Southern Wild Wonders Safari

Enjoy a thrilling journey to the heartland of safari country with this 11-day luxury game viewing adventure to four premier wildlife reserves in southern Tanzania. This first-class tour takes you to the Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park and the Udzungwa Mountains. On this unique fly-in safari lodge trip, you will experience the remote, unspoiled wilderness of southern Tanzania on an event-filled journey. View elusive African wildlife with trained, experienced guides and engage in a range of other thrilling options, while staying in the lap of luxury on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

This luxury safari takes you to two of Africa’s most well known parks and two smaller ones, ensuring a diverse and stimulating experience. Our carefully crafted itinerary (outlined below) includes destinations that complement each other in terms of guiding, accommodation, style and camp location. Moreover, the southern safari circuit offers a more exclusive experience, as there are fewer visitors to these isolated, unspoiled locales. In addition to daily game drives, you will also have the rare chance to engage in a range of other exciting activities, including boat cruises, fly camping and walking safaris.

Mikumi National Park, a breathtaking terrain located in the Uluguru Mountains, will be the first stop on the tour. Here you will enjoy a wide variety of creatures that are easy to spot and accustomed to game viewing tours. Enjoy spectacular early morning and late afternoon panoramic views as you visit the park’s numerous wildlife rich spots, such as the Kisingura Circuit, Hippo Pools and Vuma Hill, and the Mkata Floodplain. Spot a variety of creatures throughout this sprawling landscape, including elands, sable antelopes and greater kudu, lions, giraffes, zebras and huge buffalo herds.

The Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the next stop on the journey, provides similar options for excitement. Spend a day exploring the lush forest vegetation of this park, often referred to as an “African Galapagos,” to discover the plethora of endemic creatures that reside here. Break out your hiking boots for a journey along the extensive trail network to spot the park’s wildlife population, including 10 species of primates (three of which are endemic) and over 400 species of birds.

The tour ends with a fly-in visit to two more fantastic destinations, the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park. The mighty Rufiji and Ruaha Rivers, and the abundance of wildlife they support, will provide the focal point of the safaris and guided nature walks you will enjoy here. Selous, the largest game reserve in Africa, supports approximately one million creatures in an area slightly larger than Switzerland. Game viewing highlights include the big-tusked elephants and large lions roaming across the endless plains. In Ruaha be on the lookout for endangered wild dogs, big cats, roan antelopes, and Greater and Lesser Kudu for which the park is famous.

Throughout the tour, you will stay in luxury tented camps and dine on delicious cuisine. Your days will be full of exciting game drives and other safari activities. Join This Adventure Tour Supplier on our Southern Wild Wonders Safari for a world-class Tanzanian adventure!

Note: Shorter, longer, or less expensive tours are available by contacting info@acaciasunadventures.com . We will work with you every step of the way to ensure you have the vacation of your dreams.

Price Description: These prices are for our 11-day Opulent Luxury Package. Shorter/longer or less expensive packages are also available. Off-season rates are available upon request. For further information, please contact info@acaciasunadventures.com. Prices are based in US dollars on the prevailing tariffs at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice. Rates will expire on December 31st, 2009 and new rates will be updated in due course.

The cost of our travel program includes:
· Pre-departure information
· English speaking safari driver guide
· All relevant park and fees (park and concession fees are subject to change on short notice. We regret that we will have to pass on any such increase in fares relating to safaris, including confirmed ones)
· All meals
· Tea and coffee
· All accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
· All transfers as indicated in the itinerary
· Meet and greet with friendly This Adventure Tour Supplier staff
· Welcome kit upon arrival
· All activities as specified in your itinerary
· AMREF Emergency Medical Evacuation
· Shared safari activities
· Laundry
· Internal flights: Dar es Salaam – Mikumi – Ruaha – Selous – Dar es Salaam

Items not included in our travel program:
· International airfare
· Travel protection plan (recommended)
· Walking safaris
· All drinks
· Fees for passports and visas
· All airport departure taxes
· Tips and gratuities
· Personal expenses such as phone calls, etc.
· Hospital bills and international evacuation in the event of an emergency
· Accommodation in Dar es Salaam before or after the safari mentioned above
· Tips to models for photographic opportunities
DETAILED ITINERARY:

DAY 1: Mikumi National Park
Arrive at the Dar es Salaam Airport and board your scheduled charter flight for Mikumi National Park. Upon your arrival, you will be transferred to Foxes Safari Camp for lunch. After lunch there will be a late afternoon game drive to view the park’s abundant wildlife. Accommodation Foxes Safari Camp (Full board)

DAY 2: Mikumi National Park
Today guests will embark on a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch, or a morning and afternoon drive with lunch back in camp. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the swimming pool for a chance to relax between game drives. Accommodation Foxes Safari Camp (Full board)

DAY 3: Mikumi National Park – Udzungwa Mountains
Today you will enjoy a full-day excursion to the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. The drive to the park takes around 1.5 hours. Upon arrival, we will embark on a 4-hour trek of slow walking to ensure plenty of time to look around. This will give us a chance to see the newly discovered Kipunje monkey, the Red Colobus monkey, as well as birds endemic to the Udzungwas. After the hike you will return to Mikumi National Park for a refreshing round of sundowners. Accommodation Foxes Safari Camp (Full board)

DAY 4 - 7: Ruaha National Park
After a leisurely breakfast, guests will be driven to the airstrip for your flight to the Ruaha National Park. Ruaha is Tanzania's second largest park and offers some of the wildest and most unspoiled wilderness in all of Africa. For those who wish to experience wild Africa, Ruaha is a must-see destination. View some of Tanzania's most exceptional wildlife from open 4x4 game vehicles. The camp's experienced and knowledgeable guides will take you on thrilling safaris in search of the big cats, wild dogs, roan antelope and Greater and Lesser Kudu for which the Ruaha National Park is famous. Accommodation Ruaha River Lodge (Full board)

DAY 8: Selous Game Reserve
We will spend the morning enjoying the splendors of Ruaha, before our afternoon flight to the Selous Game Reserve. Upon arrival in Selous, you will be met by your driver/guide and transported to the camp. The Selous Game Reserve is the largest protected wilderness in Africa and is teeming with wildlife and birdlife. Experience this enchanting landscape from an open 4x4 game vehicle and engage in other exciting activities, such as boat safaris on the Rufiji River or guided walking safaris. Accommodation Rufiji River Camp (Full board)

DAY 9 – 10: Selous Game Reserve
The main feature of Selous is the sprawling river system, comprised of numerous lakes and channels. Today’s activities are planned the night before, so you can choose between walking safaris, boat cruises or vehicle safaris. Selous is the only location in Tanzania where it is possible to take boating, an exciting alternative to the vehicle tours. Accommodation Rufiji River Camp (Full board)

Additional Options:
1. Fly Camping in Selous and Ruaha, available at an additional cost.
2. Walking Safari in Ruaha, Selous and Mikumi, available at an additional cost.