Southern & Western Tanzania
Tanzania's wilderness beyond the northern circuit: southern safaris in Ruaha and Nyerere (formerly Selous), and the western route of chimpanzees at Gombe and Mahale and Lake Tanganyika.
This region is defined by administrative region and includes the southern highlands of Morogoro, Iringa, Mbeya, Songwe, Njombe and Ruvuma; the west's Rukwa, Katavi, Kigoma, Kagera, Geita, Tabora and Shinyanga; and the inland central regions including the capital Dodoma and Singida.
Highlights: Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) with boat and walking safaris and wild dogs; Ruaha National Park's lions and elephants; the waterfall rainforests of Mikumi National Park and the Udzungwa Mountains; the hippo gatherings of Katavi; near Kigoma, Gombe Stream (where Jane Goodall carried out her research) and the chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, plus the beaches of Lake Tanganyika; and the highland tea estates of Mbeya and Njombe and the wildflowers of the Kitulo Plateau.
Classic itineraries: fly from Dar es Salaam to Nyerere for 3 nights plus Ruaha for 3 nights is the standard southern itinerary; the western route to Mahale for 4 nights usually requires a charter flight; repeat visitors to the north can use the south to avoid the crowds.
Getting there: mostly by small plane (Coastal, Auric and other airlines), as roads are in poor condition; the TAZARA railway passes through the southern highlands. Note: camps are mostly high-end and all-inclusive, and need to be booked in advance for the dry season.