5 Facts to know about the Tanzania Southern safari circuit : The Northern Tanzania safari circuit represents an authentic wilderness experience, encompassing remains of natural African bush with several national parks and reserves.
There are four safari circuits in Tanzania: the northern safari circuit, the southern safari circuit, the eastern safari circuit, and the western safari circuit. Arusha, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Serengeti are just a few of the popular and frequently visited safari destinations in the Northern safari circuit.
The main problem with the Northern Safari Park is that it is continually overrun with safari vehicles, in contrast to other circuits like the Southern Safari Circuit, which is less crowded and provides a more private safari experience. The Southern Tanzania safari circuit embodies a true wilderness experience, including some of the few remaining undiscovered plains of African bush together with a few exclusive national parks and reserves.
Because there are less safari tourist vehicles in Tanzania’s southern parks than in the northern Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro crater parks, visitors can enjoy a real bush safari experience. Again, due to their intimacy and focus on serving small groups, most lodgings in southern Tanzanian safari parks are more costly. Lodges in Southern Tanzania provide a range of opportunities to see wildlife, such as walking and boat safaris, as well as seeing stars.
First-time travellers particularly enjoy the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park on Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit. But, it’s crucial to remember that Tanzania and Africa’s lesser-known (and less-traveled) Southern Safari Circuit has its own attractions when planning a safari holiday. Adventure adventures are made in the parks and reserves of Tanzania’s Southern Safari Circuit, with their isolated surroundings, incredible wildlife richness, and significantly less crowding. Consider taking a solitary safari drive across the savannah or going on an adventure walk in the jungle.
One of the best safaris in Africa is the Southern Circuit, which offers all of these and more. Thus, we will discuss some of the parks you may visit on the Southern Circuit as well as the best time of year to visit them in this guide. On your safari in southern Tanzania, where should you go? Here is a list of Tanzania’s Top Sites to see on the Southern Safari Circuit, along with five interesting facts about it.
DESTINATIONS IN TANZANIA’S SOUTHERN SAFARI CIRCUIT
SELOUS GAME RESERVE
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the biggest in Africa, spanning over 30,000 square kilometers and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The amazing range of wildlife includes large populations of buffalo, hippos, zebra, giraffes, and hippos, in addition to lions and hippos in large numbers. The Selous Game Reserve is home to about 440 different bird species, including as African skimmers, trumpeter hornbills, giant kingfishers, and migrating Malagasy squacco herons.
Huge, largely unexplored Miombo forests, wetlands, and Acacia savannah make up the reserve; however, the majority of wildlife and bird sightings are focused around the Rufiji River. Look into Tanzania’s southern safari circuit. In the Selous wildlife Reserve, walking safaris are allowed, but night wildlife drives are not. This enables you to approach animals that the jeep’s engine would otherwise frighten away. In addition to daily game drives, you may go fly camping, which involves staying the night in a temporary camp in the magnificent Selous habitat.
RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Situated in the geographic heart of Tanzania, Ruaha is one of the country’s largest national parks, with an area of over 20,000 square kilometers. Among the many species that call the Great Ruaha River home are those. It was founded in 1910 during the German era of supremacy. Ruaha National Park receives a much less tourism than the Selous Game Reserve, but having a far wider variety of animals and vegetation. Those who do make the trip, nevertheless, will be rewarded with stunning baobab trees and safari escarpments.
In addition to possessing one of the greatest concentrations of elephants in all of East Africa, Ruaha National Park is home to a variety of predators, including lions, leopards, and cheetahs. In addition to hippos, wild dogs, and Grant’s gazelles, other animals found in the park include buffalo, giraffes, and sable antelope. Birdlife International states that the Usanga Basin is an Important Birding Area because it is home to over 570 species that are currently recognised.
Although migrating birds from as far afield as Australia and Asia frequently stop by to rest and refuel, red-billed hornbills from Ruaha are the native birds of the park. You can see Ruaha’s amazing wildlife in the morning or late in the afternoon, but night safaris are not allowed, and not all hotels provide walking safaris. But it does include a wide range of luxurious lodging and campgrounds with all the amenities you could want for a relaxing vacation.
MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Mahale Mountains National Park is located on the beaches of Lake Tanganyika. The Mahale Mountains, which are located inside its borders and are well-known for housing chimpanzees, are the source of the region’s name. Presumably one of Tanzania’s most exquisite parks, it’s the only location in Africa where chimpanzees and lions are known to live together.
The park is only accessible by boat because to the lack of roads that lead into or out of it, contributing to its feeling of seclusion and lack of crowds. Look into Tanzania’s southern safari circuit. The Mahale Mountains National Park is home to a variety of primates, including yellow baboons, red colobus monkeys, and vervet monkeys. Travellers are drawn to the about 1,000 chimpanzees, particularly the Mimikere clan, which has been accustomed to the presence of scientists since 1965.
Trekking is best enjoyed in the most recent part of the dry season (August to October), when the routes are at their driest and least slick. The primary means of exploring the Mahale Mountains National Park is through guided tours. Depending on where they are that day, chimpanzee trekking safaris in the wild can range in length from a 20-minute stroll to a more strenuous hike lasting several hours. Due to the unpredictable nature of wild animals, sightings are never guaranteed. However, most days you can witness chimpanzee clans gathering food, tending to, and grooming their young. This is an incredibly remarkable encounter with an animal.
UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
The 1,900 square kilometre Udzungwa Mountains National Park, which borders Mikumi National Park, is made up of steppe, grassland, tropical rainforest, and miombo woodland. More than 2,500 plant species, 400 bird species, and six distinct primates are among its amazing diversity. Elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, and Sanje crested mangabeys inhabit the plateau in addition to red colobus from Iringa and Sanje.
Entering and exiting the park requires only guided hikes, which can take an hour (the Sonjo journey) or up to six days (the Lumemo Trail). The majority of visitors choose to spend six hours climbing at the 170-meter-high Sanje Waterfalls, which also have a plunge pool for relaxation. The only accommodation available within the park is camping; however, there are several local guesthouses in the neighboring settlement of Mang’ula. Most people choose to visit the adjacent Mikumi National Park, which is about an hour’s drive to the north, in addition to doing a safari in the Udzungwa Mountains.
MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK
Mikumi National Park, one of the easiest to get to from Dar es Salaam, is home to the “Big Five” and spans 3,230 square metres between the Udzungwa Mountains and the Selous Game Reserve. Its landscape is sometimes compared to the Serengeti National Park because of the large expanse of grassland and the unique palms, baobabs, and acacias that dot it.
Visit Mikumi National Park to learn about the creatures of Tanzania’s Southern Safari Circuit. Elephants, zebras, wildebeest, baboons, and a unique subspecies of giraffe can all be found there. Mikumi is well known for its close-up encounters with lions and hippopotamus ponds. There are also about 400 distinct bird species there. For those with limited time, it’s the best option for a Tanzania safari trip because of its accessibility and excellent wildlife viewing. There’s a good network of game-viewing routes for early morning and late afternoon safaris, as well as a few lodges and camps where you can spend the night.
