Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is one of the various national parks of Tanzania that travellers can visit while on a Tanzania safari tour, any time of the year. Ruaha National Park is located in the south of the central point of Tanzania, encompassing a total area size of 20226 square kilometers, and thus the second largest national park in Tanzania after Nyerere National Park. Ruaha National Park is part of the larger Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi ecosystem. Ruaha National Park has three different primary areas for safari game viewing, with the Ruaha River area being the most stunning with Mdonya woodlands and the Mbage-Mwagusi circuit.

Ruaha National Park is about 130km west of Iringa. Ruaha National Park derives her name from the great Ruaha River which flows along the south eastern margin making it one of the best game viewing areas or point in the park.

Ruaha National Park Attractions

Animals in Ruaha National Park

One of the most sought after Ruaha National Park attractions are the animals in the park. There are a number of Ruaha National Park animals freely roaming the park, that travellers can see when they do visit the park on a Ruaha National Park safari. Some of the Ruaha National Park animals that travellers can spot while on a Tanzania safari experience in the park include elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes, white rhinos, black rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, antelope species, hippos, among so many others.

Birds

Birds in Ruaha National Park are an attraction that sees a number of travellers visiting the park for Ruaha National Park has over 570 species of birds. Some of the Ruaha National Park birds are endemic species, near endemic species, as well as migratory bird species and resident bird species. Some of the Ruaha National Park birds that travellers can see while on a birding safari include Goliath heron, crested barbet, yellow-collared lovebird, black-belied bustard, African fish eagle, collared palm-thrush, long crested eagle, Tanzania red-billed hornbill, among so many others. Birding safaris in Ruaha National park to see the various Ruaha National Park birds can be done all throughout the year, with the months of November, December, January, February, March and April which is the breeding season and also when the migratory words are in the park.

River Ruaha

Ruaha River which is the source of the park’s name is an amazing tourist attraction in Ruaha National Park, and one of the best places to visit in the park. The Ruaha River flows through Usungu Plains, providing water to the park, and a ready water source for animals during the dry season, when the animals in Ruaha National Park do congregate to get a dip and drink to quench their thirst.

Vegetation Cover

The vegetation cover of Ruaha National Park is also an attraction that sees travellers being captivated by it, as well as an inhabitant of a variety of wildlife species in the park. Ruaha National Park has both savannah grasslands and woodland with flat plains, acacia trees dotting the park, bush land, swamps, kopjes as well as the 160km Ruaha River.

Ruaha National Park Activities

With so much to offer to tourists, there are a number of activities in Ruaha National Park that travellers can do, including game drives through the vast savannah plains of Ruaha National Park, guided nature walks which are a great opportunity to explore and appreciate the park as well as come up-close with animals like giraffes, bird watching is an activity that sees travellers spotting a number of the Ruaha National Park birds, among so many others.

Best time to visit Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park can be visited any time of the year, with the dry season being the best time to visit the park for game viewing, falling in the months of May to October. Travellers after birding safaris in Ruaha National Park should best visit during the wet season which is the breeding time.

Getting to Ruaha National Park

Travellers can get to Ruaha National Park by road or by air. By road, travellers can get to Ruaha National Park by taking a 10 hours’ road drive from Dar es Salaam International Airport, with a possibility to breaking one’s long drive with a day or two spent in Mikumi National Park also found in the southern safari circuit of Tanzania. From Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park is only about 5 hours.

Getting to Ruaha National Park by air is the easiest and most convenient way especially for travellers not after such long road drives. There are chartered and scheduled flights like Coastal Aviation, Safari Air Link, among others operating flights from Dr es Salaam to any of the Ruaha National Park airstrips. With the aviation industry quite developed in Tanzania, one can connect to Ruaha National Park from Serengeti National Park or any other northern safari circuit destinations.

Ruaha National Park Accommodation

There are a number of accommodation in Ruaha National Park that travellers can stay in while on a Ruaha National Park safari. These Ruaha National Park accommodation can be found both inside and outside the park, catering for all categories of travellers say luxury, mid-range and also budget travellers. Some of the Ruaha National Park accommodation one can choose to stay in include Tandala Tented Camp, Kichacka Camp, Mdonya Old River Camp, Mwagusi Safari Camp, among so many others.

Ruaha National Park is one of the best places to visit for a Tanzania safari tour, especially if you would want a bit of exclusivity as the park is not as crowded as the other Tanzania safari destination like Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area all found in the northern circuit of Tanzania, which is the most visited part of Tanzania. Get in touch with a reputed tour operator to help you pitch together an amazing Tanzania safari visiting Ruaha national Park, and so much more that Tanzania has to offer, like the amazingly beautiful Zanzibar Island.