20226 km²
Size
15-35°C
Temperature
750-1,900 m
Altitude
Dry inland, hot days, cool dry-season nights
Climate
Ruaha is big, dry and full of lion: baobabs on granite, the Great Ruaha River in the dry season, and fewer vehicles than a Seronera morning in August.
Elephant here look like they belong to a tougher country. Lion prides are a feature, not a rumour. Kudu, sable in some sectors, and bird lists that make northern guides jealous. The distances inside the park are real; a camp on the river is not "close to everything" and we do not pretend it is.
Fly from Dar or connect from Nyerere. The road via Iringa is for people who like Tanzania's interior, not for a three-night stay. Combine both parks on the southern circuit and you will talk about this country differently than guests who only saw the crater.
Walking safaris from the better camps are the way to learn the ground: tracks, tsetse, the smell of the river at 6 a.m. If you only ever sit in a vehicle, Ruaha still works. If you like to get out, this is where we want you.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Flight
Msembe and other strips from Dar, Zanzibar or Nyerere. Most guests fly; it is the only way three nights makes sense.
Road
Iringa to the park is a half day on mixed roads. We use it for overland southern trips, not for fly-in lodge guests.
Wildlife you can see here
All 26 speciesBig cats
African Lion
Panthera leo
The largest social cat, living in prides and ruling the Serengeti plains.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more
Elephants
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
The largest land animal on Earth, living in family herds led by a matriarch.
Tarangire, Nyerere +7 more
Antelopes
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
A graceful antelope, common in herds, known for high jumps.
Serengeti, Tarangire +5 more
Antelopes
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
A tall antelope with corkscrew horns and white body stripes.
Ruaha, Tarangire +1 more
Carnivores
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
A rare, highly social painted hunter that runs down prey in packs.
Nyerere, Ruaha +2 more
Big cats
Leopard
Panthera pardus
A solitary, powerful climber that hides its kills in trees.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more
Bovids
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
A heavy, dangerous grazer that lives in herds of hundreds.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more
Big cats
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
The fastest land animal, hunting by day on open plains.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +2 more
Best Time to Visit
FAQs
Ruaha or Serengeti?
Serengeti for migration and the famous name. Ruaha for space, lion and a river-and-baobab landscape. Many of our repeat guests eventually do both.
When is the river dry?
The Great Ruaha has been heavily stressed by upstream irrigation. You will still find water in the dry season in the stretches we use, but the old postcard of a always-full river is not the whole truth. We brief you on current conditions.
Malaria?
Yes. Prophylaxis, long sleeves at dusk, nets. Same as the rest of lowland Tanzania.
Safaris Visiting Ruaha National Park
Add Lake Manyara National Park to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
Prefer to talk? Call +255 754 123 456