Why choose Southern and Western Tanzania for a safari?
If you would like to experience vast and unexplored areas whilst on safari, where you can enjoy game viewing in complete privacy then an Africa Exclusive safari to either Southern or Western Tanzania is for you. The places have so much potential and space that you can easily spend a week in each one. So you can enjoy active safaris, yet build in "time off" to simply soak up the beauty. Selous is easily accessible and ideal for a short break safari. If you have a little longer to spend on safari venture inland to Ruaha, Katavi and Mahale. These areas are good most of the year but closed from late March to the end of May.
The Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is Tanzania's, and indeed Africa's largest protected wildlife region with millions of animals and amazing scenery including mighty rivers, lakes, forests and spectacular hill country. Sand Rivers Lodge and Selous Safari Camp are outstandingly good and you could easily spend up to a week on safari here and, if you wish to, take extended walking safaris.
The Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park has great expanses of plains and rich forests and is another vast, virtually unexplored area with immense wildlife potential. Chris Fox's Mwagusi Camp and Jongomero camp are the places to stay whilst on safari here. Katavi is even more remote yet between June and October it provides some of Africa's most exciting game drives as huge prides of lion, buffalo, antelope and elephant concentrate around the scarce permanent rivers. From Chada Camp you can enjoy game drives and safari walks, and the more adventurous can spend a night fly camping with the sounds of Africa all around you.
If you want to visit some of our nearest relatives, you can find hundreds of chimpanzees in the beautiful montane forest beside the crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganyika . Roland and Zoe Purcell take you to sit among a group of fifty chimps, enthralled by their behaviour, combined with birding in the forest and swimming and fishing in the lake.
When is the best time to go on Safari in Southern and Western Tanzania?
The rainy season in this part of the world is from early April to the end of May and (when locations such as Ruaha, Katavi and Mahale are not visited) the ideal time to safari in Southern and Western Tanzania is between June and at the end of October.
Read about honeymoon safaris to Africa