Spectacular 5 Day Safari in Nyerere National Park, Tanzania
Introduction
Have you been Google searching best African safari parks? Or dreaming about your first safari experience? If so, have I got some great news for you! Nyerere National Park in Tanzania is an incredible first choice in safari destination (or indeed for the experienced safari guru!) This expansive yet intimate wildlife park in Tanzania’s Southern Circuit provides prime viewing for the big cats, wild dogs, hyena, antelope, elephants and more. After visiting other iconic game reserves in Tanzania such as Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Arusha and Lake Manyara, I found Nyerere to be in a league of its own.
What will the experience be like?
For starters, the safari lodges are smaller and provide bespoke tours for a smaller number of guests. You won’t feel like you’ve entered the local produce market at a weekend, with countless other safari vehicles and tourists swarming around you. This is all despite being one of Tanzania’s (and the world’s!) largest national parks. Instead, there’s a relaxed atmosphere with an air of excited anticipation, as you work with your private guide towards your safari goals and expectations in order to achieve your ideal experience.
Nyere National Park info
Nyerere National Park (previously Selous Game Reserve) was named in honour of Tanzania’s first president Julius Nyerere (1922-1999). It’s a huge wilderness area in Southern Tanzania, spanning 30,893 km2. The other popular safari park in the region is Ruaha National Park, albeit a little more difficult to get to.
Much of the Nyerere National Park has never been altered by humans and is in its natural wild state. Tanzania’s largest river, the Rufiji River, runs through Nyerere National Park and is home to crocodiles and hippopotamus. One of the biggest mangrove forests in the world is located at its delta.
Keep reading for all my tips on what animals you’ll see, pros and cons of different accommodation types, how to maximise your dollar, what time of year to visit, what camera you’ll need and of course, a detailed itinerary for each day!
Itinerary
Day 1
Morning Arrival
Afternoon Game Drive
Day 2
Full Day Game Drive
Day 3
Mloka Village Tour or Maasai Mara Village Tour
Rufiji River Boat Safari Cruise
Day 4
Walking Safari
Afternoon Game Drive
Day 5
Travel Day
Where is Nyerere National Park?
The Mtemere Gate of Nyerere National Park is located in South Eastern Tanzania in Africa. It is approximately 230 km by road (roughly 5 hours) from Dar es Salaam, the former capital city of Tanzania and its largest city, principal port and leading commercial centre.
How do I get to Nyerere National Park?
International flights arrive in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar airports. Light aircraft will then take you directly to the Mtemere Airstrip by Nyerere National Park. Alternatively, your lodge may arrange a road transfer. The light aircraft is a fantastic way to see the African landscape as it flies low to the ground!
Will I see ‘The Big 5’ in Nyerere National Park?
It’s possible to see the lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard. However, there are no rhinoceros in Nyerere National Park.
What Animals & Birds Will I See?
Plenty! You may not see each of these animals every day but you will certainly have a great chance of seeing them all within this 5 day tour! This is a list of all of the animals I recorded us viewing. The fantastic thing about Nyerere NP is that the animals come quite close to your safari vehicles, which makes photography ideal! (Although I’d still recommend investing in a good camera with a telephoto lens).
Animals in Nyerere NP
Lion
Hippopotamus
Wildebeest
African Buffalo
Baboon
Eland
Hyena
Wild Dog
Impala
Warthog
Crocodile
Elephant
Water Buck
Monitor Lizard
Genet Cat
Zebra
Birds in Nyerere NP
African Fish Eagle
Great Egret
Grey Heron
Black Winged Stilt
African Spoonbill
African Hornbill
Striped Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Crested Barbet
Wattled Lapwing
Vulture
Red Egret
Egyptian Geese
Lilac Breasted Roller
Sociable Weaver
African Golden Weaver
How To Plan Your Safari
Should I book through an agent or directly with the safari lodge?
Typically in Nyerere NP, agents will offer a package inclusive of airport transfers, lodge accommodation costs, full board and game drives. You can also request quotes from various lodges to see what fits your budget best. While this can be tempting, it often works out marginally cheaper to contact the lodge directly and communicate with them which itinerary you seek. We saved a few hundred dollars over 5 days and were able to create a bespoke itinerary by communicating directly with our lodge. Selous Kinga Lodge also arranged our transfers.
