Tanzania safari holiday, Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks
| country: | Tanzania |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made between June and November and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirement |
| price: | From US $2495 - US $2840 (9 days) excluding flights. Price per person depending on group size and includes meals and accommodation as per itinerary. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This is a wildlife focused safari with superb game viewing opportunities and stunning scenery in south Tanzania.
Starting in Dar es Salaam where you will spend time at a primary school established to help grandmothers left to cope with orphaned children, this is an extremely inspiring grass roots project. The enthusiasm of the children and bibis is an unforgettable start to the safari.
Mikumi N.P. offers fantastic game viewing and a good park infrastructure. The closest park to Dar es Salaam with the chance to see all the big 5 except rhino. Authentic Mikumi Camp is a small seasonal wilderness camp set deep in the heart of Mikumi National Park. With just 6 tents with en suite toilet/shower extensions emphasis is on appreciation of the natural fauna and fauna and walking safaris can be taken from the camp.
Ruaha is undoubtedly one of Africa’s greatest national parks, stunning wilderness scenery, diverse game viewing and very few visitors makes this the secret jewel in Tanzania’s crown. The Authentic Ruaha Camp is a seasonal camp located in the heart of the park which supports the Ruaha Conservation Fund with a bed night contribution. Visits to the Idodi Environment Centre outside the park can be organized with advance warning to see how the RCF is working with the local communities. There are huge resident herds of elephant and buffalo in the park as well as lion, leopard and cheetah, roan and sable antelope and also wild dog – the park is a wildlife photographers dream. Fly from Ruaha on to Zanzibar or back to Dar es Salaam.
Starting in Dar es Salaam where you will spend time at a primary school established to help grandmothers left to cope with orphaned children, this is an extremely inspiring grass roots project. The enthusiasm of the children and bibis is an unforgettable start to the safari.
Mikumi N.P. offers fantastic game viewing and a good park infrastructure. The closest park to Dar es Salaam with the chance to see all the big 5 except rhino. Authentic Mikumi Camp is a small seasonal wilderness camp set deep in the heart of Mikumi National Park. With just 6 tents with en suite toilet/shower extensions emphasis is on appreciation of the natural fauna and fauna and walking safaris can be taken from the camp.
Ruaha is undoubtedly one of Africa’s greatest national parks, stunning wilderness scenery, diverse game viewing and very few visitors makes this the secret jewel in Tanzania’s crown. The Authentic Ruaha Camp is a seasonal camp located in the heart of the park which supports the Ruaha Conservation Fund with a bed night contribution. Visits to the Idodi Environment Centre outside the park can be organized with advance warning to see how the RCF is working with the local communities. There are huge resident herds of elephant and buffalo in the park as well as lion, leopard and cheetah, roan and sable antelope and also wild dog – the park is a wildlife photographers dream. Fly from Ruaha on to Zanzibar or back to Dar es Salaam.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Dar es Salaam: Arrival in Dar es Salaam, met and transfer to Mediterraneo Hotel, Kawe Beach. BB |
| Day 2: | Dar es Salaam: Visit to Bibi Jann Day Care Centre in Mbagala. Overnight at Mediterraneo Hotel. BB |
| Day 3: | Mikumi National Park: Drive Dar es Salaam to Mikumi (approx 4 ½ hours). Lunch at camp. Afternoon game drive. Overnight at Authentic Mikumi Camp. FB |
| Day 4: | Mikumi National Park: Morning and afternoon or full day game drives. O/n Authentic Mikumi Camp. FB |
| Day 5: | Ruaha National Park: Drive to Ruaha N.P. (approx 3 hours) with visit to the Environmental Center in Idodi supported by the Ruaha Conservation Fund. Afternoon game drive. Overnight at Authentic Ruaha Camp. FB |
| Day 6: | Ruaha National Park: Full day game drive in Ruaha N.P. O/n Authentic Ruaha Camp. FB |
| Day 7: | Ruaha National Park: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive in Ruaha N.P. O/n Authentic Ruaha Camp. FB |
| Day 8: | Ruaha National Park: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive in Ruaha N.P. O/n Authentic Ruaha Camp. FB |
| Day 9: | Depart: Morning game drive to airstrip, fly Ruaha-Dar es Salaam/Zanzibar dep 11.45 arrive 13.50/14.20. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Authentic Mikumi Camp is a seasonal wilderness camp which is removed during the low season and is designed to leave minimum imprint on the environment. The camp is owner/operated by a Dar es Salaam based company and run by Tanzanian staff. Water is an obvious scarce resource in the bush so we encourage bucket shower use and explain ways to minimise water use in the bush at our camps. Our cooks are trained to minimise waste and wherever possible we use natural products and minimise use of packaged goods. Our guides are trained by one of the directors of the company, Sven Liebchen who is a professional safari guide, in all aspects of respect for the environment, flora and fauna and safari ‘etiquette’ including respecting the space of the animals, off road driving and ‘leave nothing but footsteps’ principles. All guides are trained to adhere to the Tanzania National Parks and Wildlife Division codes of conduct.  A key aspect for the future of the environment is education of the local communities as to potential benefits from the wildlife areas, in Ruaha we support the Ruaha Conservation Fund which has built an Environment Centre at Idodi secondary school and organises visits for school children and teachers to Ruaha. Every bednight at our Ruaha camp includes a direct contribution to RCF. In 2009 we will be moving away from paper company brochures and introduce an e-brochure, accessable online. Our office in Dar es Salaam uses energy saving light bulbs, fans not air conditioning, printed material is kept to essential use only and paper is recycled. Community Starting in Dar es Salaam a half day visit takes you to the Bibi Jann Day Care Centre. This is an inspiring example of how every little bit helps and the grass roots support for this primary school has changed the lives of many orphaned children and their grandmothers who exuberantly share their life experiences. Visitors bring old toys, clothes, books, school equipment and often end up sponsoring a bibi. We also campaign locally for donations whether financial or toys, etc. The developments at the school have all happened via sponsorship. The Authentic Ruaha Camp supports the Ruaha Conservation Fund with a bed night contribution. Visits to the Idodi Environment Centre outside the park can be organized with advance warning to see how the RCF is working with the local communities. The RCF operates several educational and environmental projects in the Ruaha region including the wild dog protection project. We buy locally grown produce for our camps in Ruaha and Mikumi and encourage visits to local craft initiatives |
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