Day 1 – Drive to Mikumi National Park
You will have an early morning departure from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi, a 4 – 5 hours drive on comfortable tarmac roads. On the way you will enjoy a nice lunch where you can choose between continental or local food. You may use this lunch to get to know more about the food culture of Tanzania.
On your way to Mikumi you pass “baboon valley” a place where you often see baboons close by or at the road while passing. If traffic treated you well, you will be in the park in good time to enjoy a nice afternoon game drive. While the sun sets, you can enjoy a cold drink with the perfect view of the waterhole where the buffaloes enjoy their mud baths and the elephants come to drink.
Day 2 – Mikumi National Park
Today you will be waking up early in the morning to go “hunting” for the predators before they go to sleep, working up an appetite for your solid breakfast. When you wake up, make sure to look out the big window to se what kind of animals are sleeping right outside your bungalow.
After breakfast we have before us a one and a halve hour drive to Udzungwa Mountain National Park. Then we have a 4-5 hours walk through beautiful forest, with Sanje Waterfalls as our goal. You will enjoy a delicious lunch at the top of the waterfall, and maybe a cool bath in the pool below the first waterfall. After the walk you will head back to Mikumi, before we drive to the Baobab-valley for overnight.
Day 3 – “On the road again …”
Today you have to be prepared for a long day’s drive towards southwest of the country. You will pas Iringa, “capital” in the Southern Highlands. Stop for a warm lunch in Makambako, then further on till we pass Mbeya, before turning to peace in the border town against Zambia, Tunduma.
Day 4 – “Into the wilderness …”
After an early breakfast, we continue to this safaris main goal, Katavi National Park. You will be arriving some time late in the afternoon and overnight either at the park entrance, or in a tent camp inside the park.
Today’s drive has parts with rather bad road quality, often with a lot of road works, so where we will spend the night will be determined during the drive.
Day 5 – Katavi
Reaching Katavi National Park you will use the rest of the day for game drive in Tanzania’s third largest national park. Described by Lonely Planet as “a high-adventure, rugged safari experience”.
The park comes alive in the dry season (July to October) when the rivers and lakes dries up and large herds of buffalo, elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes and many other animals walk off to find the way to what may be contained from water holes and small rivers. Tonight you will be camping in the bush. Nice dinner will be cooked on the fire.
Day 6 – Katavi
After breakfast in our camp, we spend the full day among Katavi’s flourishing wildlife, exploring new areas of the park. In the middle of you exploration you will enjoy a tasty bush lunch.
Day 7 – Back to civilization
After an early breakfast we return to Mbeya, a long day’s drive. If you are ready for a different adventure you could explore Mbeya “by night”. Tonight you will sleep in a normal bed again at Mt. Livingstone Hotel.
Day 8 – Adventurous train journey through the wilderness
After a late breakfast, we stroll around the city while we wait for the train. Now the “adventure travel” with TAZARA – the railway between Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia and Dar Es Salaam start.
You will travel from Mbeya in the afternoon (maybe), and will “probably” arrive in Dar es Salaam noon the next day. This is a fantastic trip in first class compartment, with a view to the villages and with a great final “safari” through the Selous Game Reserve before arriving in Dar es Salaam.
Please note the following regarding the safari:
It important to understand that a safari is a safari, it is not like driving around Europe where everything usually works. This is an adventure where anything can happen. We guarantee that there will be a part of the adventure that you’ll remember afterwards with a laugh. This safari have all nights in lodges of budget to mid range standards, and will give you a comfortable journey.
All safari tours are adventures because we are watching wild animals that roam around at will. Exactly what we will see and where we will go, depends on where the animals are. We rely on our experienced guides to take us to the current best places for wildlife watching.