What makes Nyerere different from the northern parks?

Water. The Rufiji runs through it in channels and lakes, so you spend as much time on a boat as in a vehicle — drifting past a pod of two hundred hippo at eye level is nothing like looking down at one from a Land Cruiser. Walking safaris are also permitted, which they are not in the Serengeti.

Should we drive or fly?

Fly. The road from Dar es Salaam is long and rough and would consume a day in each direction. The flight is short and the approach over the delta is spectacular.

Effectively March to May. The long rains make the tracks impassable and most camps shut entirely. Check individual camp dates carefully if you are considering the shoulder.

Nyerere National Park — safaris, wildlife and when to go

Nyerere was created in 2019 from the northern section of the Selous Game Reserve, and at roughly thirty thousand square kilometres it is among the largest parks on the continent. The Rufiji River runs through it in a series of channels and lakes, which changes what a safari here feels like: you spend as much time on a boat as in a vehicle.

Drifting past a pod of two hundred hippo at eye level, or watching elephant cross a channel in front of the boat, is a different experience from anything the northern circuit offers. The park also holds one of Africa’s most important populations of African wild dog, and walking safaris are permitted — which they are not in the Serengeti.

The trade-off is density. You will see fewer animals per hour than in the Crater. What you get instead is space, silence and the strong sense of being somewhere very few people go.

From our guides

Fly in. The road from Dar es Salaam is long and rough, and the flight is spectacular over the delta.

Why come here

Boat safaris on the Rufiji — rare in Tanzania
Walking safaris with an armed ranger
Significant African wild dog population
Very low visitor numbers, even in peak season

The wildlife

Elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hippo, crocodile, giraffe, greater kudu and sable. African wild dog are a genuine highlight here. Black rhino survive in small numbers but are effectively never seen. Excellent water birding along the Rufiji.