This 9 Days Southern Premier Tour will take you to the well-known conservation areas in the south of Tanzania. You will explore national parks like Mikumi, Udzungwa and Ruaha as well as the Selous Game Reserve with a safari vehicle, on foot and by boat. There will also be time to meet the local people and experience the African culture. Due to the long driving distances in the south of Tanzania, this safari is a combination of a road and fly-in safari, giving you the opportunity to explore more while limiting the travelling time
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Tour Highlights
Wild Dogs
Pristine Wilderness
The Big Five
Majestic Rivers
Primates
Itinerary
+Days 1-2Arrival Dar Es Salaam, Transfer Mikumi (Stanley's Kopje)
In the morning your guide will meet you at your hotel in Dar es Salaam and as soon as your luggage has been loaded into the vehicle you will set off. After approximately 5 hours' driving on good tar roads, you will reach the Mikumi National Park. You will experience your first game drive on your way to the Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp. The camp is built on a rocky hill overlooking the plains and will be your home for the first night. After checking in at the camp, you will go on a late afternoon game drive in the park. The grassy plains are dotted with clumps of acacias and baobabs. Here you can see elephants, zebras, kudus, black antelopes, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes. Furthermore Mikumi is one of the best places to see the largest antelope on earth, the eland. Accommodation and Meals at Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp.
Mikumi National Park is intersected by the Tanzam highway dividing the park in two sections. The northwest is flat with grassy plains while the south is more bushy and undulating. Today you might see kudus, sable antelopes and some of the 400 bird species of the park. After a full day in the bush, you will return to Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp in the evening where you can relax at the bar while overlooking the plains below
Accommodation:
Your Meal Plan
Stanley's Kopje
Full Board
Stanley's Kopje
Stanley’s Kopje Camp is the sister lodge of Vuma Hills Camp, both located in the Mikumi National Park and within driving distance. As the name suggests, the camp sits on a rocky kopje and overlooks the Mkata floodplain and the Mwanamboga waterhole. This camp is seasonal, only open from June through February, and is the only small, personalised camp in Mikumi. Although dwarfed by the famous Selous, the abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain is often compared to the Serengeti and the park boasts 400 local bird species, including a variety of European migrants during the rainy season.
Stanley's Kopje enjoys the advantage of being the only elevated land in an otherwise flat open plain. A nearby waterhole encourages game within sight of the Camp and the whole Mwanamboga area is generally perceived to be the better game viewing area in the park. The Camp is named after the explorer Morten Stanley, who led an expedition through Mikumi National Park and right past the location of the Camp.
The 12 spacious and airy Meru-style tents generously spaced around the kopje, are each themed around the history of an Explorer or Slave Trader. The tents are pitched on high wooden platforms with traditionally built thatched roofs that provide shade from the sun while you sit on your veranda and enjoy the game around the camp. he main banda sits at the crest of the hill commanding fabulous 360 degree panormaric views. Built in typical Swahili style with steeply pitched roof, the dining banda surrounds a central bar, with sitting and dining areas facing north, south, east and west!
Today you will go hiking in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, one of 34 “World Biodiversity Hotspots”. Leaving after an early breakfast you will meet your guide at the national park entrance gate. The park can only be explored on foot and from the gate you will set off on a hike through the rainforest. The lush green mountains are home to 30 m high trees, reptiles, 400 bird species, butterflies and other animals. Twelve species of primates such as the Udzungwa red colobus or the Sanje mangabey – one of the most endangered primates in Africa – live here. A highlight of the walk is the 150 m meter high Sanje waterfall where you can swim. In the evening, you will return to Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp. Accommodation and Meals at Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp.
Accommodation:
Your Meal Plan
Stanley's Kopje
Full Board
Stanley's Kopje
Stanley’s Kopje Camp is the sister lodge of Vuma Hills Camp, both located in the Mikumi National Park and within driving distance. As the name suggests, the camp sits on a rocky kopje and overlooks the Mkata floodplain and the Mwanamboga waterhole. This camp is seasonal, only open from June through February, and is the only small, personalised camp in Mikumi. Although dwarfed by the famous Selous, the abundant wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain is often compared to the Serengeti and the park boasts 400 local bird species, including a variety of European migrants during the rainy season.
Stanley's Kopje enjoys the advantage of being the only elevated land in an otherwise flat open plain. A nearby waterhole encourages game within sight of the Camp and the whole Mwanamboga area is generally perceived to be the better game viewing area in the park. The Camp is named after the explorer Morten Stanley, who led an expedition through Mikumi National Park and right past the location of the Camp.
The 12 spacious and airy Meru-style tents generously spaced around the kopje, are each themed around the history of an Explorer or Slave Trader. The tents are pitched on high wooden platforms with traditionally built thatched roofs that provide shade from the sun while you sit on your veranda and enjoy the game around the camp. he main banda sits at the crest of the hill commanding fabulous 360 degree panormaric views. Built in typical Swahili style with steeply pitched roof, the dining banda surrounds a central bar, with sitting and dining areas facing north, south, east and west!
