You will spend the next two days with extensive game viewing in Ruaha National Park. On your game drives, you can observe pure wilderness: larger prides of lions, cheetahs racing through the vast savannah and the graceful leopard, which lies in wait, protected by the thicket. Ruaha is particularly known for its huge elephant population, so your chances of spotting a “weighty” representative of the “Big Five” are guaranteed. In addition to a large variety of antelopes, you can spot skilled hunters such as the endangered African wild dog or the crocodile lurking silently in the river water, hippos, hyenas and jackals. Remarkable is the greater kudu, which is known for its corkscrew-shaped horns. It is also the animal symbol of the Ruaha park emblem.

For bird lovers and ornithologists, the national park is a true paradise. Estimates put the number of species at around 500, including the colorful tricolored glossy starling, Kaffir hornbill, two-legged kingfisher and mighty lesser spotted eagle. During the long dry season, Ruaha’s abundant wildlife is concentrated along the Great Ruaha River and the few remaining waterholes. This makes game viewing particularly easy at this time. After the onset of the rainy season, however, the park is transformed into a completely new world; the leaves of the trees burst forth and bathe the magical landscape in a soft green, the Ruaha River swells up into a raging river.

Overnight in a lodge inside the park. All meals included.

In the morning, you will go on one last game drive through Ruaha National Park. Afterwards you will go to the airstrip and fly on to Katavi in a “bush plane”. On arrival, you will be met at the airstrip and transferred to your Camp. In the afternoon, you will go on your first game drive through the unknown Katavi National Park. Katavi National Park in the far southwest is one of the few natural areas in Tanzania that is still largely unexplored. Those who venture here can expect a truly unforgettable safari experience. Experience the diverse landscape of Katavi, from swamps and wide open grasslands to dense forest and shrubland, lakes and rivers. Katavi is characterized by its original African wilderness. Lake Katavi lies to the north of the park, while the palm-fringed Lake Chada and the Katuma River lie to the south-east. In the rainy season, the marshy lakes attract countless water birds and serve as a water source for Katavi’s wildlife, feeding Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles.

Overnight in a Camp inside the park. All meals included.

The following three days are spent with extensive game viewing and game drives in Katavi. Katavi National Park is home to every species of animal that can be found on the African continent. Huge herds of hippos and crocodiles live in the river and the seasonal lake. Eland, Sable and Roan antelope find shelter in the dense Miombo dry forest. Observe warthogs on game drives, clumsy-looking giraffes foraging for food, various antelope species, majestic elephants and skilled hunters such as lions, graceful leopards, hyenas, swift-as-an-arrow cheetahs and the rare African wild dog. The riverbed of the Kutuma River is home to the highest density of hippos in the country and the largest crocodiles in Tanzania. At the end of the dry season, you may be lucky enough to see up to 200 hippos at once in a pool of water that is still deep enough. Katavi is at its most impressive during the dry season, when the water in the lakes and rivers recedes. Now the Kutuma River shrinks to a shallow, narrow rinsal. Hundreds of densely packed hippos and numerous crocodiles fight for the last remaining water and offer a fascinating sight. As one of the last sources of drinking water in the park, the river and the adjacent alluvial plains attract an incredible number of animals. As one of the last sources of drinking water in the park, the river and the adjacent alluvial plains attract an incredible number of animals.

Overnight in a Camp inside the park. All meals included.

In the morning you fly from Katavi back to Dar es Salaam, where your safari ends. During the flight, you can take in the last impressive views of the Tanzanian landscapes and abundant wildlife below you.

Arrival in Dar es Salaam around 4 pm. Meals: breakfast