Should I stay inside the Nyerere Park or at a lodge on the Rufiji River?
Both have their perks but keep in mind that Nyerere NP is one of the most expensive safari parks in Tanzania, with daily park entry fees of $500 when we visited. This means that if you arrange a day outside of the park (for example, a morning village tour and an afternoon river cruise or walking safari), then you’ll effectively save $500 as you won’t need to enter the park on that day. However, if your lodge is within the park, you’ll still be charged the $500 despite not partaking in a game drive.
Safari Camp in Nyere National Park
Pros
- Romanticism and thrill of staying within a national park
- No transfer time between lodge and park entrance for game drives
- No rush to exit the gate by park closure time
- Thus greater chance of extended viewing of some animals at dusk and dawn when the temperature drops (eg. lions, wild dogs)
Cons
- More expensive due to paying daily park fees ($500 per day during our visit)
- Less freedom to roam around extended distances (unsafe due to free roaming animals)
Safari Lodge on Rufiji River
Pros
- Cost effective as not obliged to pay national park fees if not entering the park
- Beautiful river vistas
- Private viewing from lodge room decking
- Generally more freedom to explore as the lodge perimeter is guarded by Maasai or other guard (however check safety boundaries with lodge staff beforehand)
Cons
- Must exit park at closing time despite animal experiences
- Transfer time between park and lodge for game drives (usually only 10-15 minutes)
How do I minimise expenses?
- Book ahead to keep airfare costs to a minimum
- Travel outside of peak season (July – October)
- Stay outside of Nyerere NP to avoid daily park entrance fee of $500 USD
- Capitalise on activities on some days outside of the park to avoid park entry fee
- Book through your chosen safari lodge directly
- Explore packages offered at different lodges (some include perks such as river view rooms, a bottle of wine and chocolates)
Which season is best for Nyerere NP?
For best animal viewing, it’s definitely best to visit Nyerere NP during the dry season, which falls between July to October. The wildlife gather at water sources and vegetation is thinner making animals easier to spot. July and August are definitely the busiest months, with best viewing!
The wet season (March to May) is a lush time to visit Nyerere with green scenery, many birds and rivers teeming with life. However, I would not recommend this as the drive between Dar es Salaam to Nyerere NP can take upwards of 8 hours (compared to 5 hours) due to rain-damaged roads and big animal spotting is more difficult. Additionally, many flights are suspended due to rain and some of the lodges close.
The shoulder seasons can provide good viewing at a lower cost.
Bottom line: if you want to see the big cats, go in the dry season!
What camera should I take?
Firstly, it’s not ok to just take your iPhone! I did this a few years ago when visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa and it was a big mistake! Your eyes will view an animal 20-30 metres away (if you’re lucky) and your images will be grainy and poor resolution. You may not notice until you return home when it’s too late to go back and retake the shots. If you’re a professional, you’ll already have this sorted but if you’re not, then invest in a bridging camera or DSLR with automatic function so that you have some clarity to your photos but don’t need to learn the ins and outs of camera physics.
Ideally, learn how to use a telephoto lens for superb photos that are even better than what you’ll see with the naked eye! My partner in crime is a pro and you can learn more about his animal-eye tracking camera setups on safari (as well as other safari photography tips) if you click here.
Accommodation at Selous Kinga Lodge
We stayed at Selous Kinga Lodge, which is marketed as a mid-range safari lodge. The reality is that it’s an intimate, traditional and picturesque accommodation option with many special touches, friendly staff who greet you by name and a highly flexible management team. Their goal is to create your perfect itinerary. We consider it one of the best safari lodges in Tanzania and were over the moon with our decision to stay here. With only 10 lodge rooms of variable size and deck views, the grounds are set beneath a beautiful canopy of native African trees. These trees are full of blue monkeys and baboons going about their daily life and provide a welcome shade to over-stimulated guests after a full day game drive.
Villas
Our Selous Kinga Lodge room was off on its own private path that ended at our villa. We had an exclusive viewpoint across the Rufiji River, with exquisite sunrises and sunsets. The exterior was in typical apical African roof style, with wooden interiors and swan-shaped towels on our canopy bed, complete with mosquito netting.
