Ruaha National Park | Safaris from Mbeya
Ruaha National Park | Ruaha National Park fees | Ruaha National Park Accomodation | Animals National Park |Ruaha National park attractions |Location of Ruaha |Mbeya travel Guide
Ruaha National Park.
Tanzania’s largest National Park, Ruaha is a wilder and more remote park than its southern neighbour Selous Game Reserve and ultimately has the better wildlife, albeit without boating safaris. We love this park! Safaris here are some of the best you will find in the country and are superb value for money. It is a wild and authentic environment that remains relatively untouched. Click below to read more about Ruaha National Park.
When to go.
The best time to visit Selous Game Reserve is from June to October which also ranks as the peak tourist season in Tanzania. When we talk about the Selous Tanzania Weather, we are basically going to analyze the seasonal weather patterns experienced in the Selous and how they affect this game reserve. Being a classic dry park, the Selous has remarkable game viewing opportunities that gradually get even better in the later times of the dry season. The biggest crowds of animals are usually experienced in the best time of the year which is July to October.
Getting here.
The easier way to get to Ruaha is by chartered or scheduled flight from Dar es Salaam to the park’s airstrip. There are also flights connecting all parks of the southern circuit safari. In this case, flights will leave from the airstrip in Selous or Mikumi. Flights from Arusha town, the base for the northern safari circuit, are also available. Coastal Aviation also offers direct scheduled flights between Serengeti National Park and Ruaha NP.
Where is Ruaha.
Ruaha is a big and wild park to the West of the Selous Game Reserve, and South of The Serengeti. It is a really amazing destination with it’s unbelievable wildlife, but also it’s geographical location means it is a longer and more costly flight which keeps the volume of visitors low; all adding to it’s raw and uncommercial feel. There is a new flight connecting the Serengeti and Ruaha, but you can also get flights from Dar es Salaam and The Selous.
Accomodation.
There are a couple of great top end camps in Ruaha, with Jongomero leading the way for luxurious accommodation, then there is Ikuka with exceptional views from the escarpment and close to the Mwagusi river. Mwagusi is the oldest lodge in the park. Kwihala Camp and Kigelia Camp are two excellent adventurous luxury tented camps whereas Mdonya Old River is a great option for the adventurous with less of a budget. Ruaha River Lodge is by far the largest of camps in Ruaha in a superb location, though is not up to the standard of the others.
Ruaha National Park is the largest park not only in Tanzania but also in the whole of East Africa, covering around 13,000 sq km in area. If you have heard recent announcement to convert part of Selous Game Reserve into Nyerere National Park. It is the furthest park from Dar es salaam city, around 625 km away. It is at the center of Tanzania. The nearest town to this park is called Iringa, which is in the distance of around 130 kms.
The name Ruaha is derived from the Great Ruaha River, which is at the heart of the park. The Ruaha River flows from the south-east portion of park and therefore, it is ideal area for game viewing. The national park consists of a larger ecosystem of Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve and some other protected areas.
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The park is a bird paradise with over 570 bird species, some of which are migrating birds arriving from within and outside Africa. it has the highest concentration of elephants in whole of East Africa. The Elephants here are the largest found in any other park or reserve in Tanzania.
Other animals that are likely to be viewed are Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Zebras, Impalas, Giraffes, wild dogs and many types of antelopes such as Sable, Kudu and Roans. Ruaha National Park also harbors multiple reptiles and amphibians such as crocodiles, snakes (poisonous and non-poisonous), monitor lizards, agama lizards and frogs. There are more than 1,650 species of plants that are inhabiting the national park.
Since, it is the furthest park from Dar es salaam, it is combined with Mikumi National Park to reduce the long distance driving.
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