Tanzania Southern Circuit & Zanzibar
Mikumi National Park is a national park in southern Tanzania, near Morogoro, with an area of 3,230 km2. It is the fourth largest in the country, established in 1964. The park is crossed by Tanzania’s A-7 highway. It is about 300 km to the west of Dar es Salaam along the Dar-Mbeya highway. Because of its accessibility, Mikumi is one of the most popular national parks in Tanzania. It borders Selous Game Reserve on the south, the two areas forming a unique ecosystem. Two other natural areas bordering the national park are the Udzungwa Mountains and Uluguru Mountains. The park has Malundwe Mountain, a belt of hills that run east and west through the park, connecting the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast. Uvidunda and Udzungwa mountains to the west. Malundwe Mountain consists of three peaks along a ridge running north and south. Malundwe’s south peak is the highest point in the park, reaching 1,290 metres in elevation.
The landscape of Mikumi is often compared to that of the Serengeti. The road that crosses the park divides it into two areas with partially distinct environments. The area northwest is characterised by the alluvial plain of the river basin Mkata. The vegetation of this area consists of savannah dotted with acacia, baobab, tamarinds, and some rare palm. In this area, at the furthest from the road, there are spectacular rock formations of the mountains Rubeho and Uluguru. The southeast part of the park is less rich in wildlife and not very accessible.
The fauna includes many species characteristic of the African savannah The park is endowed with a spectacular concentration of wildlife that is rarely seen in other parks, like magnificent Sable antelope, African hunting dogs, blue wildebeest, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, and others. The park contains a subspecies of giraffe that biologists consider the link between the Maasai giraffe and the reticulated giraffe. Other animals in the park are elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes. At about 5 km from the north of the park, there are two artificial pools inhabited by hippos. More than 400 different species of birds also inhabit the park.
The Selous Game Reserve, now renamed as Nyerere National Park (in part), is a protected nature reserve and wilderness area in southern Tanzania. Nyerere National Park covers an area three times the size of the Serengeti National Park, making it one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. It is home to a huge variety of animals. It covers a total area of 50,000 km2, with additional buffer zones as well. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, owing to its high levels of biodiversity and vast, undisturbed natural landscapes, such as the grasslands and the Miombo woodland habitat. Among the numerous species within the park are some of the continent’s largest and most iconic (and most vulnerable, threatened, or endangered), such as the bush elephant, black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, painted dog, Cape buffalo, Maasai giraffe, common plain zebra, white-bearded gnu and the giant Nile crocodile. Due to the fragility and sensitivity of the many species and ecosystems within the park, human habitation is not permitted within its bounds, and all persons entering and exiting are tallied and tracked by the Wildlife Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Since 2005, the protected area is considered a Lion Conservation Unit.
The area was first designated a protected area in 1896 by the German Governor of Tanganyika Hermann von Wissmann, and became a hunting reserve in 1905. The reserve was named after Frederick Selous, a famous big game hunter and early conservationist who died at Beho Beho in this territory in 1917 while fighting against the Germans during World War I.
Interesting sites in the park include the Rufiji River, which flows into the Indian Ocean opposite Mafia Island, and Stiegler Gorge, a canyon measuring nearly 100 metres deep by as wide. Varied habitats include grassland, typical Acacia savanna, wetlands, riverine and riparian zones, and extensive miombo woodlands. Although total wildlife populations are high the reserve is vast; densities of observable animals may be lower than in the busier parks in Tanzania’s northern tourist circuit (such as the Serengeti). Walking safaris are offered in the Selous (something not every park allows), and boat trips on the Rufiji are another popular activity.
Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania
Arrive in Tanzania via Dar Es Salaam at Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Airport and transfer to the hotel on a (B/B) bed and breakfast basis. Possible hotels are Tiffany Diamond Hotel or Holiday Inn Dar Es Salaam
Day 2: Dar – Mikumi National Park
Pick you up from your hotel in Dar es Salaam after an early breakfast at around 6:00 am. Drive to Mikumi National Park; this takes about 5 to 6 hours. You will be served a hot launch in Morogoro before embarking on a game drive until dusk. We be on the lookout for the big game like elephants, lions, etc. Southern Tanzania National Parks are not as famous as their northern counterparts, which means they offer an authentic African safari experience without hoards of other tourists and safari vehicles. After the game drive, you will be taken to Mikumi Tan-Swiss Lodge or Camp Bastian Mikumi for dinner, sleep and preparations for the next day’s schedule.
Day 3: Mikumi National Park—full day.
We set off for game drive after breakfast, searching for the Big-5 found in Mikumi—lions, buffalo, the elusive leopard, and plenty of elephants. This is a prime birdwatching area with about 400 species of birds to thrill bird watchers; of note are the racket-tailed roller, Shelley’s sunbird, hoopoes, and Boem’s bee-eater. Opportunities to take some beautiful photos will be in abundance.
Return to the hotel for lunch. After the heat of the day subsides, it’s time for an evening game drive. Look out for some rarer species like the African wild dogs (which are endangered but thrive in Southern Tanzania), and sable antelope alongside more common sightings like wildebeest, zebra, and buffalo. At the end of another action-packed day on safari in Tanzania, we head to our safari camp to indulge in a cool drink and a delicious meal. Spend the evening listening to the sounds of the bush and recounting your adventures in Mikumi. Accommodation in either Mikumi Tan-Swiss Lodge or Camp Bastian Mikumi
Day 4: Mikumi National Park to Selous Game Reserve (Nyerere National Park)
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your camp and driven to Nyerere National Park. There is a picnic lunch on the way. You will arrive there in the evening to embark on a boat safari. On your boat trip, you’ll spot hippos and crocodiles in their natural habitat. Meals and your overnight stay will be offered at Selous River Camp or Selous Kulinda Camp, or Nje Bush Camp.
Day 5: Nyerere National Park—Full Day
We leave the camp after breakfast with lunch boxes. We traverse the park searching for the game. You will have a full-day game drive tour at Nyerere National Park, formerly known as Selous Game Reserve. You will get to enjoy various attractions like animals, including elephants, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, birds, and landscape scenery with varied topography, including wetlands, dry grassland, light acacia forests, and higher ground with vast views of far-off mountains. Accommodation is offered at Selous River Camp or Selous Kulinda Camp or Nje Bush Camp.
Day 6: Nyerere National Park – Dar Es Salaam – Zanzibar.
On this day, you will have an early breakfast. We drive traversing to Dar Es Salaam. We open our lunch boxes en route. Upon reaching Dar, you catch the last ferry to Zanzibar at 4:00 pm. The ride lasts one hour and forty-five minutes, docking at 5:45 pm. You will be transferred to beach hotel Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 7: Own program – Accommodation at Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 8: Own program – Accommodation at Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 9: Own program – Accommodation at Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 10: Own program – Accommodation at Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 11: Own program – Accommodation at Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 12: Own program – Accommodation at Paradise Beach Resort and Spa or Dhow Inn Boutique
Day 13: Own program – Homebound Flight. Catch your flight either from Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) or Dar Es Salaam Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA).