+Days 4-6Ruaha National Park, Jabali Ridge
After breakfast you will depart from Stanley’s Kopje Tented Camp and drive southwest towards Iringa. On the way you will pass the scenic valley of the Great Ruaha River where majestic baobabs trees grow. Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania, known for its vast size, abundant wildlife, and unique blend of Southern and East African ecosystems. It's a less crowded alternative to the Northern Circuit and offers a more secluded safari experience. Located in central to southern Tanzania, Ruaha National Park is around 130km west of Iringa. Covering an area of 20,226km², Ruaha National Park is the largest protected area in Tanzania and East Africa. The park derives its name from the Great Ruaha River which flows through the south-eastern section of the park and attracts a broad range of wildlife.
The focal point of the reserve is the Great Ruaha River, with its deep gorges, swirling rapids and excellent fishing. The river is an excellent fishing destination. With over 10,000 elephant, 30,000 buffalo, 20,000 zebra and huge populations of lion and leopard (not to mention more than 400 bird species), Ruaha is a wildlife enthusias’ts paradise.
Accommodation:
Your Meal Plan
Jabali Ridge
Full Board
Jabali Ridge
Jabali Ridge is an elegant and sophisticated camp situated in the wildlife-rich Ruaha National Park. It is perched on a rocky outcrop that overlooks the Mwagusi River and the Ikuka escarpment. The camp's eight suites are thoughtfully positioned among impressive granite boulders, creating a serene and natural atmosphere. Each of the raised suites at Jabali Ridge is spacious and bright, featuring bird-nest thatched roofs and wooden shutters that can be slid open to invite the outdoors inside. The comfortable king-sized beds and en suite bathrooms with flushing toilets and rain showers ensure a relaxing and pleasant stay.
On the wooden deck, guests can unwind in hammocks or get comfortable on large cushioned benches while sipping coffee or cold drinks, all while admiring the breathtaking views of the golden plains and ancient baobabs. Jabali Ridge has been meticulously designed to harmonise with its surroundings, incorporating open spaces and natural materials.
+Days 7-8Selous Game Reserve, Rufiji River Camp
After a hearty breakfast, your guide will take you on a last game drive in the Ruaha National Park. In the late morning, he will drop you off at the Ruaha airstrip inside the park and you will fly to the Selous Game Reserve – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After you have landed at the small airstrip, you will be picked up by a driver of the Rufiji River Camp, who will take you to the camp. Hot lunch will be served at the camp. In the afternoon, you will join a scheduled safari activity and return to the camp in time for dinner.
Selous is rugged and remote and far from the crowds. It is the largest wildlife conservation area in Africa and with the neighbouring Mikumi and Udzungwa National Park forms an area as big as Switzerland. The variety of habitats including Miombo woodlands, grasslands, forests and swamps are home to a selection of wildlife such as elephants, black rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles. The swamps and lagoons along the Rufiji River attract animals for bathing and drinking and are perfect for avid bird watchers as there are more than 350 bird species in the reserve. You will explore this unspoilt wilderness by safari vehicle, boat and on foot.
Accommodation:
Your Meal Plan
Rufiji River Camp
Full Board
Rufiji River Camp
Situated in the north-eastern region of the vast Nyerere National Park (Selous Game Reserve) and overlooking the mighty Rufiji River, this permanent tented camp offers the highest possible level of comfort while remaining close to nature. Ideal for a relaxed safari experience, Rufiji River Camp is situated high on a bank and offers incredible wildlife viewing – even from the individual tents.
Explore the area on 4×4 excursions, walking safaris and a boat trip along the Rufiji River – a definite trip highlight that will bring you to adjoining lakes where hippo, crocodile and 400 species of bird can be observed in the their natural habitat. The camp itself is powered by solar panels, resulting in a minimal impact on the environment and offers a 270-degree view over the river and the plains beyond.
+Day 9End of Expedition, Depart
After breakfast, you will be dropped off at the airstrip for your flight to Dar es Salam.
→ Twin /Single accommodation as specified on the Itinerary
→ Greeting and assistance at airport
→ Meals as specified in the itinerary
→ Scheduled domestic flights as specified in the itinerary
→ Scheduled road transportation
→ Scheduled game activities as specified itinerary
→ Park Entrance Fees
→ Emergency medical evacuation insurance
Tour Exclusions
→ Gratuities and all items of a personal nature
→ Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary
→ Champagne, cognacs, cellar wines, cigars and cigarettes
→ Laundry
→ Sightseeing and excursions
→ All International flights and Taxes
→ Visa fees (if required)
→ Travel & Personal accident insurance cover
→ Night drives, guided walking trails, a Maasai community visit, sundowners overlooking the Mara and hot air ballooning are available at an additional cost.
A journey with Afrika Milele is a journey through exceptional adventure destinations in some of the most beautiful natural settings in Africa. Travelling with Afrika Milele in not only a luxury experience that promises to reawaken the soul, but an incredible encounter that captures the imagination of discerning travellers of all ages.
