SOUTHERN TANZANIA MOBILE TENTED SAFARIS

Authentic Tanzania operates mobile tented safaris throughout southern Tanzania including Selous Game Reserve, Udzungwa Mountains, Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks, and on special request explorer safaris to western Tanzania and Katavi National Park.

We use large walk in canvas dome tents of 3m x 3m size and 2.10 m height. These are spacious enough to fit 2 camp beds plus a side table and still leave room to move around and for luggage. We provide mattresses, bed linen and pillows on all trips offering the freedom of camping in the wild in comfort.

The tents have an en suite toilet and shower facilities extension accessed from inside the tent.

However we prefer to use private campsites inside the national parks and reserves – these offer exclusivity and we ensure the camps are set in the best locations to follow animal migration patterns as the season changes. The private campsites do have a surcharge but for the experience of total privacy we consider this a small price to pay.

Cooking is undertaken on an open fire and bush cuisine comes as a pleasant surprise for those used to microwaves and modern kitchen facilities. An evening spent around the campfire under the vast night sky is the quintessential African experience as you listen to the nocturnal sounds of the bush come alive. Our cooks have been trained on a professional bush cooking course with Extreme Cuisine, Dar es Salaam.

Mobile safaris offer a much closer insight to the countryside of southern Tanzania. Driving through the Uluguru Mountains and the southern highlands you pass some of Africa’s most dramatic scenery whilst also having time to stop in villages and learn about rural life in Tanzania. We try to keep driving times to a minimum and also include cultural side trips on all our safaris.

We use Toyota Landcruisers for our safaris with a maximum of 4guests in 1 car. Some safaris can be taken as a set departure to share with other travellers and help reduce costs or safaris can be booked for 2 guests as a private trip. All trips start in Dar es Salaam but we can also pick up guests from airstrips.

The following are suggested itineraries to make the most of a visit to southern Tanzania but we can tailor make itineraries combining the mobile tented safaris with some nights in lodges en route as well.

1. SELOUS GAME RESERVE – 5 DAYS/4 NIGHTS

2. MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK AND SELOUS GAME RESERVE – 7 DAYS/6 NIGHTS

3. SELOUS GAME RESERVE, MIKUMI AND RUAHA NATIONAL PARKS – 9 DAYS/8 NIGHTS

4. UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS, MIKUMI AND RUAHA NATIONAL PARKS – 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS

5. UDZUNGWA-MIKUMI-SELOUS – 6 DAYS/5 NIGHTS

6. UDZUNGWA-MIKUMI-SELOUS-KILWA -
8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS

Please ask for full details of all these itineraries.

Trip Guidelines:
Our tented safaris in south Tanzania are best suited to those with a sense of adventure seeking a private safari and close contact with the African wilderness. We aim to provide a balance between the comfort and services available at safari lodges but with the exclusivity and excitement that only a camping experience in the bush can offer.

Our safaris are not ‘budget camping safaris’, we prefer to use specially selected private campsites in the Game Reserves and National Parks to ensure an exclusive experience away from other tourists and we provide:

· A fully supported service with driver /guide, cook and camp assistant on safari, as well as back up support in Dar es Salaam contacted through satellite telephones
· New and well maintained equipment – the walk in tents are spacious and camp beds with mattress and bed linen ensure a comfortable night’s sleep
· Mess tent for meals, cold drinks are available on request, and 2 litres of drinking water per day are provided whilst on safari
· Fully safari converted Toyota Landcruisers with unlimited time and distance restrictions on game drives
· Professionally qualified guiding – Sven Liebchen has Kenyan, South African and Zimbabwean safari guiding qualifications and trains all our guides to a professional standard
· Authentic Tanzania has public liability insurance, TALA license and is the Dar es Salaam representative for the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators