The southern circuit of Tanzania is becoming increasingly popular. Although it is less frequently visited than the Northern Circuit, it offers a similar variety of wildlife, varied landscapes, and culture.

The Nyerere National Park is vast, approximately the size of Switzerland, and is located in the north, where game drives and safari lodges are permitted. It features an expansive open landscape with savanna plains, miombo woodland, and numerous lakes and swamps in the Rufiji Valley. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its diverse wildlife and undisturbed natural environment. A guided boat trip on the Rufiji River can be arranged during which you will see many majestic birds, hippos and crocodiles, probably elephants and, if you are lucky, a Nile monitor or a pride of lions coming down to drink.

Mikumi National Park can be visited in one day from Dar es Salaam, but if you have more time, this charming park is well worth a more extended visit. The vast expanses of the Mkata Floodplain are full of wildlife: lions, wildebeest, impala, eland and buffalo migrate across the plains. In the miombo woodland on the foothills of the local mountains, greater kudu and sable antelopes can be seen. More than 400 species of birds have been sighted in Mikumi.

Ruaha National Park, located west of Mikumi, is an amazing wilderness landscape shaped by the Rift Valley and several rivers, including the Great Ruaha River, the Mwagusi, Jongomero, and the Mzombe. In the language of the Hehe tribe, the word “Ruvaha” translates to river, and from that wor,d Ruaha was named. Ruaha National Park has a high diversity of plants and animals. Over 571 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Several historic and cultural sites in the park offer the visitor a chance to explore the Southern Tanzanian tribes. The early trade routes used by the Arab caravan crossed here, as did Burton and Speke.

There are many more places to visit in the south, such as Saadani National Park, where you can see elephants on the beach. There are many opportunities for trekking and adventure in the Uluguru and Udzungwa mountains. On the Makonde Plateau, you can meet the Makonde people, who are the original sculptors of the typical East African wood-carved statues and animals.