21 days Gombe, Southern Tanzania & Mafia Island
Chimpanzees at Gombe, four southern parks, then six days on Mafia doing nothing at all. Three weeks that end slower than they start.
Chimpanzees & Wildlife
Southern Tanzania & Western Tanzania by Air
The remote half of Tanzania, flown: Ruaha, Katavi, Mahale, then Pemba. Three weeks in places that between them see a few thousand visitors a year.
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At a glance
- Destinations
- Mikumi · Nyerere · Ruaha · Katavi · Mahale · Zanzibar · Pemba
- Best for
- Wildlife safari, Chimpanzees, Beach & marine
- Travel style
- Luxury · Fly-in, Ferry/boat
- Activity level
- Moderate — tracking is on foot, sometimes for hours
- Best time to travel
- June to October generally suits the dry-season game viewing in Katavi and Ruaha, Mahale chimpanzee walks and the Zanzibar and Pemba coast. Rain can affect remote camp operations; island boats and lake transfers need separate weather checks.
- Start and end
- Starts and ends in Dar es Salaam
Why this journey
- Two full days in Katavi, one of the least-visited parks in Africa
- Three days at Mahale tracking chimpanzees
- A night game drive in Ruaha
- Boat and walking safari on the Rufiji at Nyerere
- Three days on Pemba, quieter than Zanzibar by an order of magnitude
Day by day
Katavi holds enormous buffalo herds and hippo densities and receives a tiny number of visitors; Mahale has chimpanzees and no roads; Pemba has reefs and almost no tourism. This is the route that reaches all of them, and it only works by air.
Day 1 — Arrival
Meet and greet at Nyerere International Airport, transfer to the city centre for dinner and overnight.
Stay Chelsea Hotel / Southern Sun Hotel / Sea Cliff Hotel Meals Dinner
Day 2 — Dar es Salaam to Mikumi National Park
After breakfast, fly to Mikumi, transfer to the lodgings for lunch, then afternoon game drives.
Stay Tanapa Bandas / Camp Bastian / Vuma Hill Tented Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 — Full day game drive in Mikumi Park
Morning and afternoon game drives. This park is nestled between the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast, the Udzungwa Mountains, and the Rift Valley Escarpment to the southwest as part of the Selous ecosystem, with high game density.
Stay Tanapa Bandas / Camp Bastian / Vuma Hill Tented Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 — Mikumi to Nyerere National Park
A morning game drive before lunch, then the flight to Nyerere and transfer to the lodgings for an evening at leisure.
Stay Lake Tagalala Campsite / Lake Manze Tented Camp / Mivumo Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5 — Full day game drive at Nyerere National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives. Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa. It is 4 times the size of the Serengeti and somewhat larger than Switzerland, featuring volcanic springs, swamps, lakes and river channels. Weather permitting, visit the hot spring and Selous's grave.
Stay Tagalala Campsite / Lake Manze Tented Camp / Mivumo Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 — Wilderness walking safari and boat safari at Nyerere
Early breakfast, then a morning walking safari from 07:30 (3–4 hours with two ranger-guides). Return for a shower and lunch, then an evening boat safari on the Rufiji River to observe water birds, hippos and grazing animals.
Stay Tagalala Campsite / Lake Manze Tented Camp / Mivumo Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 — Nyerere to Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, fly to Ruaha, transfer to the lodgings for lunch and an afternoon game drive.
Stay Ruaha Bandas / Ruaha River Lodge / Ikuka Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8 — Full day in Ruaha
Morning and afternoon game drives with a picnic lunch. Now that the adjoining game areas have also been designated a national park, Ruaha is the largest park in East Africa.
Stay Ruaha Bandas / Ruaha River Lodge / Ikuka Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 — Full day game drive and night game drive in Ruaha
Morning and afternoon game drives. This park is famous for the highest concentration of elephants, more than any other park in East Africa, a place where mammals such as Kudu (both greater and lesser), Sable, and Roan antelopes can be spotted. After dinner, a night game drive for nocturnal animals.
Stay Ruaha Bandas / Ruaha River Lodge / Ikuka Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10 — Ruaha to Katavi
After breakfast, fly to Katavi National Park, transfer to the lodgings for an early lunch and an afternoon game drive.
Stay Katavi Bandas / Katavi Wildlife Camp / Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Days 11 & 12 — Full days in Katavi
Morning and afternoon activities including game drives, walking and birdwatching. An estimated 4,000 elephants converge on the area, as do several herds of buffalo, herds of over 1000 animals. In addition, an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala, and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous pride of lion and spotted hyena clans.
Stay Katavi Bandas / Katavi Wildlife Camp / Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 13 — Katavi to Mahale Mountains National Park
After breakfast, fly to Mahale, transfer to the lodgings for lunch and an afternoon excursion of your choice.
Stay Mahale Bandas / Mbali Mbali Mahale Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Days 14–16 — Full days in Mahale
Stay Mahale Bandas / Mbali Mbali Mahale Luxury Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 17 — Mahale to Zanzibar Island
After breakfast, fly to Zanzibar and transfer to the lodgings, with the rest of the day free. There are a thousand things to do and see in Zanzibar, so a little research before you come is advised.
Stay Tembo House / Azam Luxury Resort & Spa Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 18 — Zanzibar Island to Pemba Island
After breakfast, check out for a spice tour, then an afternoon transfer to the airport for the flight to Pemba and on to Fundu Lagoon.
Stay Londo Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Days 19–21 — Full days in Pemba
Leisure days at Fundu Lagoon, with optional diving, snorkelling and motorised water sports (not included).
Stay Londo Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 22 — Pemba to Dar es Salaam
A morning at leisure, then after lunch a transfer to Chake Chake airport for the flight to Dar es Salaam, with meet-and-assist for the international connection.
Meals Breakfast & Lunch
Stay and travel
Premium camps and lodges, chosen for where they sit rather than how many rooms they have.
Light aircraft on the routed sectors, with a road vehicle and guide waiting at each strip.
Camps fill and light aircraft schedules move. Where something changes we substitute at the same level and tell you before you travel, not after.
Included and excluded
What is included
- Every activity named in the day-by-day
- Accommodation as listed, or a similar alternative if a camp is full
- Meals as noted against each day
- Transfers between the agreed pick-up and drop-off points
- Park, reserve and conservation area fees
- An English-speaking Tanzanian driver-guide
- A 4×4 with a roof hatch, or the vehicle the route calls for
- Drinking water through the day
- Government taxes
- Boat safari and transfers
- TANAPA armed ranger where the park requires one
Not included
- International flights, airport taxes and visa fees
- Travel, medical and baggage insurance
- Personal spending — drinks, laundry, telephone
- Tips for your guide and crew
- Anything not listed as included
Practical information
- Luggage on light aircraft
- Bush flights cap baggage at around 15 kg in a soft bag. Anything else can wait at your first hotel.
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Tracking is on foot, on the animals’ terms, and can mean several hours of steep forest walking. Minimum ages and group sizes are set by the park — we confirm both when you book.
- Visas, insurance and tipping
- A visa is arranged before travel or on arrival. Travel and medical insurance is a condition of booking. Tipping is customary and we will suggest a range rather than set one.
Related journeys
21 days Every route here can be changed
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