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Ruaha - One park, many safaris

Author Jo Gordon

Ruaha (meaning “great” in Hehe language) is the second largest national park in Tanzania and is a truly vast and diverse wilderness.  For me, one of its major attractions is the relatively few visitors who make it here, which means that it’s possible to view game view in glorious isolation – and what game viewing it is, with plenty of exceptional  wildlife laying claim to Ruaha’s hilly savannah and bush.

With 1,650 plant species (Selous only has 830 and the Serengeti 410), up to 450 different species of birds, one of the largest elephant populations in any African park, not to mention the buffalo herds, it offers something for everyone. One of its greatest attractions is being able to see greater and lesser kudu, and sable and roan antelope, all within the same area. Along with abundant lion, leopard and cheetah populations it is also home to the increasingly rare African wild dog.

From the moment our plane touched down, the game viewing began; a dazzle of zebra and countless antelope were grazing about a hundred yards from the airstrip. Later on that afternoon, I was amazed and incredibly excited to see a huge pride of lion (with tiny cubs), three cheetahs and a leopard simply lounging in the tree with her kill.

The vegetation ranges from dry bush to treeless grasslands, swamps and evergreen forests, and is intersected by the many dry sand rivers that are such a feature of this area. The variety of landscape and habitat makes Ruaha an ideal location for a longer safari.  It’s easy to spend seven nights here and see something different every day.   The scenery and wildlife in Ruaha are wonderfully complimented by the different landscapes and activities in the Selous, making them an excellent combination for the perfect safari.

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