Tanzania’s Southern Circuit

Depart from Arusha early morning to arrive Katavi midday. (Borton Overseas will assist you with a pre-safari hotel night in Arusha). Arrive camp in time for lunch and a siesta before you head out for an introductory late afternoon game drive to explore the area.

Katavi National Park in the far west of Tanzania is somewhere that, even today, few people have been lucky enough to visit. Perhaps because of this, it feels untouched, almost like traveling back in time. Seasonal rivers form the focus of game viewing for which Katavi is renowned during the dry season. Spend the next few days exploring this stunning area on the lookout for all kinds of wildlife. Overnight at Chada Katavi

Chada Katavi

Explore Katavi National Park on game drives with your expert guide. Water rapidly becomes a limited resource in Katavi during the dry season, so animals of all kinds are drawn to the Katuma, Kavu, and Kapapa rivers. Hippos in the hundreds cram the remaining pools; crocodiles retire to caves in the mud walls of the river banks; and buffalo and elephant are drawn to the rivers to drink. The lion, hyenas, and other predators know this. In the late dry season, there are few places that offer such a raw and wild experience as Katavi. Overnight at Chada Katavi

A scheduled flight to Ruaha National Park, the largest national park in Tanzania (and East Africa), covering an area of over 7800 square miles. It’s location in the middle of Tanzania is part of an extensive ecosystem, which includes the Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve, and other protected areas. Game viewing is best near the Ruaha River, the main source of water. Enjoy game drives and other activities as offered by your lodge during your stay in this breathtaking area. Overnight in Ruaha

You will be transferred by air to Selous Game Reserve today. By air, the northern Selous is defined by the Rufiji River, which you will be able to view from your transfer flight. A mile wide in places, its courses are deeply carved in the soft sandy soil and visible for miles as you approach by light aircraft. Any tracks here are made not by the small number of visitors that come to stay, but by the feet of generations of hippos and elephant whose influence has shaped the landscape over hundreds of years. Sand rivers, literally dry rivers of sand bleached white and littered with sculptural forms of dead leadwood trees, are one of the most alluring aspects of this area. They are also a magnet to game, drawn to the fresh water that flows beneath the surface. This area is home to all the major mammal species – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and even the very elusive black rhino – also known as “The Big Five.” Overnight at Sand Rivers Selous

Sand Rivers Selous

Scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam to connect with your onward arrangements.