CLASSIC WILDERNESS SOUTHERN TANZANIA SAFARI Selous – Ruaha – Katavi - Mahale Day 1 Days 2-4 Days 5-7 Days 8-10 Days 11-14 Day 15

- Arrive Dar es Salaam, meet, greet & transfer by Origins Safaris, 1 o/n Southern Sun Hotel - Fly schedule to Selous Game Reserve, 3 o/n Rufiji River Camp - Fly schedule to Ruaha National Park, 3 o/n Ruaha River Lodge - Fly schedule to Katavi National Park, 3 o/n Katuma Bush Lodge - Fly schedule to Mahale Mountains National Park, 4 o/n Kungwe Beach Lodge - Fly schedule to Dar, dayroom Southern Sun Hotel, lunch, transfer & depart

Day 1 – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Day 1 • • • • •

Arrive Dar es Salaam Meet & greet by an Origins Safaris representative Transfer to hotel Accommodation: Southern Sun Hotel Meal Plan: All meals

On arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to the Southern Sun Hotel where you will spend your first night before embarking on your safari. The Southern Sun Dar es Salaam offers well appointed accommodation within walking distance of the central business district. The hotel is superbly located on the border of the Botanical Gardens and diplomatic offices. Accommodation comprises of 152 well-appointed guest rooms including 2 suites, 10 executive rooms and one room specifically equipped for physically challenged guests. The majority of the rooms are nonsmoking. The hotel offers 24-hour room service, laundry and dry-cleaning services, ample secure parking, corporate and business support services (including complimentary WiFi internet access and a conference service). Dining at the Southern Sun Dar es Salaam is a tantalisingly exotic experience. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Kivulini Restaurant, which overlooks the swimming pool and the Botanical Gardens. For all day meals you won’t want to miss out on the fusion of Swahili and continental cuisine offered by the Baraza Grill, Cafe & Bar. The ambience and decor of this hotel would more than meet the approval of Dar es Salaam's founder, the Sultan of Zanzibar, who established the city in 1882. Guests are assured to receive VIP treatment fit for a Sultan. Tanzania: Between Africa’s highest mountain (Kilimanjaro) and Africa’s largest lake (Victoria) lies one of the best game-viewing areas on the continent – Tanzania. More than 10% of the country’s entire landmass is protected, areas that include the largest unflooded intact volcanic caldera (Ngorongoro), the famous Serengeti National Park, Africa’s largest game reserve (Selous), and East Africa’s longest river (Rufiji), and the world’s longest lake (Tanganyika). It is a list that would keep the Guinness Book of Records in business! Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

The Great East African Rift Valley barges its way through the north west of the country en route south from Kenya into Uganda. The Rift is the source of the violent volcanic and seismic activity that created Mt Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Highlands and the great lakes of Victoria and Tanganyika, as well as the rich volcanic soils that sustain the huge concentrations of game in the Serengeti and other northern parks. When to go… or when not to…. heavy rains usually occur in April and May and lighter rains in late October and November, the rest of the year is generally dry and hot, subject to altitude. Altitude has a great effect on temperature. At Arusha (4,600 feet/1,390 m) and the top of Ngorongoro Crater (7,500 feet/2,285 m), nights and early mornings are especially cool. Tanzania’s highest temperatures occur during December-March and are lowest in July. History: From as far back as the tenth century, Arabs, Persians, Egyptians, Indians and Chinese were involved in heavy trading on the coast. The slave trade began in the mid-1600s and was abolished in 1873. British explorers Richard Burton and John Speke crossed Tanzania in 1857 to Lake Tanganyika. Speke later discovered Lake Victoria, which he mistakenly thought, was the source of the Nile. The German East Africa Company gained control of the mainland (then called German East Africa) in 1885, and the German government held it from 1891 until World War I, when the League of Nations mandated it to Britain. Tanganyika gained its independence from Britain in 1961, and Zanzibar gained its independence in December 1963. Sultans ruled Zanzibar, once the centre of the East African slave trade, until they were overthrown in January 1964. Three months later, Zanzibar formed a union with Tanganyika — the United Republic of Tanzania.

