Mt Kilimanjaro

Southern Circuit Information

Selous Game Reserve: has an area of 55,000sqkm and is the largest in Africa. It is relatively untouched by man. The park is named after a Captain Fredrick Selous. The best time to visit is from July to October: April to June is the wet season and roads are impassable. The Rufuji River System - the greatest in East Africa - flows through the reserve, linked by Lake Tagalala. Fishing is allowed at Kilombero game-controlled area.

Mikumi National Park: a 3,230sqkm area, set at 549m above sea level. This park lies between the villages of Doma and Mikumi from which it takes its name 'Mikumi'. The best time to visit is from September to December. This park is 300km from Dar es Salaam, with lots of wildlife to be seen including the elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, zebra, antelope and so on.

Ruaha National Park and Rungwa Game Reserve: a 12,950sqkm area that ranges from 750m to 1,900m above sea level. The park gets its name from the river which forms part of its boundary. The Ruaha stream joins with Ulanga to make the Rufiji River. Best time to visit is from July to December.

Udzungwa Mountain National Park a 1,00sqkm area that lies between 300m and 2,800m above sea level. This vegetation covers Iringa Colobus Monkey and the Sanje mangabey, elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard. Best time to visit is September to December.

Gombe Stream National Park 52sqkm makes it the smallest park in Tanzania. The Gombe Stream is about 16km from Kigoma and can only be reached by boat. The major attraction of the park are the chimpanzees that were made famous by Jane Goodall, who also wrote a book called 'In the Shadow of Man'. You will not be allowed to visit Gombe if you have a cold or any other infectious illness as chimpanzees are closely related to humans. The park can be visited all the year round.

Mahale Mountains National Park 1,557sqkm, lying at an altitude of over 1,800m. This is another Chimpanzee sanctuary. The best time to visit is from May to September during the drier months.

Katavi National Park 2,253sqkm area located close to Lake Tanganyika. The road from Tunduma (the border town of Tanzania and Zambia) to Kigoma passes the park. The best time to visit is July to October. The Katuma River joins the two lakes in the park - Lake Katavi and Lake Chada. Wildlife include hippo, crocodile, zebra, elephant, buffalo, antelope and with some luck, leopard.

Rubondo Island National Park: is a 240sqkm area. The best time to visit is November to February. No vehicles are allowed on the island. The park has wonderful bird life like the spot fish eagle, martial eagle, sacred ibis, saddle billed stork, kingfishers, cuckoos and more.

Biharamulo Game Reserve: 1,300sqkm area adjacent to Rubondo Island National Park, located South of Bukoba.

Saadani Game Reserve: a 300sqkm area located on the coast. You can explore the Wami river in search of crocodiles, hippos and elephants. Seeing great game close to the beach is a unique experience.

Mafia Island: lies south of Zanzibar, a 40 minute flight from Dar es Salaam. It is covered by coconut palms and cashew trees and is a deep sea fishing and under water diving resort island. There are coral formations scattered around the main island, including the Okuto and Tulia reefs around Juani and Jibondo islands which are close to Chole bay.

Raskutani: lies on a lagoon south to Dar es Salaam, approximately 33km across the ferry via Kigamboni.

Bagamoyo: 75km north of Dar es Salaam is the former capital of Tanganyika, and once the centre of the slave trade. The reminders of this trade can still be seen at the Catholic Mission Museum.

Zanzibar: separated by a channel 35km wide from the mainland with an area of about 56km long. The island of historic stone town where the sultans once ruled. Breathe in the fragrant scents of cloves, vanilla, cardamon and nutmeg and discover why Zanzibar is called 'The Spice Island'.