no cars and you need a written permit by the village elder to enter the island! Upon arrival, the "sheha" (village eldest) greets you and welcomes you to their sacred island home. The Watumbatu men will show you their fishing nets, fish traps and how they build and maintain their boats by hand! You will also visit the new and old sections of the village and visit the house of a fisherman's family where you will be shown the "unspoken secrets" of Tumbatu, as they are famous for witchcraft or voodoo! The Watumbatu people expect that you dress a certain way. No beach wear or shoulder free T-shirts allowed. A kanga is expected to be tied around the hips and women are required to either wear a kanga or scarf to cover their hair. You may also be required to wade knee dip upon arrival to the island or upon departure, depending on the tide, so will need clothing and water shoes that are appropriate. And lastly, photographs are not allowed to be taken without permission. Birdies love Kidepo as it is home to the biggest eagle in the world, the Verreaux, the crowned crane which is the natural bird of Uganda, the rare and famous shoebill stork, and last but not least, the African pygmy falcon, the smallest bird of prey.

Thanda Island - Private Island Retreat

Thanda Island - private, serene, magical - one of the worlds most exclusive private island getaways! Imagine swimming with the gentle whale sharks in your own private marine reserve, while spending precious time with family and friends. The island is home to two Banda's (beach chalets) and one luxurious 6 bedroom home that boasts a swimming pool with glass walls! Thanda Island is the ultimate in rest and rejuvenation while enjoying kite surfing and paddle boarding! Thanda Island is also highly active in several conservation and community initiatives including marine conservation and education programs in the area. This is truly one of those Wanderlust destinations that will call you back again and again!

There are 2 ways to access the island, helicopter or by boat. If you are arriving internationally to Dar es Salaam, the Thanda Island team are there to meet you, accompany you through customs and then either directing you to the helicopter or to a fixed wing plane to Mafia Island and then climbing aboard a boat to the island. If you are coming off of a safari, the same would apply, less the customs experience.