3 Days Boat and Big Five Midrange Safari Across Southern Tanzania

Your Southern Tanzania adventure begins with an early-morning pickup from your hotel, residence, airport or another agreed location in Dar es Salaam. After meeting your professional driver-guide, you will travel south towards the Nyerere ecosystem in a comfortable safari vehicle. The road passes through busy settlements, traditional villages, farms, coconut plantations and areas of miombo woodland, providing an interesting introduction to the landscapes and communities of Southern Tanzania.

After arriving in the Nyerere area, you will prepare for a guided boat safari along an approved section of the Rufiji River or a connected waterway. The boat activity presents the wilderness from a completely different perspective. Instead of following wildlife tracks by vehicle, you will move quietly across the water while searching for hippos, Nile crocodiles, African fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, storks and other aquatic birds.

Elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes and monkeys may occasionally be observed near the riverbanks, particularly when animals approach the water. Your boat guide will explain the Rufiji ecosystem, animal behaviour and the importance of the river to the surrounding wildlife. The activity may conclude with beautiful late-afternoon light over the water, depending on your arrival time and river conditions.

Attractions: Rufiji River, hippos, Nile crocodiles, fish eagles, kingfishers, waterbirds and riverbank wildlife
Road distance: Approximately 230–250 kilometres
Driving time: Approximately 5–6 hours
Boat-safari duration: Approximately 2–3 hours

Destination:

Nyerere National Park

Overnight:

Lake Manze Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After an early breakfast, you will enter Nyerere National Park for an exciting morning game drive. Your driver-guide will explore grasslands, riverine forest, lakeshores and miombo woodland while looking for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and different antelope species. These changing habitats create excellent opportunities to observe wildlife in both open and wooded environments.

The game drive will focus particularly on Nyerere’s large mammals and predators. Lions may be seen resting in the shade or watching prey across the plains, while leopards are present but naturally more difficult to locate. The park is also an important stronghold for African wild dogs, which rank among the continent’s rarest and most fascinating predators. Your guide will interpret tracks, behaviour and recent wildlife movements while selecting the most promising viewing routes.

Following the game drive, you will begin the overland transfer to Mikumi National Park. The journey passes through remote woodland, small settlements and rural landscapes that reveal another side of Southern Tanzania. You will arrive in the Mikumi area during the evening and prepare for the final day’s game drive.

Attractions: Elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, African wild dogs, giraffes and antelopes
Game-drive duration: Approximately 3–4 hours
Transfer distance: Approximately 280–320 kilometres, depending on the road used
Transfer time: Approximately 6–7 hours

Destination:

Nyerere National Park

Overnight:

Tan-Swiss Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Your final day begins with an early game drive across Mikumi National Park’s famous Mkata Floodplain. The open grasslands and scattered acacia trees provide favourable conditions for observing elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, elands, impalas and warthogs. Large herds can often be seen moving across the plains, particularly around productive grazing and water areas.

Your guide will search for lions, which are regularly encountered in Mikumi, and explain the relationships between predators and grazing animals. You may also visit the Hippo Pool, where hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds can be observed. Although rhinos are not normally found on this route, Mikumi provides rewarding sightings of several iconic African species and adds a contrasting savannah environment to the previous day’s Nyerere experience.

After the game drive, you will leave Mikumi and travel back to Dar es Salaam. Short breaks will be arranged during the journey before you arrive in the late afternoon or evening. Your driver-guide will drop you off at your hotel, residence, airport or another agreed location.

Attractions: Mkata Floodplain, Hippo Pool, lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and wildebeests
Game-drive duration: Approximately 4–5 hours
Road distance: Approximately 300 kilometres
Driving time: Approximately 5–6 hours
Drop-off: Hotel, residence, airport or agreed location in Dar es Salaam