Sometimes it’s hard to get a feel for just what your day to day life might be like when on an African adventure enjoying the highlights of all that a safari experience can offer, and whilst our itinerary ideas act as inspiration for the type of holiday which we can tailor to your needs, each holiday for our guests is different. We offer a bespoke experience around you to make sure you see what you want, do what you want to do and have the trip of a lifetime.

I’ve taken an in-depth look at one of our sample itineraries to give you a better idea of the type of experiences you can enjoy and what you might see when away, but for the best experience just get in touch and we’ll start the journey where we talk to you about what sort of safari trip you are looking for.

In this blog I delve into our 15 night itinerary exploring the Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, Katavi National Park and the Mahale Mountains. The best time to go is July – October, but that equally depends on whether you want to see hippopotamuses, big cats or bird life – something to consider when booking your safari.

Day 1: Arrival and a night in Dar es Salaam

Arriving into Dar es Salaam on a Sunday, you will be met by your rep who will assist you through customs and immigration and then via Southern Sun transfers you will be taken to your hotel. The Southern Sun is a grand hotel situated in the centre of Dar es Salaam, close to local attractions, offering spacious accommodation as well as hotel gym and large outdoor swimming pool.

Accommodation Type (flexible): Southern Sun, Dar es Salaam

Approx. travel time: 60 minutes

No. nights: 1 night

Days 2 – 5: Dar es Salaam – Sand Rivers, Selous

Onwards to the great safari offerings of Tanzania! You will be met at your hotel by transfer vehicle which will take you to Dar es Salaam airport. From here you will fly onwards to Kiba airstrip, from which you will be met by your guide and Sand Rivers transfer to take you to Sand Rivers, set in a quieter more secluded location than some of the other camps in Selous.

Sand Rivers is a wonderful lodge situated on the river banks with panoramic views across the iconic African scenery overlooking hippopotamuses and crocodiles! With attentive staff and a special atmosphere, Sand Rivers is a highly popular option for experiencing all that Selous has to offer.

With a choice of room types this can be a perfect destination to get away from it all, choose from the five riverside open-front rooms with panoramic river views or the Hillside Suites with adjoining lounge and living areas, private plunge pools and surrounding decking, the perfect location for a sundowner. There’s a large central pool with surrounding lounge area to enjoy.

Selous gives rise to excellent game spotting opportunities, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a variety of rich habitats, it is the ideal unadulterated safari experience. With experienced guides knowing the best places to find the animals, you will quickly be amazed at the sheer volume and variety of wildlife spotting opportunities of offer. From exploring on foot culminating in a unique fly camping experience under the stars to following the current downriver dodging hippopotamuses and pelicans, finished off with barefoot fishing in the shallows, Selous provides magical experiences aplenty.

Accommodation Type (flexible): Sand Rivers Selous

Approx. travel time: Transfer time: 60 minutes. Check-in: 60 minutes prior. Flight time: 45 minutes. Transfer time: 20 minutes to camp.

No. nights: 3 nights

Days 5-9: Selous – Kigelia Ruaha

After three nights of relaxation by the Rufiji River your next safari experience awaits in Ruaha, after flying over the Udzungwa mountain range you touchdown into Msembe airstrip and arrive at the Ruaha National Park. One of Africa’s premium Big Game areas, Ruaha offers the opportunity of custom-built open game drive vehicles or walking safaris where you can absorb the incredible scenery and enjoy breakfast in the wild.

Set high on the river banks of Ifuguru, Kigelia Ruaha the camp is secluded and set in a perfect location for exploring the Ruaha National Park. The remote Kigelia Ruaha camp is off the beaten track and creates your own personal safari experience. With six airy and comfortable tents with double beds and one twin-roomed family tent (for 8+ years), alongside a swing seat, thatched mess area and camp fire for fire-side sundowners, Kigelia is about getting back to basics, but doing so in style, with indoor and outdoor dining available.

