Tanzania
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Peter and Joanna travelled to Kenya’s Masai Mara before climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and relaxing on Zanzibar
We had the most memorable and wonderful holiday and all thanks to you. I was remembering that day last November when I first received your email, Rob, with an outline itinerary and for the first time felt a flutter of excitement when the whole trip had just appeared so daunting. Now it is all over but against the odds I made it to Uhuru Peak, Pole Pole! Asante sana.
Tanzania
Regions
Ruaha National Park
Ruaha was previously part of the huge Rungwa Game Reserve, with which it shares its north-western boundary, but gazetted as a National Park in 1964. The terrain within the park is well wooded and undulating. The Great Ruaha River (which forms much of the south-eastern boundary), numerous waterholes, swamps and seepage areas provide the park with a permanent supply of water, but there are also numerous sand rivers which become raging torrents during the rains (from December to April).
Generally, the park is divided into four different habitats consisting of mixed miombo woodland, undulating hills dominated by baobabs, albida woodland along the main river courses, and areas of open ‘black cotton’ grassland. Mammal viewing is superb particularly in the dry season (June to October) when the animals are forced to congregate around the water sources – elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, impala, zebra, giraffe, hippo, waterbuck, roan and sable antelope, eland, greater and lesser kudu, and Grant’s gazelle are just some on the many species to be seen. The birdlife is exceptional with some 540 species recorded.
Despite Ruaha being a terrific wildlife area, it is still attracts relatively small numbers of tourists. Game-viewing is limited to game drives by day – some camps may offer walks with advanced notice. Tsetse fly are present.