Ruaha is the ‘other park’ in the southern circuit and is perfect for families or African honeymooners seeking that elusive, raw Africa experience in a truly wild landscape. Famous for its large prides of lion and elephant, you can also find cheetah on the plains and leopard sightings are frequent. Ruaha is ancient and wild, studded with thick baobabs many hundreds of years old, and carved through the centre by the Great Ruaha River.
Ruaha has a completely different landscape to the Selous; red scorched earth, baobabs and snaking sand rivers. The game viewing here is excellent and works on the same seasonal patterns as the Selous – making them great companions. Ruaha’s boundaries were recently extended, making it Tanzania’s largest National Park. The park’s location, in central western Tanzania means it is far from civilisation and, apart from a few very keen overland trippers, is accessed only by light aircraft. Many people regard Ruaha as Tanzania’s best kept secret, and, while we save that particular accolade for nearby Katavi, there is no doubt that this park can offer one of the wildest and most private game viewing experiences in Africa.
The relatively few camps mean that you have swathes of untouched African bush to explore. And with its amazing birdlife (547 different species!) as well as copious big game; Ruaha is one of the most interesting and diverse parks you can visit.
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