Southern Circuit
Mikumi & Ruaha National Parks
Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s second largest park and one of its wildest.Only the area around the Great Ruaha River has been developed for tourism. Because of its remote location even this sees relatively few visitors, thus preserving a massive chunk of raw African wilderness in a totally unspoilt state. Activities centre on the river, which during the dry season is very low, with the remaining rock pools swarming with huge crocodiles and grunting Hippos fighting for space.
Jabali Ridge Lodge
Ruaha is more remote than many popular safari destinations, which has the wonderful benefit of limiting visitor numbers to serious safari enthusiasts. It offers a truly rewarding wilderness experience in a remote and compelling African bush environment.
Room Types
10 rooms (including 1x family room)
Each room has a double bed with over-hanging mosquito nets. The interior is entirely wood with rich tones to give it an elegant and sophisticated look in a spectacular location.
Mdonya Old River Camp
The Mdonya Old River Camp is a relatively simple camp with 12 tents, which are spread over a large area along the old riverbed Mdonya. The tents have no electricity, here paraffin lanterns and a good flashlight are used. The bathroom is located at the back end of the tent and is not considered – open air shower but with hot water!.
Location
The Ruaha National Park is 20’220 km2 the largest national park in Tanzania and relatively untouristisch. The park was expanded in 2008 by the Usanga Wetlands and includes 40% Miombo forests as well as open savannahs, beautiful baobab trees, acacia trees and palm trees, as well as some springs, marshes and seasonal flood plains. The park is bordered to the north by the Mzombe River and to the south by the Great Ruaha River. The Usungu Game Reserve and three other game reserves include the park almost completely. Most of the camps are located at about 800 – 1000 m altitude, but the highest peak of the park is 1868 m. A 50-100 m high Escarpment testifies that the Ruaha National Park is part of the Great Rift Valley.
Kwihala Camp
Kwihala Camp has long been a camp, which was every year in a new place, but now it has found its place on the hillside, not far from the Mwagusi riverbed.
The camp consists of only six tents, which offer a lot of privacy and a real bus tour. The rooms (40 m2) have large beds and en-suite bathrooms (bucket showers) and flush toilets. The tents are equipped with large sunroofs, shelter from the sun and rain, and space for a nice veranda.
The main building consists of the lounge and the dining tent. Both are very tastefully decorated and inviting. The camp does not offer much view, as the rooms are in the bush, but the location is a good starting point for game drives in this wild sector of the park.
Each room has a double bed with over-hanging mosquito nets. The interior is entirely wood with rich tones to give it an elegant and sophisticated look in a spectacular location.
Jongomero
The Jongomero Camp consists of eight tasty, covered with a Strochdach tents that were built on raised platforms along the river Jongomero. The river is often simply a dry sand bed, but can lead to water after rainfall. The large en-suite bathroom with an open shower and a double toilet offers plenty of space. You can also sit on the large veranda, from where you can overlook the river bed. Here you drink the morning coffee or lie down in the Zanzibari bed and read a book.
The lounge / bar and dining room are very open and form two units connected by a short walkway. A little further down the river there is a small intermediate level, where dinner is served in the open air.
Mdonya Old
The Mdonya Old River Camp is a relatively simple camp with 12 tents, which are spread over a large area along the old riverbed Mdonya. The tents have no electricity, here paraffin lanterns and a good flashlight are used. The bathroom is located at the back end of the tent and is not considered – open air shower but with hot water!.
The Mdonya Old River Camp is known for quite a few animals on the way to the river through the camp. Sometimes it is worth sitting in front of the tent in the covered forecourt and just waiting for the things that may come.
Mwagusi
Mwagusi is a classic in Ruaha and the original camp was started already in 1987 by Chris Fox and still performed. The thirteen bandas were built on the banks of the Mwagusi River and offer a nice view of the mostly dry river bed. Each room has a large veranda with lounge corner and a welcoming hammock. From here, you can see the happenings along the river.
The bandas are actually tents, which are additionally covered with a thatched roof and have a polished red stone floor.