Selous, Ruaha & Zanzibar Safari

Arrive Ruaha National Park

On arrival at Dar es Salaam International Airport you will have a quick chance to refresh before catching your connecting flight to Ruaha Airstrip. On arrival at Ruaha, a welcome table will await you with various snacks and hot and cold beverage items. A representative from Kwihala Camp will brief you on the surrounding area and camp while en-route to your lodgings. On arrival at Kwihala you will get the opportunity to settle in, unwind and freshen up before heading to the dining tent for a delicious three-course meal prepared by the local chef. You will then head to the camp's communal area to share tales with the fellow guests around the campfire, with a warming nightcap or two.

Overnight: Kwihala Camp (D)

Ruaha National Park

Situated in the new safari frontier of Ruaha in Tanzania, this is unconstrained Africa where you will find one of the most spectacular concentrations of wildlife set in a beautifully diverse landscape that ranges from baobab forests, granite kopjes and open plains to cooling rivers and woodland valleys. Ruaha National Park is a vital stronghold for Africa's endangered painted dog; with good timing and a sprinkle of good fortune, visitors to Ruaha have a fair chance of encountering the species. The park also holds close to 10% of the world’s remaining African lions. Depending on your preference, there are a couple of options with regards to how your days are structured. One option is to break camp early and head out with a picnic breakfast on a morning game drive, returning to camp in time for lunch. Alternatively, you can eat breakfast in camp and head out with a picnic lunch on an afternoon game drive, returning in the mid-afternoon.

Overnight: Kwihala Camp (B, L, D)

Ruaha National Park - Selous Game Reserve

After breakfast, you will depart Kwihala Camp and head to Ruaha’s Msembe Airstrip for your light aircraft flight to the Selous Game Reserve. Your guide from Roho ya Selous camp will meet you at the airstrip and drive you the short distance to the camp, giving an introduction to this beautiful reserve and its wildlife on the way. Settle into your spacious tent, enjoy lunch and relax by the pool before you set off on your afternoon safari activity. A boat safari is a lovely relaxed introduction to the Selous and will offer a real contrast to your time in Ruaha, watching wildlife come to the water’s edge to drink and stopping for sundowners on a sandbank.

Overnight: Roho ya Selous (B, L, D)

Selous Game Reserve

Each morning and afternoon you can choose from the safari activities on offer. Game drives are a good way of exploring further afield and seeing the larger wildlife and predators – the Selous is home to a superb variety of wildlife, including lions, leopards and and one of Africa’s largest painted dog populations. Early June is denning season for these highly social canids, which offers a great chance of sightings with the dogs congregating around their dens to feed and rear their pups. Walking safaris are a real treat and offer a chance to learn about the flora and fauna of Selous at a slower pace. Boat safaris on the lake are particularly lovely in the afternoon, especially with a sundowner, and are a good chance to get up close to pods of hippos and bird colonies nesting on small islands.

Overnight: Roho ya Selous (B, L, D)

Selous Game Reserve - Zanzibar

After breakfast, depart camp and make your way to Selous Mbuyu Airstrip. Here you will bid your guide farewell as you board your flight to Zanzibar. On arrival at Zanzibar Airport you will be met by our local representative and transferred by road to Matemwe Lodge in the northeast of the island. One of only a handful of boutique lodges in Zanzibar, Matemwe is perched on a coral rock outcrop overlooking a sandy beach gently sloping into the Indian Ocean. Adjacent to the lodge, the corals surrounding the Mnemba Atoll offer superb diving and snorkelling. Fresh seafood, refreshing cocktails and relaxing massages are just some elements of the laidback daily routines of Matemwe’s guests. Matemwe is made up of only 12 beach chalets, all overlooking the Indian Ocean. Each of the private verandas is furnished with large hammocks and sofas, perfect for whiling away the time as the occasional dhow drifts past in the distance.

Overnight: Matemwe Lodge (B, L, D)

Zanzibar

There are a variety of activities available here, either at Matemwe Lodge or that can be arranged by your hosts. Activities outside of the resort can usually be booked at 24 hours’ notice, so it is best to arrange these on arrival at the lodge. Your days are therefore open to be structured as you choose, with either as much relaxing by the pool or as many activities as you wish.

Overnight: Matemwe Lodge (B, L, D)

Depart Zanzibar

After breakfast you will depart for Zanzibar Airport and catch your flight to Dar es Salaam. You will then catch your connecting flight and bid farewell to your guide for your onward journey.