Southern Tanzania & Zanzibar

10 Days: Southern Tanzania
Ruaha National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Zanzibar

Combining 3 nights Kwihala Camp, 3 nights Roho ya Selous, and 3 nights Matemwe Lodge

Day 1: Overnight at Kwihala Camp, Ruaha National Park

On arrival at DAR International Airport you will have a quick chance to refresh before catching your connecting Coastal Aviation flight to Ruaha Airstrip. On arrival at Ruaha, a welcome table will await you with various hot & cold beverage items and snacks. A representative from Kwihala Camp will brief you on the surrounding area and camp en-route to camp.

On arrival at camp 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 area for a refreshing whisky while tales of old times are being said.

Kwihala Camp:

Kwihala Camp combines raw beauty with simple excellence. 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.

Largely unexplored, Ruaha is as remote as you can get in East Africa. Few have heard of it and none will forget about it.

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Day 2 & 3: Overnight at Kwihala Camp, Ruaha National Park

Depending on your preference, there are a couple of options with regards to how your day is 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. Despite sharing vehicles on a Game Package basis, the camp will do everything it can to ensure that your ideal structure is met.

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Day 4: Overnight at Roho ya Selous, Selous Game Reserve

After breakfast, you will depart Kwihala Camp and head to Ruaha’s Msembe Airstrip for your light aircraft flight to the nearby Selous Game Reserve.Your guide from Rohoya Selous camp will meet you at the airstrip and game 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 and after lunch there’s time to 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.

Roho ya Selous:

Located in the heart of the Selous Game Reserve, Roho ya Selous is tucked into a shady grove of trees, overlooking Lake Nzerakera. There are eight spacious tented rooms, each with shade netting over the main canvas, and an evening breeze cooling system over the beds to keep you cool and comfortable even in the hotter months.

There is a swimming pool and open-sided mess area with plenty of space to relax during siesta time, or with a drink chatting to other guests after dinner. Expert guides lead guests on a variety of safari activities to explore this wildlife-rich reserve, with boat safaris, fishing, walking safaris and game drives included in your stay.

Day 5 & 6: Overnight at Roho ya Selous, 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 good populations of lion and leopard, and Africa’s largest population of wild dog.

Walking safaris are a real treat and offer a slower pace to learn about the flora and fauna of the Selous. Boat safaris on the lake are particularly lovely in the afternoon, combined with a spot of fishing or sundowners, and are a good chance to get up close to pods of hippos and bird colonies nesting on small islands.

Day 7: Overnight at Matemwe Lodge, Zanzibar

After breakfast, depart camp and make your way to Selous Mbuyu Airstrip. Here you will bid your guide farewell as you board your Coastal Aviation flight to Zanzibar. On arrival at Zanzibar Airport you will be met by a representative from our Zanzibar ground handling company, Island Express, and transferred by road to Matemwe Lodge in the north east 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 laid-back daily routines of Matemwe’s guests. Matemwe is made up of only twelve 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.

Day 8 & 9: Overnight at Matemwe Lodge, Zanzibar

There are a variety of activities available either at Matemwe Lodge, or that can be arranged through reception. 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.

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Day 10: Departure

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

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