Tanzania (Southern)
Southern Tanzania has so much on offer:
Ruaha: is one of Africa's most exciting game reserves covering a vast area of wilderness almost the size of the Serengeti. The vegetation is mainly miombo woodland, acacia bush and open grassland. Huge, ancient baobab trees dot the landscape and the park is rich in wildlife, centred on the Ruaha River. There are not many camps here which means that, whilst choice is limited, one seldom comes across other people. Like the Selous, Ruaha is off-the-beaten-track which is synonymous with southern Tanzania.
Mahale Mountains: rise from the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest, second deepest, and quite possibly least explored lake. The rampant tropical rain forest that covers the slopes of the mountains is home to the largest group of free living chimpanzees in the world, over a hundred strong. Each chimp has been named, its family ties identified and its individual behaviour studied. They can be approached to within a few feet as they feed, groom and wrestle across the forest floor. Palm-nut Vultures, Fish Eagles and Goliath Herons are common along the lake shore where one can fish or bird watch. Fish abound in the lake, many of them unique to Lake Tanganyika, which makes for interesting diving and snorkelling.
The canvas and mahogany tents here are of tropical ottoman design, well suited to the surprisingly dry heat of the lake. Goggling is excellent off the beach and the lake is clean, clear and safe to swim in. This is the most amazing area, whether simply to have the opportunity of seeing the magnificent primates at close quarters, or to relax on the lake after a safari - few places in Africa are as heavenly as Greystoke Camp on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. On the other side of the shore is a new lodge called Lupita which offers sheer luxury and relaxation at the end of a safari.
Katavi National Park: The Katavi / Rukwa area of southwestern Tanzania is second only to the Serengeti in number of wildlife species. The seasonal Lake Katavi is a gathering point for buffalo, elephant, topi, zebra, reedbuck, waterbuck and roan antelope. Apart from the two distant ranger posts, Chada Camp is one of very few signs of human presence in the park. This small camp accommodates only a handful of guests in simple safari style. Katavi offers another primeval atmosphere, with concentrations of hippo and buffalo unseen elsewhere in Africa. We offer a week long journey combining Katavi and the Mahale Mountains. This is the ultimate walking, swimming, flying safari: big game on the open plains combined with tropical forest and chimpanzees. And certainly, for honeymoons and something completely different, Katavi and the Mahale Mountains offer an unbeatable experience.
The Selous: For those seeking true wilderness, very little compares to southern Tanzania, and the likes of the Selous, Ruaha, Katavi and the Mahales. The Selous Game Reserve (named after Frederick Courtenay Selous) is one of the largest wilderness areas left in the world and is easily the largest Reserve in Africa. It is also one of the least known and accessible as much of the land's black cotton soil is impassable to land vehicles when wet. Covering 55,000 square kilometres (or an area, with surrounding ecosystem, roughly the size of Ireland and four times the size of the Serengeti), there are large herds of elephant, buffalo, roan and sable antelope. The Rufiji River is filled with hippos, crocodiles and prolific bird life.
The Selous is vast and raw: in places open and inviting, in places almost "closed" and brooding; a hangover from thousands of years ago so that life itself seems fundamental; an environment where one is glad to be with the most professional of guides who can help our clients get the most out of this unique environment. Once you are in the Selous you are in a most privileged place - the African bush as it has existed for thousands of years.
Fly camping is a great feature of the Selous and allows you to get really close to nature, with just your guide and the stars for company. There are a small handful of delightful properties, ranging from open fronted cantilevered rooms (so one wakes with the dawn light flooding the room) to the more traditional tented camp.
The joy of the Selous is the variety of activities - apart from being one of the prettiest places in all of Tanzania, with its Doulm and Borrasus palms dotted at intervals and creating a punctuation point as one's eyes scan the scenery. Walking is encouraged here (we organise dedicated walking safaris) and there are boat safaris, fishing and game drives in open vehicles. The last time I was in the Selous I was lucky enough to watch a pack of almost a hundred wild dog for almost an hour, as they frolicked and cavorted in the open plains.
