6-Day Southern Circuit Safari: Mikumi, Udzungwa and Nyerere

The southern parks are usually visited one at a time, which is a shame, because the three of them together make a far better trip than any one of them alone. This loop takes Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Nyerere National Park in six days from Dar es Salaam.

Why it works. Each park gives you something the others cannot. Mikumi is open floodplain: you drive, and you see big animals at distance across the Mkata plain. Udzungwa is closed rainforest with no roads at all: you walk, and what you find are primates that exist nowhere else and a 170-metre waterfall. Nyerere is river country: you get on a boat, you walk with a ranger, and you drive among lakes in Africa’s largest national park. Three parks, four completely different ways of being in them.

Who it suits. Travellers who have already done the northern circuit and want somewhere emptier. People with a week rather than a fortnight. Anyone who wants variety rather than six days of the same activity.

How it differs from our other southern trips. The 5-day Nyerere and Mikumi safari covers two parks. This covers three, and adds the walking and the waterfall that Udzungwa brings. If six days is more than you have, the three-day Mikumi and Udzungwa combination or the three-day Nyerere trip are the shorter versions. tell us your dates.

We collect you from your hotel in Dar es Salaam, or from Julius Nyerere International Airport if you are arriving the same morning. Give us the property name and your flight details when you book and we confirm the pickup time the evening before.

Walking boots with grip and ankle support for Udzungwa, and lighter shoes for the drives. Neutral long sleeves and long trousers for the walking safaris and the forest. A waterproof. A hat, sunglasses and strong sunscreen. Binoculars. Swimwear and a towel. Insect repellent, and malaria prophylaxis: all three parks are malaria areas. A warm layer for early morning drives.

Inside the park you stay in the vehicle except at marked picnic sites and toilets. Your guide will say when it is safe to stand through the roof hatch. Do not feed or approach any animal, baboons included. Camps in the southern parks are unfenced: after dark you are escorted between your tent and the mess area, and you do not walk alone. Boats carry buoyancy aids for everyone on board and we ask that children wear one for the whole trip. Tell your guide before departure if anyone is not a confident swimmer. Sea conditions decide whether a trip runs; if the captain calls it off we move you to another day or refund the trip, and that decision is not negotiable. On the Udzungwa trails and both walking safaris you are with a ranger and you follow his instructions exactly. You travel in a maintained 4x4 with a licensed Tanzanian driver-guide. Seat belts are fitted in every seat. We carry a first aid kit and drinking water. Travel insurance is not included and we recommend you arrange it before you come.