Game safari adventures in Tanzania offer the best opportunity to enjoy the ambiance of the East African bush.

Tanzania, a premier hunting safari destination in Africa, boasts two safari circuits (north circuit and south circuit) with most wildlife lovers choosing to explore the southern circuit.

The Southern circuit is anchored on Dar es salaam and covers Ruaha, Mikuni, Udzungwa Mountains National Park and the Selous Game Reserve. The northern circuit, on the other hand, covers the endless plains of Serengeti, the world's largest caldera in Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mout meru within the Arusha National Park.

Selous Game Reserve is the star of the southern safari circuit. Tanzania safaris can be very rewarding here. The reserve is named after the intrepid Fredrick Courtney Selous, a celebrated explorer and naturalist who died here in a sideshow of the First World War. Located 500 km to the southwest of Dar, the Selous Game Reserve occupies a staggering 55,000 sq km – larger than Switzerland- and is the largest of its kind in Africa.

The Selous was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982 due to the significance of both its flora and fauna. This immense wilderness has a diversity of habitats including savanna woodlands, swamps, open grasslands and forests.

Over 2,100 species of tress and plants have been recorded here. The mighty Rufiji River is the lifeblood of the reserve and its numerous tributaries and oxbow lakes are ideal for boat safaris. The wildlife to see here includes buffalo, hippo, black rhino, lion and wild dog. Elephants in particular are numerous and are estimated to number over 60,000.

Other inhabitants of Selous are bush back, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala, eland, giraffe, baboon, zebra, and greater kudu. Birders will also find a trip to Selous worthwhile – over 420 species are on record. In the very large game sanctuaries of the south - Ruaha and Selous in particular, game is scattered and a slow pace is advised, with at least 3-4 days in each.  Most visitors take the time to visit to Stiegler’s Gorge, which also happens to be a spot favoured by leopards. Selous is 1-½ hour away from Dar es Salaam via charter flight or 7 hours by road.

Bordering the Selous National Park is an area of mountain forest and valleys that offer endless chances to spot some of Tanzania's largest elephant and buffalo. The area also abounds in warthog, bushpig, East African Eland, Roosevelt Sable, leopard, Greater Kudu and lion.

Mikumi National Park is the most accessible of the southern game sanctuaries. It is 283 km to the west of Dar es Salaam – Tanzania’s coastal commercial capital. Occupying 3,230 sq km, it carries a variety of wildlife including elephants, lion,giraffe, impala, warthog, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, hartebeest and eland. Wild dogs- considered an endangered carnivore species -are found here in good numbers. Other resident animals are crocodiles, hippos, and monitor lizards. Birds are most plentiful in the wet season when up to 300 species gathers here. Many of these are Eurasian migrants, exercising to the full, the freedom that comes with wings.

The Mikumi flood plain is the dominant feature of the park, which is bordered on one side by the Uluguru Mountains and on another by the Lumango range. Mikumi forms the northern border of the Selous Game Reserve and is part of a vast wilderness ecosystem covering 75,000 sq km. Open grasslands stretch on the plains, while the miombo woodlands cover higher ground. The park is accessible year round- unlike some of the sanctuaries in the southern circuit. To get to Mikuni from Dar, you spend 4 hours on road or 1 hour by air. Budget travelers take a bus ride to park gate, from where game drives are organised. There is limited accommodation at a few luxury lodges and tented camps and at 3 campsites. If you find yourself in Dar on a weekend, this is where you head to see wildlife.

The Ruaha National Park is rightly named after its lifeblood- the Great Ruaha River. Occupying 12,950 sq km, it is Tanzania’s second largest national park and its biggest elephant sanctuary. Home to numerous crocodiles and hippo, the Great Ruaha draws many thirsty waterbuck, leopard, buffalo, reedbuck, wild
dogs, lion and hyena to its banks.

Plain animals such as zebra, greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope, impala and giraffe are found on the plains stretching from the rivers edge. The topography is agreeable to hiking and walking safaris are allowed. In wet season months of March to April and October to November the bird population peaks and the park has over 370 bird species, including some Eurasian migrants.

The Ruaha has the unique distinction of having plant and animal life found in both eastern and southern Africa. The climate here is hot and dry and temperatures can reach 40°C in October.The Ruaha is located 128 km west of the central Tanzania town of Iringa. It was previously inaccessible, but there is now year round road access. From Dar, road travel is a backbreaking 10 hours while a charter flight takes 1 ½ hours. The best time for a safari is over the dry season- May to December.

The typical southern safari will usually combine Mikumi, Ruaha and Selous. After the safari, a trip to Zanzibar archipelago rounds off an unbeatable holiday experience. It is generally recommended you take an escorted southern Tanzania safari package that includes transport, guide, park fees and accommodation.