Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is a park where your Tanzania Safari can begin the moment the plane touches down. A pair of giraffes may race beside the airstrip, with a line of zebra parading across the runway. As nearby protective elephant mothers guard their young under the shade of a baobab tree.

It is 20,200km² / 7,800 mi² which makes it larger than the Maasai Mara and Serengeti combined!  This wildlife rich park is dominated by its diverse and dramatic landscapes. Dotted with acacia trees, rock-formed kopjes and majestic baobabs.

Ruaha National Park is a remote bastion of spectacular wilderness, undisturbed wildlife, and breathtaking scenery. With herds of more than 10 000 elephants, vast concentrations of buffalo, gazelle, and over 570 bird species.

Ruaha National Park Wildlife

Safaris in Ruaha National Park are unrivaled and the scope of wildlife is extraordinary. With 80 animal species and 10% of the world’s lion population calling the plains home. Ruaha stands in a unique location, straddling two distinct vegetation zones of Eastern and Southern Africa. In some areas, the miombo woodlands typical of Zambia are dominant. While in others, the dry open savanna of Kenya and Tanzania is common. This variation lends itself perfectly to game viewing. Leopards can often be found in thicker woodland. While lions and cheetahs roam freely on the open plains and elephants drink from the river. For example; you find Roan antelope, Sable antelope, Greater Kudu, and Lichtenstein hartebeest. All rarely found further north. And yet at the same time can find Lesser Kudu and Grant’s gazelle that are not common further south.

The density of lions in the park is not only extremely high but the prides are unusually large. It is not uncommon to see numbers of 20 or more. Almost 100 of the elusive African wild dog are to be found here. And black-backed jackals and hyenas both have strong populations.  In the height of the dry season, you may see elephants obtain water from dry sand rivers using their front feet and trunks.

It also has more than 570 species of bird, including the eponymous Ruaha red-billed hornbill. The rainy season is a birders paradise when migrant birds from Europe, Madagascar and beyond flock to the area.

Best time for Ruaha National Park safari

June to November is the long dry season when the park slowly becomes more barren throughout this period. This means that immense volumes of game congregate near to the few remaining water sources. Of course; the predators are never far behind. June is also the Greater kudu breeding season, so this is a good time to spot males.
The rains in Ruaha usually start in December and become heavier in January, February, and March. However, this is still a fantastic time to visit, as it is even quieter than the dry season. The park which is normally dusty and orange, transforms to a verdant green with pops of color as flowers blossom and migrant birds move in.
The only months when travel is not possible are April and May when access is limited in the rainy season.

The best time for avid birders to visit is during the rains; between February and April. This is when migrant birds visit the area. The wet season is also when the scenery is most lush and wildflowers are blooming. And the days are at their hottest.

Getting to Ruaha National Park

Many visitors begin their journey in Dar es Salaam which is located 2.5 hours away by light aircraft. Clients can also arrive on daily flights from Zanzibar and seasonally from the Serengeti.