Days 2, 3 & 4 - Selous Game Reserve Day 2

Days 3 & 4

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Breakfast & check out

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Fly schedule to Selous Game Reserve Met at airstrip & game drive to camp Lunch in camp PM game drive Accommodation: Rufiji River Camp Meal Plan: Full board

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Nairobi • Transfer to airport

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Full days exploring the Selous Game Reserve Accommodation: Rufiji River Camp Meal Plan: Full Board

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for the scheduled flight to Selous Game Reserve. On arrival it’s a leisurely game drive to camp arriving in time for lunch. Selous Game Reserve: The Selous is Africa’s largest single game reserve, and the 2nd largest protected area in the world. This is a true wilderness - you’d be unlucky to bump into another soul – and to really bring the raw reality to life, here you can abandon the security of a vehicle (under the firm care of a guide needless to say) and head out into the bush on foot, which you can’t do in most other parks and reserves in Tanzania. The northern area of the Selous, which is designated for photographic tourism, is dramatically dominated by the sprawling Rufiji River. The biggest water catchment in East Africa, millions and millions of litres flow down its slow wide meandering course daily, and loyally provide for wildlife 12 months of the year, irrespective of the season. And of course the very best way to explore this waterway is quietly floating downstream by boat. The river feeds lakes and other secondary tributaries. Some of these are seasonal but many such as Lake Tagalala, retain water throughout the year. Tagalala accommodates the world’s largest single concentration of Nile crocodile, a frankly spine-chilling accolade. In fact these crocs are so mean that even though the fish supply is more than plentiful, during breeding season they enjoy snapping up tiny fluffy Egyptian goose goslings if their parents aren’t diligent – a mere peanut in the crocodile scheme of nutrition. Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

The Selous landscapes have the variety and colour of a Christmas tin of Quality Street. Thick impenetrable riverine forests butt onto the river; these give way to open grasslands dotted with palm and terminalia thickets. Further to the north are rocky, acacia-clad hills, criss-crossed with animal paths, in particular the distinctive hippo trails sprayed with dung, which the hippo use on their nightly sojourns to look for grass, sometimes walking up to 15 kilometers before dawn. The higher ground is dominated by miombo woodland, a lovely open forest that is great for walking and wildlife and has a wide variety of trees, many delicately fragrant and beautiful when in flower. In the Beho Beho hills, a fault line has created a series of hot springs that have formed oases of wild date palms and other rich vegetation. At the top, the water is far too hot to touch, but lower down it forms pools at perfect bath temperature, which overflow into waterfalls – this is the most glorious spot for languishing and floating in the water, listening to the birdsong and palm fronds crackling in the breeze. Ultimately what makes Selous so magical is its variety, that it is completely untainted by mass-tourism, and that you are not constrained to a vehicle and can have completely different wildlife encounters on foot or by boat. Wildlife: Selous is home to Africa’s largest populations of elephant, buffalo, hippo and crocodile. It also protects one of the world’s last remaining populations of wild dog, and a small population of black rhino, although these have become so rare and shy that you are sadly unlikely to come across one. More than 400 species of bird live in the Reserve, and 2,000 species of plant have been recorded. Seasons: All year is great in the Selous, but the dry season is between June and October, which probably best for walking (since the grasses have died down) and for concentrations of game near the river and permanent lakes. Between November and March the short rains bring a flush of new growth to the miombo woodlands and plains and it is a brilliant time for migratory birds and flowers. History: The Selous is steeped in history. The explorers Burton and Speke crossed this wilderness in the mid 19th Century, in search of the source of the Nile. In 1905, local people protected themselves with the magical waters of the hot springs and instigated an uprising against the German colonial government who had control of Tanganyika at that time. Known as the Maji Maji Rebellion, many thousands were killed under the false belief that the waters of the hot springs made them impervious to gunfire. During the First World War, the Germans led the British a merry dance through this hugely dangerous and remote area; most deaths were from disease and encounters with animals; the trenches are still visible and walking in certain areas, one quite often stumbles across old bullets and reminders of this violent time. The Reserve is named after Frederick Courtney Selous, the English commander who was killed in action by a sniper close to the Beho Beho area. His simple grave still stands where he fell. Rufiji River Camp is located on the banks of the Rufiji river, in a point where the ample and tranquil river is animated by many and different species of animals. Rufiji River Camp enjoys the most fabulous position looking over this wide, sprawling waterway. The camp is redesigned and renovated for 2010 with much larger, airy tents built up on wooden platforms. There will be 14 tents individually sited with the length of the tent alongside the riverbank. Each tent has an extended and shaded verandah, where guests can relax between game excursions and enjoy the activity always present in and along the river. The tented camp, situated in the heart of the reserve, is environmentally friendly and each tent is equipped with a private bathroom and a veranda facing the river. There is a constant flow of animals coming down to drink at the river offering a permanent show to visitors of the camp. The water is usually full of hundreds of hippos as well as groups of crocodiles that laze in the sun on the sandbanks in the river. Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

A structure in the central part of the camp hosts the restaurant, bar and library, all with a view of the river and the sunset. All of the camp structures, kitchen included, are constantly renovated, attaining the highest level of comfort without sacrificing the emotion of a total immersion in a completely natural environment. Electricity and hot water are powered by solar panels, while UHV-filtered drinking water is available throughout the camp including the tents. A covered swimming pool is situated in the camp, between reception and mess area. The camp has twenty tents facing the sunset, with comfortable beds, walled en-suite facilities, mosquito netting and all of the comfortable equipment of a lodge. Each tent has a private veranda under a roof of local straw (makuti) that creates the perfect place for reading, writing or just resting in the shade. Rufiji River Camp welcomes children but they must be sleeping in a tent with adults. Parents and guardians are expected to act responsibly and make sure that children are not left unattended at any time. We also would like to

request that parents educate their children on the subject that the camp is within a reserve for the animals and that neither they nor residents or fellow guests must be disturbed by unnecessary noise. The programme of excursions is decided once at the camp, between the clients and the Camp Manager. A few factors have to be considered, like the state of the roads in the Reserve, the level of water on the river, the presence of animals around the camp, etc, and for these reasons a schedule cannot be given in advance, at the moment of the booking.

Days 5, 6 & 7 - Ruaha National Park Day 5

Days 6 & 7

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Leisurely breakfast & check out

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Fly schedule to Ruaha National Park Met at airstrip & game drive to lodge Lunch in lodge PM game drive Accommodation: Ruaha River Lodge Meal Plan: Full board

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Nairobi • Transfer to airstrip

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Full days exploring the Ruaha National Park Accommodation: Ruaha River Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board

On arrival in the Ruaha you will be met and transferred to Ruaha River Lodge in Tanzania’s 2nd largest national park located in the more remote south west of the country. Ruaha is a delightful conservation area, especially distinctive for its large elephant population, majestic groves of unusual single-trunked doum palms, and for the Great Ruaha River, which washes through the southern part of the Park. For many years a well-kept secret because of its inaccessibility, Ruaha has been gaining rapidly in popularity over the past few years and quite justifiably so. Game is plentiful, the landscapes are gloriously varied, and the magnetic draw of the Ruaha River (and the Mzombe River further north) almost guarantee interesting wildlife encounters – specially if you take the time to sit quietly for an hour or so and wait to see what happens; because more often than not something does. Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

Despite the Park’s growing popularity, Ruaha remains a big, unspoilt, wild place where there is space to find your own piece of expansive privacy in which to explore. The landscapes change regularly; the wide river with its rocky pools and sandy beaches, rare baobab forests, open grasslands, and craggy isolated hills crying out to be explored for leopard - Ruaha pretty much has it all. Wildlife: Ruaha offers a rich concentration of animals including lion, leopard, cheetah, jackals, hyena, crocodiles and hippo and the very rare wild dog. Species of grazers and browsers are numerous and include large herds of buffalo, lesser and greater kudu, roan and sable antelopes, and Grant’s gazelles. The Park is also home to 350 species of bird not found in Northern Tanzania, so it gives a very unique perspective to bird lovers who are venturing south for the first time. Seasons: Dry Season: Mid-May to December is the best time to see predators and large mammals since the grasses and undergrowth have died down and animals concentrate around the shrinking river waters. Wet Season: During the rains between January and April, the bird life is at its best, and inevitably it is the time to see verdant scenery and a stunning array of flowers. Many camps however close between March and April since roads tend to become impassable. Ruaha River Lodge occupies a unique and privileged position set around a series of rocky kopjes in a bend of the Great Ruaha River, blending seamlessly into its surroundings and affording views up and down the river. Game is drawn to the river from the neighbouring hills and guests can witness the great wildlife dramas unfold from the comfort and protection of their self-contained natural stone and thatch 'banda'. With resident hippos and crocs there is always plenty of action to watch and several incidents of lion or leopard kills have been seen from the lodge. The Lodge has recently being upgraded, with much larger and more luxurious rooms, allowing for a lounge area with sofa and chairs in each room, wide doors opening onto a deep and shady verandah and large bathroom at the rear. The Lodge is divided into 2 separate restaurant and bar areas; the hilltop bar and the riverside bar; each restaurant is hosted, thus maintaining a personalized small camp atmosphere in each. Game driving is the predominant activity in Ruaha National Park. The park has a vast network of all weather roads, so large tracts of the park are accessible to visitors. Not only does this increase the chance of seeing more animals, it also disperses the vehicles more evenly around the park so that you will not meet many other vehicles. The vehicles used have been specially adapted for game viewing. The tiered seating is just shaded with a roof, but is otherwise open to allow all passengers the best view possible. Game walks are available at certain times of year. This is determined by the National Parks. The walks are accompanied by a guide from Ruaha River Lodge and also a Parks Ranger.

Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

Days 8, 9 & 10 – Katavi National Park Day 8

Days 9 & 10

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Early breakfast

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Fly schedule to Katavi National Park Met on arrival & game drive to lodge Arrive in time for lunch PM game drive Accommodation: Katuma Bush Lodge Meal Plan: Full board

• Airstrip transfer Nairobi

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Spend 2 days exploring Katavi National Park Meals in lodge Accommodation: Katuma Bush Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for the scheduled flight to Katavi National Park. On arrival it’s a leisurely game drive to camp arriving in time to stretch your legs in this incredible wilderness setting before enjoying a hearty lunch. Katavi National Park: Take a neat straight line due west from Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s coast, keep going for days and days and days, and eventually on the other side of the country, as far as you can go and in the middle of nowhere, is Katavi National Park – what more reason may one need! This is one of the wildest places on earth, and thanks to its remoteness, is pretty much still undiscovered. A 5-hour flight from Dar or up to 5 days by car, an adventure to Katavi is just that, but to say it’s worth it when you get there is an understatement of unprecedented proportions. What stands Katavi apart is the sheer concentration of game during the dry season, when all shapes and sizes of animals, the predators and predated, are pretty much squeezed into just two small areas where water is still available. A heaving muddy mass of hundreds and hundreds of hippo fill what’s left of the pools in the dry Katuma river; along the parched river banks crocodile dig narrow caves and pile upon one another, 3-4 animals high, in partial hibernation. Surrounding all this, it’s almost impossible not to bump into hyena and lions at every turn, waiting as the plains animals come in to drink. And what herbivores there are; vast herds of buffalo, a healthy elephant population, and as well as topi, zebra, eland, waterbuck, impala and giraffe, the Park is also one of the last sanctuaries for more rare species such as sable and roan antelope. Wild dog have also found refuge in this isolated oasis, a rare sight indeed in Africa these days. The area is dominated by two seasonal lakes, Katavi and Chada. During the dry season these become expansive grassy plains and are transformed into watery swamps when it rains. Amongst these open grasslands are swathes of miombo woodland and more heavily forested areas dominated by tamarind and albida. The Katuma River and its shrinking pools of water, is the heartbeat of the Park in the dry season, when it becomes a veritable Noah’s Ark for wildlife. Wildlife: Wild dog, leopard, cheetah, lion, crocodile, hippo, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, sable & roan antelope, impala, topi, zebra, eland. More than 400 species of bird have been recorded in the park including a colourful assortment of water birds. Seasons: Katavi really comes into its own in the dry season (between June and October, and January and February) when the river and lake waters have evaporated off and the bird and animal-life is forced to live a wary co-existence. As the dry season progresses the game inevitably becomes more concentrated, until the rains free the animals up once more and let Katavi breathe again. Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

Katuma Bush Lodge: Located in the centre of the park, on an elevated point over looking the vast plains of Katisunga, Katuma Bush Lodge consists of spacious and comfortably furnished tents, each with writing desks, lamps, fine linen and en suite facilities offering hot and cold water. The lodge has been designed to blend in with its surroundings to avoid distracting from the beauty of Katavi, and herds of animals can be seen right from your tent. Meals are a sumptuous affair, and a variety of dishes are accompanied with tropical fruits and juices. On the last evening of your stay, a barbecue will be served under the shade of tamarind trees, so you can reflect on the unforgettable experiences you’ve had at Katavi while watching the sun setting over the plains. Game Viewing is exceptionally rewarding at Katavi due to the sheer abundance of wildlife, and we tend to begin game viewing early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Game drives in 4 X 4 vehicles centre around the woodland areas along the seasonal lakes, where most of the game can be found including the big cats. Also short-guided walking safaris are offered leaving in the late afternoon when the light is at its best.

Days 11, 12, 13 & 14 – Mahale Mountains National Park Day 11 • Morning game drive • Breakfast & check-out Nairobi • Transfer to airstrip • Fly schedule to Mahale National Park • Boat transfer to lodge • PM game drive • Accommodation: Kungwe Beach Lodge • Meal Plan: Full board

Days 12, 13 &14 •

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Spend 3 full days exploring Mahale National Park and the shores of Lake Tanganyika Chimpanzee trekking Sundowner cruise on Lake Tanganyika Accommodation: Kungwe Beach Meal Plan: Full Board

After a last early morning game drive and leisurely breakfast you are driven to the airstrip to catch the schedule flight to Mahale Mountains, arriving in time for lunch at Greystoke Camp on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Mahale Mountains National Park is Tanzania’s most remote and inaccessible conservation area; there’s not a single car, and you can only get there by light aircraft and boat. The Park is bordered on one side by long skinny Lake Tanganyika (the boundary between Tanzania and the Congo), where the peaks of the Mahale Mountains plummet pretty much vertically into the waters of the lake. Looking west across the lake with the mountains behind you, the sun’s early morning rays are unhindered until they fall on the distant smudge of the Congo on the far-flung shore. This is the stuff that pioneering adventures are made of, a solid barrier to civilisation, the craggy mountains and dense tropical rainforest that blankets them are home to a large chimp population - a major attraction for visitors to the Park. It is thrilling to follow the chimps as they charge and hoot through the forest canopy, or to sit quietly in the undergrowth watching these creatures in such close proximity (often physically and always physiologically!). Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

The exhilarating close encounters are possible with one particular group, which are habituated to humans; chimp sightings can be daily and almost always are when many of the tree species on the lower mountain slopes are fruiting (between December and March). The walking in Mahale generally – chimps aside - is outstanding, with scattered mountain paths winding up through the dense forest crossed with rushing streams, and the odd glimpse of the lake below through the trees. Lake Tanganyika is the longest and 2nd deepest lake in the world. Its waters are as clear as the purest spring and unexpectedly warm - heated by volcanic thermals from the lake’s depths. Snorkeling is as good as you’ll get off many ocean reefs, with 350 known species of fish to look out for. Although not numerous, there are crocodile and hippo around the sandy bays, so one does need to pay a bit of attention when selecting a snorkeling or swimming spot…. Wildlife & Plantlife: Studies have identified more than 550 species of plant in the Park, but researchers believe there could be as many as 1,000 different flowering plants. The chimps are known to select from almost 200 different species to satisfy their varied diet. Animals include hippo, crocodile, spotted hyena, leopard, warthog, bushbuck, blue duiker, brush-tailed porcupine, red-legged sun squirrel, and a number of primates aside from the chimps, including olive baboon, red tailed monkey and the red colobus. Surprisingly Mahale is not as rich in birdlife as one might expect from such a rich tropical forest. But those select species that do flourish there, do so in abundance, and include the red-collared widowbird, the crowned eagle, Ross’s Turaco, crested guinea fowl, robin chat, fish eagle and palm nut vulture to name just some. Seasons: Dry season is between June and November; wet season from December to May. The dryer season is cooler and probably offers better viewing opportunities in some ways because the forest undergrowth is less thick. The chimps tend to come down to the lower levels of the forest during the wetter seasons where more of the fruiting trees are, and the forest is humid and hot. Kungwe Beach Lodge: Overlooking the crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganyika with breathtaking sunsets, on a stretch of golden sandy beach, the recently refurbished, Kungwe Beach Lodge is the perfect blend of comfort and luxury in a romantic setting. The light, airy and spacious tents are furnished in the traditional ‘safari’ style with unbeatable sunsets over the mountains of Congo, in the gathering darkness fishermen’s lanterns light up across the lake, mirroring the stars above. Candlelit dinners are served either on the beach, or in the dining area, to the unique sounds of Africa; beetles, crickets and the night calls of chimpanzees. The perfect way to relax after a perfect day! As well as being famous for chimpanzee tracking, this part of Lake Tanganyika offers some of the best fresh water fishing in Tanzania, here you can catch ‘Sangara’ (Nile Perch), ‘Kuhe’ (Yellow Belly) to name just a few. So, be it a strenuous chimpanzee trek, a scenic boat trip, an adventurous fishing excursion or just time spent relaxing on cushioned sun beds while listening to the lapping of the waves, your stay at Kungwe Beach Lodge will be a memorable experience to take away with you.

Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521

Day 15 – Dar-es-Salaam & Depart Day 15 • • • • • • • • •

Breakfast & check-out Short game drive & boat transfer to airstrip Fly scheduled to Dar es Salaam Met by Origins Safaris & transferred to Southern Sun Hotel Day room reserved Lunch PM at leisure Check-out & transfer international flight departure Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch

At the end of your safari you fly back to Dar on the Tanzanian Coast. You will be met and transferred to the Southern Sun Hotel where a dayroom has been reserved for you. After lunch there’s time for a rest and repack before you fly back home. Origins Safaris will transfer you to the airport for your international flight departure.

Origins Safaris PO Box 48019 Nairobi 00100. Tel +254 (0) 20 2710171, 2710172, 2042695; Fax +254 0(0) 20 2710178 Emergency Cell phone: +254 (0) 722 707521