Lobby, Bar & Meals
The lobby sets the scene for all meals, provided by the lodge. The timing of breakfast and lunch is flexible and dinners are usually set for all guests between 7-8pm. Food is predominantly sourced from nearby Mloka village market (with some items coming from Dar es Salaam) which provides the certainty of investing your dollar back into the local economy at a grassroots level. There’s also a bar serving a fine selection of local beers such as Kilimanjaro and Safari.
It would be remisce not to mention Daniel, our gentle and kind wait staff who each night prepared a table on the private outdoor decking for us, with lit candle and table trimmings to have us living life to its fullest beneath the African night sky. Thank you, Daniel.
R: Private dining table and animal hideaway
Other Lodge Facilities
Selous Kinga Lodge has a private pool and pathways that guests can traverse all safe in the knowledge that guards are patrolling the premesis. There’s also an amazing hideaway on stilts overlooking the Rufiji River, allowing for independent animal spotting. Be prepared for monkeys to create some noise on your rooftop!
Game Drive Staff
A wonderful aspect to game drives through Kinga Lodge is that they provide you with the same driver and tour guide for your length of stay. This meant we built a friendly relationship with our team. They knew which animals we were keen to see and subsequently which animals we had seen over the course of the 5 days. This created a great deal of variety as they communicated with other drivers to locate animals we were interested in.
Keep reading for our expertly planned 5 day itinerary!
Day 1
Morning Arrival
Afternoon Game Drive
Day 1 can be a full game drive if you’re not exhausted from travelling. However, we had flown overnight from the Middle East to Zanzibar and then taken a lightweight aircraft to Mtemere Airstrip by Nyerere NP. We definitely needed a few hours rest and Selous Kinga Lodge were all too accommodating in providing us with a delicious breakfast before our kip.
After this, we hit the road for an afternoon game drive which concluded with some fantastic lion spotting: a lioness and a few of her curious cubs!
Day 2
Full Day Game Drive
Take advantage of a whole day game drive on Day 2. Your guide will arrange a private lunch somewhere safe under an acacia tree. We had a delicious snack container of chicken, an egg sandwich, potatoes, juice box and apple. After lunch, we were taken on a special walk within the national park! Our guides showed us some sulphur-rich hot springs which are possible to swim in (although quite hot). The day concluded with a farewell from a huge pack of wild dogs on the road just by the exit to the park!
Day 3
Mloka Village Tour or Maasai Mara Village Tour
Rufiji River Boat Safari Cruise
The village adjacent Selous Kinga Lodge is called Mloka. It’s a vibrant and lively community of 2000 – 3000 people who depend on fishing from the Rufiji River. Your guide will take you on a 2 hour walking tour through the town, with the chance to meet children and visit the local school. We also met the Bishop’s wife who was sitting on her porch and showed us around the local Assemblies of God Church!
The children’s smiles will stay with you for a lifetime!
After a hot lunch at the lodge, you’ll head off on a Rufiji River boat cruise mid afternoon. This is a unique feature of Nyerere NP and is wonderful way to view various birds, crocodiles and hippopotamus. There’s also a river island which you’ll have the chance to explore and take some incredible sunset photos. Professional cameramen: start your engines!
Day 4
Walking Safari
Afternoon Game Drive
Walking safaris are offered at a limited number of Tanzanian parks, so capitalise on this opportunity! You and your guide will be met with an armed guard, carrying a rifle. This man is boss during your walk! He will keep you perfectly safe as you traverse the jungle and scrubland while on the hunt for animals. Much of the time you’ll be learning about various trees and their medicinal properties, various animal footprints and tracks, as well as dodging lines of ants and termite mounds! It’s an authentic way to connect with the African wildlife.
The afternoon is your final game drive and chance to soak up your last few hours in the Nyerere NP. Your guides will help you find any elusive animals! We even walked inside a magnificent baobab tree!
R: A magnificent eland
Day 5
Travel Day
Sadly it’s time to farewell Nyerere NP today. Visitors can make their way back to Dar es Salaam International Airport either via a 5 hour drive or a one hour flight. Selous Kinga Lodge arranged a hot breakfast for us and we were then on the road early, around 8am. I’d highly recommend the drive back as it provides another chance to see more of the local villages and their occupants. Your driver may also allow you to stop for a cheeky beer from a village pub en route back to Dar es Salaam!
For more ideas in Africa, click here to see my posts on South Africa!
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