This community development project has been initiated in Ifakara to help local fishermen learn new skills and diversify into tourism. Ifakara can either be reached from Dar es Salaam by TAZARA train or car. This unique dugout canoe safari can be combined with hiking in the Udzungwa Mountains, just 1 hour from Ifakara or part of an extended south Tanzania safari including Ruaha, Mikumi and Selous.

The Kilombero Valley is remote and offers a chance to experience rural Tanzanian life, as well as superb bird watching. Local fishermen cast their nets as you drift past in your canoe which is poled by an experienced guide, hippos watch you warily, crocodiles slip from the river banks into the brown waters…….. this is an extremely relaxing safari which allows you to enjoy the tranquillity of Africa untouched by the encroaching modern world.
The dugout canoes have shade and a mattress to sit on and 2 man nylon dome tents with mattresses are used when camping with meals taken by an open fire under the stars. All proceeds from the safari go directly into the development project which was financed by a soft loan for initial start up costs and is now self financing.
Please note this is a ‘no frills’, adventure tourism safari best suited to those seeking an authentic Tanzanian village experience away from mainstream tourist areas.

Day 1. KILOMBERO VALLEY
Transfer to dug out canoes for boat safari on Kilombero river. Approx 6 hours canoeing with frequent stops along the way and a guided bush walk. Good bird watching, hippos, crocodiles and small fishing villages along the river. O/n camping by river.

Day 2. KILOMBERO VALLEY
Canoe back up river slowly stopping at points of interest and spend night camping on sandbar in the middle of the river. FB

Day 3 IFAKARA
Canoe back to Ifakara. Continue on to Udzungwa Mountains, Mikumi or Ruaha.

Best time of year to visit July-October

Kilombero Valley Game Controlled Area

The Kilombero Valley is located in Morogoro region, southern Tanzania between the Udzungwa Mountains and the Mahenge escarpment, part of the Eastern Arc Mountains.
The Kilombero Game Controlled Area is approximately 7000km2 and could serve as a 'wildlife corridor' between the Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi and Udzungwa National Parks. The Kilombero Valley is a unique, complex ecosystem with one of the highest wild mammal densities in Tanzania and it contains the only sustainable population of Puku in Tanzania plus 3 endemic bird species (the Kilombero Weaver, and 2 Cisticolla species). Its status as a Game Controlled Area means that people still live in the valley in their traditional manner, co-existing with wildlife.

When to visit:
Best time to visit is July-October. The area is inaccessible March-June due to inundation - the floodplain is the largest seasonal wetland in E.Africa.

Getting There:
The Kilombero Valley is accessed by road from the Udzungwa Mountains National Park (1hr to Ifakara) or by train (Tazara from Dar 12hrs) then road, both via Ifakara. The trip to Kilombero works well when combined with Ruaha, Selous and Udzungwas then a stop in Mikumi on the return to Dar. Special itineraries available on request.

Where to Stay:
As Kilombero has no lodges or formal development for tourism only camping is available and facilities are basic.

Photos courtesy Mchele Menegon