The best safari travel guide for Ruaha National Park: Ruaha National Park is located in central Tanzania, where the Tanzanian/Kenyan savannahs and Zambezi miombo woods converge. With its few camps and large variety of wildlife, birds, and stunning scenery, this immense park gives tourists a quiet glimpse of unspoiled Africa. The region is well recognized for its amazing wildlife sightings, which have included numerous predators and sizable elephant herds.
Ruaha national park safari Highlights:
ü The large terrain and small number of campers result in a peaceful safari experience in Ruaha National park.
ü A diverse range of wildlife species and habitats
ü A population of over 10,000 elephants.
ü A lot of huge lion prides can be seen among the predators.
ü One of the rare locations where larger and lesser kudu can be seen together.
ü Observing birds is amazing, with over 500 bird species.
ü In the dry season, water sources created by a number of natural springs in the park attract variety animals creating a good condition for wildlife viewing.
Ruaha National Park, located in the geographic center of Tanzania, spans an area of more than 20,000 km2. It is a fascinating, game-rich park that covers the savannahs of Tanzania and Kenya as well as the Miombo forests of Zambia. A wide variety of animals live in these various settings. Ruaha is regarded as one of Tanzania’s best-kept safari secrets because of its enormous size and the fact that there aren’t many camps there, which allows for leisurely, undisturbed wildlife viewing.
The Ruaha national Park history dates back when it was founded by Germans in 1910, when it’s original name was Saba Game Reserve. The British acquired control in the late 1940s and changed the name to Rungwa Game Reserve. After the Ruaha River, it was formally designated Ruaha National Park in 1964. In 2008, the Usangu Wildlife Management Area was added to the park.
Over 10,000 elephants are thought to live in Ruaha, which is also home to a thriving population of predators. Large prides of lion (up to 20 animals), leopard, and cheetah are particularly noteworthy. Ruaha is a birdwatcher’s paradise with more than 500 different species of birds, both seasonal and permanent. Once more, the variety of species is astounding, and it includes both southern and northern raptors and water birds.
TOURIST ACTIVITIES: THINGS TO DO AT RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
The main reason people visit Ruaha National Park is to see the animals, and there are numerous methods to do that. The campgrounds and lodges in the park provide escorted game drives and night drives, giving you the advantage of a knowledgeable ranger who knows which spots to look for the finest sightings. During the day, you can also take a self-guided tour of the park. This is a thrilling choice for explorers who like to travel alone.
Walking safaris are also well-liked tourist activity in Ruaha National Park, whether you decide to book one via Tanzanian Parks or through your lodge. In addition to the multi-day Kichaka to Kidabaga trek, other safari companies offers guided day hikes that run between two and four hours. A hot-air balloon safari is another way to see the wildlife and scenery from above in Ruaha National park.
Back on land, go birdwatching, have a guided safari tour, or take advantage of the lodge’s arranged bush dinners. You may also visit cultural and historical sites like the Nyanywa rock paintings, the natural pillars at Isimila, or the Mkwawa Museum.
WILDLIFE VIEWING IN RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha National park is particularly well-known for its sightings of huge predators. A 2009 study by the Ruaha Carnivore Project revealed that the park is home to a stunning 10% of all the lions in Africa, including sizable prides of twenty or more lions. Additionally, this region is home to the third-largest population of endangered African wild dogs in the entire world as well as one of only four East African cheetah populations with more than 200 adults. In addition, Ruaha is a great place to see leopards and spotted hyenas, while jackals and bat-eared foxes can also be seen there frequently. All these predators must eat, of course, and Ruaha has a wide selection of food for them to choose from. There are several different types of antelope, such as waterbuck, kudu, roan, and sable,The best safari travel guide for Ruaha National Park
With approximately 10,000 of these majestic animals ranging freely over its enormous area, the park also features one of Tanzania’s largest herds of elephants. Also Hippos and Nile crocodiles are among the aquatic animals that thrive in the Great Ruaha River within the Park. The rhinoceros, who were poached to extinction in this area in the early 1980s, are the only significant omission from the park’s list of animals.
You may get a close-up look at all of these wonderful species at a number of lodges and outfitters. A select handful will even transform your walking safari into an extraordinary “fly camping” adventure. This activity includes one or more nights spent in the heart of the bush under the stars, with nothing but mosquito netting separating you from nature.
BIRDING IN RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha National Park is a must-visit tourist destination for serious birders since it is home to over 570 different species, including a fascinating mix of birds from both Southern and East Africa. Watch for endemic species including the Tanzanian red-billed hornbill, the ashy starling, and the yellow-collared lovebird. Here, raptors abound, and vultures are particularly common. There are a total of six different vulture species in Ruaha National park, including the Rappel’s vulture, the white-headed vulture, the white-backed vulture, and the severely endangered hooded vulture.
