Safaris to Ruaha National Park Tanzania

Ruaha National Park

Experience safaris to Ruaha National Park in Tanzania that you will never forget and stay in some of the most attractive and comfortable lodges in East Africa for dream accommodation on a dream tour. 

This famous and accessible conservation region comprises pristine African bushveld stretching a staggering 20 226 square kilometres, making it the largest national park on the continent. The Great Ruaha River is the lifeblood of spectacular Ruaha National Park, carving its way through the centre of the reserve where it sits in central Tanzania.

Visitors can reach the park by car or land on one of two airstrips – Msembe airstrip at Msembe (park headquarters), and Jongomeru Airstrip, near the Jongomeru Ranger Post. The minute you land, take note of the birds around you – more than 571 species of birds have been identified in the park. An excellent wildlife safari will bring you thrilling sightings of lion, cheetah, leopard, spotted hyena, giraffe, hippo, buffalo and sable antelope and Ruaha has been a lion conservation unit since 2005. 

Twice daily game drives and wilderness walks take keen nature loving guests into the larger Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi ecosystem that covers an area of 45,000 square km including Ruaha, two other game reserves and a wildlife management area.  Find all the information you need on Ruaha National Park holiday accommodation and safari camps here – book your luxury safari of a lifetime with Voyage2Africa – the Tanzania specialists. 

Did you know?

Lions tend to hunt more elephants in the Ruaha National Park than other smaller species such as antelope or zebra. The prides are large so they need more meat and the charismatic, strong males do more roving than usual.

Highlights

  • Wild animals congregate along the splendid main river of the park, the Great Ruaha River is the source of life for the park, its lifeblood, especially during the dry season when the river can dry up. Large hippo pods wallow in the pools where wild fig trees grow. The second river is the Njombe that crosses the park through ravines and rock-strewn landscapes, habitat for large fat crocodiles.
  • Fishing is popular in Rufiji River – catch Tigerfish and slippery Vandu catfish which can cross land to find water using its primitive lungs when it is dry!
  • Take a drive to the Ngalambulwa Mountain, the tallest point in the park reaching a summit of 1,600 m and surrounded by grasslands and stony areas. 
  • Ruaha is known for its ancient baobab trees, some of them about 1,000 years old and many whose tree trunks open out, creating natural havens for bees, tree agamas, snakes, birds, squirrels, bush babies and bats.

Ruaha Wondrous Wilderness

In the dry season, the Ruaha River shrinks and the animals come down in their herds so visitors should choose this time to game drive and enjoy the landscapes. Look out for gatherings of the large mammals and drive into the Mdonya woodlands to find hartebeest, sable, and roan antelope.  Make sure you explore the Mbage-Mwagusi circuit, for great sightings of elephants – the largest collection of elephants in all of Tanzania – and for the beautiful Great Kudu with its statuesque spiral horns.

When And Where To Go

Plan a tour to Ruaha National Park during the dry seasons, May to December, to use good roads and to see the animals gathering around the drying rivers. Predators will be following all kinds of antelope and large mammals like elephants will be congregating. If you are a bird lover, on the other hand, choose the wet season to find the birds enjoying the spring flowers and insects, the watery habitats and more.

The dry season is also a good time to visit the rocky koppies in the Ruaha wilderness as it was here that Chief Mkwawa of the Hehe tribe hid away after he killed a German Captain in an ambush in 1895. The foliage dies down and things are easier to find and to see. 

Find Ruaha National Park in south-west Tanzania, about 625km from the vibrant Dar es Salaam metropolis. Explore several cultural and historical sites of southern Tanzanian tribes in the park. The Arab caravans crossed here on their early trade routes, travelling further north by 1830. Then came European explorers, Burton and Speke, in 1857 to 1858. Later, Chief Mkwawaalso used these same routes to visit his chiefdoms in Sangu and Gogo.

Family Holidays to Ruaha National Park are Hot

Pack up the entire family for a safari holiday to Tanzania that they will never forget. Intrepid journeys into Africa introduce your kids to the biggest classroom in the world, nature! Game viewing, nature walks, river cruises and camping under the stars are all part of a safari adventure your family will talk about for years down the line!  

Bring your children into the true wilderness of Tanzania, our top African safari destination of all time – so check out the luxury lodge and bush camp accommodation where children are made to feel at home and book your special family package today.

The Best of the Best Holidays in Ruaha National Park

Plan a Tanzania tour and safari with Voyage2Africa, the African travel experts, and enjoy signature experiences to the premier wildlife destination south of the equator. We bring you thrilling adventures in the Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, the vast Selous Game Reserve and the spectacular Ruaha National Park. We offer you the best of the best safari accommodation in Tanzania, in lavish lodges, family resorts, modern hotels, eco villas and rustic wild campsites in nature. Bring your camera and you hat, your binoculars and your sense of spirit to an African land that is home to humankind.

Proceed Booking

Open chat
Have a question?
How can we help you? 🌍