Yes, with an armed ranger, and it is worth doing at least once. Night drives are also permitted, which they are not in the northern parks.

Very, from September to November. Middle of the day is for lying down. That is also when the game viewing is at its most dramatic, so it is a trade most people accept.

Ruaha National Park — safaris, wildlife and when to go

Ruaha is the largest national park in Tanzania and one of the least visited relative to its size. The Great Ruaha River is its spine; in the dry season it shrinks to a chain of pools and sand, and everything in the ecosystem comes to it.

The park sits at a transition zone between East and Southern African species, which produces an unusual list: greater and lesser kudu in the same country as sable and roan. It is best known, though, for lions. Prides here are large — twenty-plus animals is not unusual — and buffalo hunting behaviour is regularly seen.

The landscape is rocky, baobab-studded and wide. It photographs beautifully and it feels like nowhere near as many people have been there, because they have not.

From our guides

Pair Ruaha with Nyerere rather than with the northern circuit. The southern parks belong together, and the flight between them is short.

Why come here

Exceptionally large lion prides
Both greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan
Dramatic baobab and sand-river landscape
Very few vehicles, even in August

The wildlife

Large lion prides, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, elephant in good numbers, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, and the kudu and sable that make the species list unusual. Over 570 bird species recorded.

When to visit

June to October for concentrated game along the river. January and February are green and good for birding. March to May is very wet and most camps close.