Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is a vast, unspoiled wilderness area where diverse wildlife and birdlife find their habitats without any hustle and bustle. It is located in central Southern Tanzania, around 130 kilometres west of Iringa and covers around 20,226 square kilometres of area. The Park derived its name from the Great Ruaha River which flows through the southeastern part of the park. This river fascinates an abundance of wildlife in Ruaha National Park making wildlife sightings excellent. In addition, Ruaha shares a stunning landscape with a vast savannah, a river of life for the wildlife and mountains in the south and west. To watch its glory in your own eyes, a Tanzania Safari is the way to go.

Best Time To Visit Ruaha

Ruaha National Park is a rewarding safari destination that is well-visited throughout the year. But to visit the park according to your choice of activity to do, the best time to visit Ruaha is a must to know. Generally, Ruaha is best visited during the dry season lasts from June to October. During this time, visitors can expect to see golden savannahs and misty hills stretching along the horizon. The dry weather and scarcity of water make the animals congregate around the waterholes. You can see a wide range of game species such as greater kudu, buffalo, roan and sable antelope, zebra and giraffe during this time. The wet season from November to May also has its fair share in the terms of safari experience. With around 570 bird species, the park is also a wonderful destination for twitchers, especially during the green season (November to March).

Dry/High Season (June-October)	Wet/Low Season (November-March)
Excellent game viewing opportunities	Lush greenery vegetables with amazing nature
Dry weather with sunny and clear skies	Afternoon and evening thunderstorms
The more crowded yet amazing safari experience	Best time for birding and photographic safari
Fewer Mosquitoes	More intimate safari experience with a lower price

Wildlife At Ruaha

The Ruaha National Park is renowned for its large herds of elephants and a high number of predators. Lions are the king predator here and are found in large numbers. It makes Ruaha host the second-largest lion population destination on the planet. The park is also a stronghold for endangered African wild dogs as well as known globally for its significant population of cheetahs and leopards. Ruaha is among the few parks in Tanzania where both greater and lesser kudu can be found. Apart from that, you can also encounter some most common animals including elephants, buffalos, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos and various antelopes.

Activities to do in Ruaha

Ruaha National Park is blessed with an amazing concentration of wildlife and offers visitors a number of game-viewing activities. The most famous safari activity is the game drive safari through which you can encounter animals in a 4WD safari vehicle with an experienced guide. Night Game Drive is also allowed here to spot the nocturnal animals, especially leopards and civet cats. A guided walking tour is also another significant way to explore the park on foot with an expert guide. You can get up close sightings of the animals, and colourful birds, enjoy the peaceful environment, relax your mind and take beautiful photos. A cultural tour around Ruaha National park will take you to the life of Hehe people in the neighbouring village.

Top activities to do in Ruaha

• Night Game Drive
• Guided Nature Walks
• Bird Watching
• Cultural Tours