Top Safari Experiences in Tanzania for Wildlife Enthusiasts

Planning a trip to Dar es Salaam? Wondering about the best safaris available from Tanzania’s largest city and former capital? Here are four top suggestions that will make your trip unforgettable.

Saadani National Park

Approximately three hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam, Saadani National Park offers a unique safari where the savanna meets the ocean. The park features diverse landscapes, including mangrove forests, savannas, and cotton fields.

Visitors can explore the park on foot with a ranger and might spot lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, monkeys, and hyenas. After the safari, relax on a white-sand beach surrounded by palm trees, perfect for swimming or snorkeling.

Mikumi National Park

About four hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park is a prime safari destination in Tanzania. Known for its vast plains and diverse wildlife, it is often compared to the Serengeti National Park. The park is home to the Big Five (lion, elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, and buffalo), providing ample opportunities for wildlife viewing.

In the Mkata plain, you can see zebras, gnus, antelopes, and buffalos, with lions often spotted on the heights or in the trees. Giraffes graze near the river, and hippos enjoy mud baths in a pond north of the main entrance.

Ruaha National Park

Accessible only by plane, Ruaha National Park offers a peaceful and scenic safari experience. The park features acacia and baobab trees and is renowned for its high concentration of elephants and lions, likely the highest in East Africa.

Besides elephants and lions, you can also see leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, wild dogs, crocodiles, and numerous bird species. This limited access ensures a serene and less crowded experience.

Selous Reserve

A short flight from Dar es Salaam, Selous Reserve is one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This vast reserve offers diverse safari experiences, including 4x4 safaris, walking safaris, and boat safaris on the Rufiji River, where you can spot hippos, crocodiles, and many bird species.

Selous Reserve is particularly tranquil, and the variety of wildlife is impressive. Visitors can see lions, leopards, rhinos, hyenas, buffalos, giraffes, gnus, zebras, and antelopes.