Day 1: Dar es Salam Transfer to Nyerere National Park

You will be welcomed by a representative at the Dar es Salaam Airport and driven to the domestic terminal. After that, you will board the scheduled light aircraft that will take you to southern Tanzania’s Nyerere National Park. At the airport, a representative will meet you and transport you to the camp or lodge where you’ll spend the next three nights.

Day 2 – 3: On Safari in Nyerere National Park

Despite being one of Tanzania’s least well-known reserves, Nyerere is Africa’s largest game reserve, covering more than 50,000 square kilometers. Compared to the northern parks, Nyerere receives far fewer visitors.

The highest populations of hippos and crocodiles in Africa can be found in the rivers and lakes of Nyerere. Large herds of elephants can be found along the Rufiji River’s banks, especially during the dry season (June to November). Buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, eland, wildebeest, baboon, hyena, lion, leopard, and the endangered African wild dog can all be seen in decent quantities.

As Nyerere was once a game reserve, your guide can take your safari vehicle off the beaten path, allowing you to get far closer encounters with wildlife than you would in a national park where you are limited to the highways. You can go on boat safaris, bush walks, and morning and afternoon game drives.

Day 4: Fly to Ruaha National Park

Before being transported back to the airfield for your scheduled light aircraft flight to Ruaha National Park, you can take one last game drive in Nyerere this morning. You will be welcomed at the airport and taken in a vehicle to the camp or lodge where you will spend the next three nights.

Day 5 – 6: On Safari in Ruaha National Park

Experience a two-day safari in Ruaha National Park. Ruaha is the most notable national park outside of the Serengeti because of its extraordinary concentration and diversity of species. The Great Ruaha River, the park’s centerpiece, draws a wide variety of wildlife throughout the dry season.

You may witness gigantic pride of lions, large herds of elephants, and critically endangered African wild dogs in this fantastic wildlife viewing area. The dry, open forest portions of the park are also home to several lesser-known creatures such as the kudu, Roan, and Sable antelope.

Day 7: Fly to Mafia Island

After lunch, you’ll be transported back to the airstrip in time for your planned light aircraft flight to Mafia Island. Today, you can enjoy a morning safari adventure. You will be met by a driver at Kilindoni on Mafia Island and transported to the lodging of your choice, where you will stay the following five nights.

Day 8 – 11: Mafia Island

Sit back and take it easy when visiting Mafia Island. In Mafia Island Marine Park, the largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean, you can go diving or snorkeling, as well as try windsurfing, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding. You might want to go on a full-day tour to the sandbanks, take a dhow sail at dusk, or just take a stroll through Chole village to see the old mosque, the fruit bat sanctuary, or the boatyard. You can also choose to visit Ras Mbizi Coconut Plantation, Mrora Forest, or Ras Mkumbi Lighthouse.

You can snorkel with whale sharks at Mafia Island if you go there between October and March, or if you go there between July and October, you could be lucky enough to encounter humpback whales. Join a turtle hatching excursion if you’re in town between June and September to see hundreds of baby turtles run from the sandy beaches to the warm Indian Ocean.

Day 12: Fly to Dar es Salaam & Depart

You can snorkel with whale sharks at Mafia Island if you go there between October and March, or if you go there between July and October, you could be lucky enough to encounter humpback whales. Join a turtle hatching excursion if you’re in town between June and September to see hundreds of baby turtles run from the sand beaches to the warm Indian Ocean.