Southern Tanzanian Safari Circuit overview:

Southern Tanzania Safari Circuit experience:

Selous Game Reserve has remained one of the untouched gems of Tanzania’s national parks and game reserves. Your Tanzania safari lodge offers you the chance to see a wild and expansive Africa far from paved roads and many tourists. Selous is home to huge elephant populations, the famous wild dogs, and some of the last black rhino left in the region.

Vamizi Island is the ultimate exclusive beach getaway – with a stunning private beach, large private rooms and excellent food and service. Watch whales, snorkel or simply soak up the sun during your beach safari.

Days 1 - 3: Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

You will depart from Dar es Salaam domestic terminal at 8:30 for Selous Game Reserve.

West of Dar es Salaam lies Selous Game Reserve, one of Africa’s least known yet wildest conservation areas. At an unbelievable 55,000 sq km Selous is almost twice the size of Belgium and four times larger than the famous Serengeti in the North, covering 5% of Tanzania’s land area.

Rufiji River, the largest river in East Africa, is home to one of the largest crocodile and hippo populations in Africa. Selous has over 2,100 species of plants, 350 species of birds, 60,000 elephant, 108,000 buffalos and an estimated 1,300 of the worlds’ approximately 4,000 remaining rare wild dogs giving you an opportunity to glimpse all of these animals in an unspoilt wilderness.

Selous offers the unique opportunity of doing a walking safari through the bush. Elephant sightings are very common and to walk relatively close and safely with these animals is an amazing adventure. Walks concentrate on ecology, tracking, dung identification, medicinal uses of trees, birds and generally interpreting the bush - giving you a much broader understanding of nature.

Boat safaris provide some of the best water birding in Africa as well as getting up close and personal to hippos and crocodiles which will be wallowing in the water or basking on the banks. Game drives in open vehicles are perfect for exploring the unique and untouched habitat bearing many key species of Selous Game Reserve.

Set on a wide curve of the Rufiji River, Sand Rivers Selous is small, intimate Tanzania safari lodge with only eight rooms. This Tanzania safari lodgee is beautiful, grand yet cosy, with open-fronted stone and thatch cottages looking way out over the river. There is an imposing mess and lounge area, and swimming pool set on the banks of the river.

Days 4 - 7: Vamizi Island, Mozambique

After an early breakfast, you will depart for the airstrip for your flight to Dar es Salaam, arriving at 08:30am. Your chartered flight to Vamizi Island departs Dar es Salaam at 10:15am and arrives at 12:45. On arrival and depending on the sea conditions, you will be transferred in a speed boat (just fifteen minutes) to the lodge, or you will enjoy a ride in the “Islandrover” – an open 4x4 landrover to the lodge.

The Quirimbas Archipelago is a beautiful string of islands, often fringed by beautiful beaches, which lie about 2,500km from Maputo. This is an isolated and remote area, probably the last stretch of East African coastline where the marine environments and beaches are ecologically pristine and largely unexplored.

Lying just offshore and stretching for 200km, the Quirimbas Archipelago consists of 12 major islands; about 20 smaller, coralline outcrops; and endless sand-bar beaches. In the far north of the Quirimbas Archipelago, Vamizi Island is probably the most stunning island in the archipelago. It is long, thin and lined by two lovely golden beaches, with amazing snorkelling and diving close to the shore.

Thirteen private villas - one or two bedroomed are widely spaced up the beach with spectacular sea views. Airy and spacious - with over 170 square metres of timbered floor, there is plenty of space for spreading beds, sofas, a marble shower and vanity area and outside chilling deck.

There are a number of complimentary activities available at Vamizi – including a walk to a lighthouse, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, village visits and snorkelling from the shore. The lodge has a fully-equipped dive centre and it is possible to hire boats from Vamizi for big game fishing. Whale-watching by boat is also an option (August and October)

Days 8: Flight to Dar es Salaam

After breakfast on the last day of your Southern Tanzania safari circuit, you fly back to Dar es Salaam for your connecting international flight. Due to flight schedules you may have to overnight in Dar es Salaam.

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