Wildlife spotting opportunities can be found in abundance here with large herds of elephants to be discovered, wild dogs roaming the plains, prides of lions, big cats like cheetah and leopards and plenty of bird-spotting opportunities for keen birders. Big Cats are best seen by bolting on a night drive, offering up a unique and memorable experience like no other.

Accommodation Type (flexible): Kigelia Ruaha

Approx. travel time: Transfer to airport. 20 minutes. Flight time approx. 1.75hrs. Transfer to camp approx. 50 minutes.

No. nights: 4 nights

Days 9 – 12: Ruaha – Chada Katavi

Set in the west of Tanzania, far removed from the well-trodden touristy safari route, Katavi is rugged and unspoilt. One of the few places where you can see lions prey on hippopotamuses as the dry season draws on, energy levels can dwindle meaning easy prey opportunities for the many predators. Expect to see vast buffalo herds across the plains, elephants and hippopotamuses competing for the ever evaporating water sources and spectacle aplenty as lions and hyenas lie in wait ready to pounce.

Chada Katavi consists of just six guest tents, simple yet elegant, this wild bush camp feels a world apart from anything else. With necessary luxuries like showers and silverware paired with taking a walk through the bush to breakfast and elephants and bushbuck wandering past your camp, Chada Katavi focuses on the outstanding wildlife spotting available.

Katavi National Park feels like a park lost in time, where undisturbed and incredibly high concentrations of animals roam in freedom, where you can immerse yourself surrounded by animals. With watering holes drying up towards the latter half of the dry seasons, jaws often drop at the sheer concentration of hippos/hippopotamus just so consistent either way), best enjoyed with a cup of tea and breakfast watching interactions from the banks.

Accommodation Type (flexible): Chada Katavi

Approx. travel time: Transfer to airport approx 50 minutes. Flight times approx. 1hr50m. 20 minutes transfer to camp.

No. nights: 3 nights

Days 12 – 15: Katavi – Greystoke Mahale

A spectacular way to end an incredible safari experience, take a 90 minute dhow boat transfer along the golden shorelines of Lake Tanganyika. Home to the world’s largest known population of chimpanzees, there are plenty of opportunities for relaxation along the shoreline, or for adventure such as trekking into the mountains to find the chimps. There are plenty of opportunities to see them and to explore, go trekking in the mountains, or for those wanting to relax they can make the most of Tanzania’s beautiful shoreline.

Greystoke Mahale offers the perfect setting to round off the pinnacle of African safari with this wonderful 15 night adventure coming to a close as the sunsets over Lake Tanganyika. Spend the afternoon relaxing on the decking gazing far over to the Congo or swim in the world’s second deepest lake. Enjoy a sundowner from the top deck of Greystoke Mahale and drink in rural Africa. The six thatched wood bandas are made from reclaimed wood with uninterrupted views across the lake. There’s a large central dining area, open-air bar and library to make the most of during your stay at Greystoke Mahale.

A team of experts are on hand to cater to your every whim, whether that’s trekking through the forest in search of chimpanzee families, diving from your down at sunset into the waters of Lake Tanganyika or seeing the positive effects of funding at Tanganyika village with its primary school, solar power and community clinic offering vital healthcare.

Accommodation Type (flexible): Greystoke Mahale

Approx. travel time: Transfer to airport 20 minutes. Flight times approx. 1 hr. Transfer to camp: 90 minute dhow trip.

No. nights: 3 nights

Optional bolt-on: If the wildlife of Southern and Western Tanzania has whet your appetite for now, why not let us create a bespoke package for you to explore the might of Northern Tanzania and the famed Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and the beautiful Tarangire. Adventure tourists might like to turn their legs towards the mighty Kilimanjaro, or for those who like an easier way of life, the white sands of the Zanzibar Archipelago await.

This optional bolt-on is just an idea of what you might hope for from your East African holiday, if you want to move onwards out of Tanzania to the white sands of Mozambique, finish a honeymoon on the beaches of the Maldives or Seychelles, or something else, let us make it a possibility for you.