13 Days Southern Tanzania Romantic Safari Adventure

Day 1

Dar es Salaam – Gentle Tanzania Introductions

Arrive in Tanzania and even its largest city you’ll immediately feel the country’s laid back style. You’ll be picked up at the airport and transported directly to your luxury lodge. Skilled and discreet, your guide is adept at both unveiling Tanzania and giving you and partner all the space you need. The daily itinerary is always flexible. So long guided adventures can be blended with lots of idyllic private time that defines a romantic vacation. You can either spend the afternoon in the blissful grounds of the lodge, or go on a city exploration with your guide.

Day 2

Mikumi National Park – Idyllic Safari Impressions

Most tourists head north, you’re going south, starting the safari adventure in Mikumi National Park. Senses are elevated as bird song flickers from the treetops and a lion’s eyes lurk through the branches. Wind between the trees and emerge at the Mkata Floodplain, a vast landscape littered with wildebeest and zebra herds.

Day 3

Mikumi National Park – Exploring Mikumi and a Serengeti-Like Landscape Without the Crowds

In the early morning light, the predators are active. Lionesses leave the trees and begin the hunt. But who’s the target. Graceful giraffe, perhaps? No, they are too big for just three cats. Maybe it’s the huge numbers of eland that cover the plains? That’s also a big challenge. Eland is the world’s largest antelope and they’re fiercely protective of their young. The lions are hungry and they spot some young kudu.

Day 4

Udzungwa Mountains – Monkeys and Hiking

For two days the Udzungwa Mountains have provided the decorative backdrop, their lush forested slopes standing proud above Mikumi. Today you drive west, continuing the safari across the floodplains before winding along rugged roads into the overgrown rainforest. Prolific birdlife welcomes you with a resonant chorus. Your eco-camp is fantastically positioned in the trees, and Udzumngwa’s two premier attractions are everywhere; black and white colobus monkeys swing down from the trees, jumping across the camp and surrounding delightful walking trails for two.

Day 5

Ruaha National Park – Cultural Immersion in Remote Southern Tanzania

Just like yesterday afternoon, this morning’s itinerary offers a plethora of options. Dozens of self-guided walking trails traverse pristine rainforest, biking, and rafting trips can be arranged and are included in your package, and there are few more uniquely African experiences than rock climbing with monkeys. No experience is necessary; just try it out and wait for the monkeys to swing past and show you how it’s done.

Day 6

Ruaha National Park – The Unexplored Wilderness and Huge Elephants

Remote Ruaha encapsulates the dreamy feelings of adventure this vacation is all about. Camps are small and private, the wilderness remains completely untouched, and you can easily go a full day of safari without seeing a single other vehicles. This sublimity is enhanced by little romantic touches. Share cocktails as Tanzania’s largest elephant population roam beneath your balcony.

Day 7 – 8

Ruaha National Park – Spectacular Safari Adventures

While the ungulates are cute and the elephant herds impressive, it’s the predators that provide the ultimate safari excitement. Instinctively you grab each other at the sight of lion paws. Keep watching. Here comes another. Now the cubs emerge from the grass clearing. One, two, three, wait, four, five; Ruaha’s lion prides are not only abundant, they’re unusually large. Keep watching and now there are 24 lions serenely walking past the safari track. No, make that 25 as a cute cub brings up the rear.

Day 9

Selous – First Impressions of Africa’s Largest Game Reserve

Another morning safari in Ruaha leaves lasting impressions. Even on the most popular circular driving routes, you’re unlikely to encounter another vehicle. This feeling of exclusivity continues as you land in Selous, Africa’s largest game reserve. A scheduled flight offers dazzling aerials of the Tanzanian hinterlands, scorched landscape crisscrossed by cracked riverbeds and brief shocks of water. Selous measures around 50,000 square kilometers, an area that would take months to fully explore.

Day 10

Selous – Exploring Selous Game Reserve By Boat

African’s wildlife revolves around water. A boat safari meanders beside sandy banks dotted with baobabs and open-mouthed crocodiles revealing lines of razor-sharp teeth. Profuse birdlife dance around, the small and delicate bringing vibrancy to the water. Vultures and fish eagles arc around a lavish blue sky. Everything must drink today.

Day 11

Selous – Exploring Selous Game Reserve on Long Game Drives

The Selous lions are a good marker of where to explore on your game drives. Rather than wander the plains in search of dinner, they hide beside the lakes, lying in wait for unsuspecting drinkers. Game drives here are unique. You could spend a couple of hours on trails without tire prints, the dusty roads more popular with endangered Black rhino than with other vehicles.

Day 12

Selous – Walking Safari in Selous Game Reserve

Step out into the wilderness and the sense of seclusion is heightened. Kudu, zebra, puku antelope; now turn a corner and a large herd of giraffe are much bigger when you’re also standing at ground level. Characterful expressions mark ungulate faces, birdlife flies down and flutters around the borassus palms, and you weave towards a lookout point with unending aerials of the hippo-covered swamps.

Day 13

Dar es Salaam – Departure

After 12 nights of romantic adventure, this Tanzanian vacation comes to an end. A local flight soars above the giraffe and hippo-covered landscape, these final aesthetics keeping you busy with the camera. Land in Dar es Salaam and connect onto your international flight.