SOUTHERN CIRCUIT

Kitulo National Park, Ruaha National Park, Udzungwa National Park, Mikumi National Park

Kitulo National Park

Fast facts

Size:413 km2
Location: South of Tanzania
Scenery / Features: 350 species of wild flowers including lilies and daisies. Endemic species of butterfly, chameleon, lizard and frog.
Best time to visit: December and April excellent time for botanists. September to November are good for hikers.


Kitulo National Park is a protected area of montane grassland and montane forest on the Kitulo Plateau inthe southern highlands of Tanzania.


Ruaha National Park

Fast facts

Size: 20,226 km2 (7,809 sq mi)
Location: About 130 kilometers west of Iringa.
Features: Great Rift Valley, River, natural springs, wetlands, hot water springs.
Wildlife Includes: Wild dogs, Greater & Lesser Kudu, Sable Antelope, Roan, Leopard, Wildebeest, Zebras
Best time to visit: June to October

Ruaha calls for a completely elusive and raw African wildlife experience. The rugged landscapes, the wildly untouched ecosystem, along with the
impressive population of lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, crocodiles and rare animals makes the national park a perfect spot for wildlife lovers and adventure seekers.

The great variation in terrain of the park, ranging from mountains, to swamps, to forests and rivers. Ruaha national park has a very high diversity of plants and animals like antelopes, buffalos, and elephants.

You’ll also get to see the endangered species like wild dogs. Other animals in the park include lions, leopards, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, elands, impala,
bat eared foxes and Jackals. poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, monitor lizards, agama lizards and frogs.

During your time here you’ll get to see the famous Ruaha red-billed hornbill among many other species of birds about 517, of which some are migrants from different parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and Africa itself.

Your visit here will be quite informative as well, you’ll get to know about the southern Tanzanian tribes, the early trade routes used by the Arab, another significant piece of history is the leader of the Hehe tribe, Chief Mkwawa who once ruled them, and is known for his resistance and success against the Germans.

Tentative itinerary
Packages: 2 NIGHTS/ 3 DAYS

Day 1: Fly from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha National Park, upon arrival you will be met with the driver guide and proceed for en-route game drive to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at the lodge/camp.

Day 2: After breakfast depart for a full day game drive with packed Lunch. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 3: After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Dar es Salaam


Udzungwa National Park

Fast facts

Size: 1,990 km2 / 770 km2
Location: South Central Tanzania
Scenery / Features: remote hiking and the unique plants
Wildlife Includes: elephants,buffaloes,leopards,hippos and crocodiles
Best time to visit: June to October

Tentative itinerary

Day 1: Dar Es Salaam-Mikumi
Dar to Mikumi arrive for afternoon game drive. Lunch on the way. Overnight at your preferred accommodation.

Day2: Mikumi National park
Full day game drive in Mikumi. Overnight at your preferred accommodation.

Day 3: Mikumi- Udzungwa National park

After breakfast drive to udzungwa for Udzungwa Mountain National Park trekking. You will walk in the rain forest mountain and get access to Sanje
waterfall (stunning 170m).

Overnight at your preferred accommodation.

Day 4: Udzungwa- Dar Es Salaam
After breakfast drive back to Dar es Salaam. Lunch on the way. Drop offat Hotel, ferry or airport.

Spread over 1,990 km square feet, the Udzungwa National park consists of tropical rainforest, mountain forest, woodland, grassland and steppe.
Making it a favorable place for a variety of animals and bird species to thrive.

The national park is particularly famous for being the only park in Tanzania that is a home to eleven primate species, out of which five of them are only found within the boundaries of the park. These species include diurnal sanje, crested mangabey, rungwecebus kipunji, endangered Iringa red colobus, matandu dwarf galago, mountain dwarf galago, black and white colobus, yellow baboon, blue monkey and vervet monkey.


Mikumi National Park

Fast facts

Size: 3,230 km2 (1,250 sq mi)
Location: 283 km (175 mi) west of Dar es Salaam, north of Selous, and en route to Ruaha, Udzungwa and (for the intrepid) Katavi.
Features / Scenery: Vuma Hills
Wildlife Includes: lions, elephants, buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, crocodiles, Hippos and many more
Best time to visit: Accessible year-round.

Tentative itinerary

Starting from USD 570

Packages : 2 NIGHTS 3 DAYS

Day 1: Dar Es Salaam to Mikumi National Park

Pick up from the Airport, ferry or Hotel and drive to Mikumi National Park which is approximately 5 hours’ drive. You will have a short stop in orogoro for hot lunch. After Lunch proceed to Mikumi National Park. Arrive for afternoon game drive until sunset. Dinner and overnight at your preferred
accommodation.

Day 2: Mikumi National Park

After breakfast you will go for full day game drive in Mikumi national park with parked lunch boxes. Animals commonly found Include lion, eland,
hartebeest, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra and elephants and many more. Wild dog can be seen in packs here. The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain. Over 300 species of birds have been observed in this park.

Dinner and overnight at your preferred accommodation

Day 3: Mikumi National Park- Dar Es Salaam

Start the day with early morning game drive. Enjoy the sunrise with morning game drive, this will take about two hours and a half and then drive back to the camp for breakfast.

After breakfast drive back to Dar es Salaam with stopover on the way for the lunch.

Fourth largest and the most accessible national park from the city of Dar es Salaam, Mikumi could be your perfect holiday spot if you are looking for some adventure. Mikumi is a part of the Selous ecosystem, and ata close proximity to Udzungwa Mountains and Ruaha National Park.

A quiet home to an array of wildlife including, lions, elephants, buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, crocodiles and many more, Mikumi is one of the most popular national parks in Tanzania.

Although Selous is a habitat for endangered species like the black hinoceros or African wild dogs, Mikumi provides a better game viewing experience to track them, due to its easy accessibility and flat terrain.

Ideal time for game viewing at Mikumi is during the morning hours, or late afternoon when the views of the vast savanna is enhanced by the natural light, and the wildlife is most active. Make sure you drive through Kisingura Circuit for a wide range of herbivore animals including zebras, giraffes and elephants, Hippo Pools – to see the hippos beat the heat by taking a dip in the muddy water, and Vuma Hills for possible sightings of lionesses with their cubs.

Mkata plains, the most visited part of the park inhabits eland allows its visitors to witness eland; the world’s largest antelope in its wild habitat. Other animals like greater kudu, and sable antelope often wander this area too. A variety of grass grazing animals means predators often lurk nearby. If you are Lucky you can even witness a lion hunt.

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