The arrival of migrant species from Europe, Asia, and North Africa during the wet season makes for some of the best birding in Ruaha National Park. Numerous water birds, especially sizable flocks of white and Abdim’s storks, are drawn to the Usangu wetlands and the area around the Great Ruaha River as a result of the rising water levels. In central Tanzania, rare, smaller birds of prey are another summertime attraction. Residents are in breeding plumage at this time of year, while sooty falcons, Eleonora’s falcons, Amur falcons, and Eurasian hobby emerge.
Things to see and do in Ruaha National Park in a summary
ü Day and night game drive in search of various wildlife, including the Big Five.
ü Viewing birds, particularly during the rainy season.
ü To get as close to the natural world as possible, several camps offer walking safaris.
ü Experience the sundowners or bush breakfasts.
ü The fly camping to experience real, untamed African bush.
ü Day trips to nearby historical and cultural places.
ü Admire the Great Rift Valley that runs through the park.
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha National Park is open all year, but most tourists visit during the dry season, which lasts from June to October, when animals congregate near water sources and it is easy to spot wildlife in the arid, golden environment. With the sun shining all day and little chance of rain, the dry season is the most well-liked period to go on safari in Tanzania’s wilderness with Focus East Africa Tours. In comparison to the rains, the weather is colder and less humid, and there are fewer mosquitoes around.
Ruaha is still completely undiscovered, a secret jewel to be closely guarded by the few who know and appreciate the benefits of isolation in an unspoiled paradise. Even though during the dry season is also the peak season, you will hardly ever see another safari Jeep because the few available camps and lodges are widely scattered. Ruaha’s outback may be dry and dusty during this time of year, making a refreshing drink and a soak in the pool at camp all the more appealing.
November brings rising temperatures and nightly lightning that illuminates pastel-hued caverns in accumulating clouds. To feel the nearly hysterical relief of the workers who live here and the blossoming life force recreating itself in plants and animals, you may share the pleasure of standing in the open as rain comes towards you across the savannah.
The wet season, which lasts from November to May, The breeding season for the majority of ungulates and predators provides lovely glimpses of new life. A carpet of spring flowers ignites into rainbows, and butterflies and birds dazzle the eye, The best safari travel guide for Ruaha National Park
Since Ruaha was enlarged in 2008 to include the Usangu wetlands, straddling the migration pathways of bird populations from all four points of the compass, over 570 species have been identified there. The cheapest time to visit Tanzania is also the time when you will feel the most alone in the soul-refreshing nature.
TIPS FOR YOUR SAFARI VISIT TO THE RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
ü All visitors are required to pay a vehicle entry charge and a daily conservation fee, which is cheaper for East Africans and Tanzanians and a little expensive for foreigners.
ü The weather in Ruaha National Park generally follows the same trends as the rest of Tanzania, with two seasons of rain and a dry season that lasts from June to October. The long rains stretch from March through May, whereas the brief rains occur in November and December.
ü When the weather is sunny but not oppressively hot and the roads are clear, the dry season is the ideal time to visit Ruaha National Park. Additionally, this is the ideal moment to watch a game.
ü The park is lush and lovely after a rain, and birding is at its peak. However, some of Ruaha’s outlying regions might not be reachable at this time.
ü The roads in Ruaha are generally difficult, especially when it is raining. If you decide to go on a self-drive safari, you will need a four-wheel-drive vehicle and the driving skills to operate it safely, The best safari travel guide for Ruaha National Park
HOW TO GET TO RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha’s distance from Dar es Salaam is one of the reasons why there aren’t many visitors here; given everything, it’s still fairly accessible. Most flights into the park are chartered or scheduled, and they come from major Tanzania cities such as Arusha, Dodoma, Kigoma, and Dar es Salaam. Additionally, there is a flight that connects Ruaha with the Serengeti National park, and flights are also available from the Selous game reserve. The airstrips for the park are at Jongomero and Msembe. Due to Ruaha’s location, flights there are longer and more expensive, which keeps the number of tourists there limited and raises the raw and uncommercial fee.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha is Tanzania’s best-kept game viewing secret because, despite the park’s size, there are still only a few camps there. All lodgings provide game drives, and some also provide guided excursions and fly camping.
Conclusion: A safari trip to Ruaha National Park might be paired with a Selous, Serengeti safari or a beach vacation in Zanzibar. In contrast to the other Tanzania northern safari parks, such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara National Park, which are constantly busy and crowded with tourists, Ruaha National Park is one of the least visited places in the country despite being one of the largest national parks and rich in wildlife. As a result, safaris here are remote and exclusive. Regular east African safari travelers favor Ruaha over the other parks because of its wild and unrestrained atmosphere.
