Mikumi National Park:

Mikumi National Park is one of the closest parks to Dar Es Salaam; only a four hour drive away. However close it may be though, in size it is not that small. It is a very good park to visit for the weekend,and it is excellent if it is your first safari. There are a wide variety of animals to see, and your chances of finding and seeing a lion are exremely high. It has good dirt roads and an excellent map to keep track of where you are while inside the park. The entrance fee is cheaper than most. The park is a very nice place to stay for one or two nights, and the animals are everywhere. There are an abundance of elephants, giraffe's, zebra's, and gazelle's (etc.)

There are currently three lodges within and surrounding the park:

1. Vuma Hills is one of them, owned by the Fox's, which lays outside of the park about fifteen minutes from the gate entrance into the park. There is a fifteen minute drive up the hill off the main highway to reach this cozy and rather luxurious lodge. This is a great place, with beautiful tented rooms, and really nice views surrounding it. The food is delicious on most days, and the facilities are rather excellent. There is even a small pool, usually in working condition. The staff is very nice and treats you really well. Vuma Hills is a great and welcoming place to go to, so don't miss it (unless you've done many real safari's before)!

http://www.africanmeccasafaris.com/tanzania/safaris/lodges/vumahillstentedcamp.asp

http://www.tanzaniasafaris.info/Mikumi/mikumi2sites.htm

Apart from the large tents, the food cooked by the hotel chefs is natural and fresh from the Tanzanian highland farms.

For a meals made by the hotel chefs there is: a full english/continental breakfast, fresh fruit, tea and coffee. The Lunch menu consists of; a variety of salads, meat dishes and a desert recipe of your choice. For the dinner menu; there are 2 main courses followed by a scrumptious desert and coffee or tea.

2. Mikumi Genesis Motel is the other place you can stay around the park. It is located maybe 15 minutes by car from the park. People running the motel are really kind and helpful. You can rent a driver and a jeep for the park.

http://www.genesismotel.com/

3. Mikumi Wildlife Lodge which is right by the entrance gate. That’s the other place to stay – nice waterhole where lots of animals come to drink, good food and bandas.

The best travel service to get you transportation and good lodging in Mikumi is Safari Makers Company ltd. They may be a bit expensive, but it's definitely worth it.

http://www.safarimakers.com/index2.htm

Other Southern parks:

Ruaha:

Ruaha national park is 600 kilometers from Dar es Salaam, the largest national park in the whole of Africa and covers an area over 22,000 sq. kilometers. In the park you there is a variety of climate zones,like in some areas of the park it is very dry, hot, wet, and cold. All of this different climate is split among the vast landscape. Not only that, but Ruaha has a very important river, the Great Ruaha River that supplies Tanzania with electricity and water. Furhtermore, there are a number of endangered species such as the Ruaha Red-Billed Hornbill, the African wild dog, Grant's Gazelle and Striped Hyena.

Places to stay at Ruaha:

1. "River Lodge" is really beautiful because the dining area is up by the river surrounded by gorgeous vegetation which is very serene. Moreover in the lodge you don't really have to look for animals a lot because they come to you which is great. For more info visit: http://www.tanzaniasafaris.info/Ruaha/intro.htm

2. "Mwagusi" is another park which that is recommended to go to.

3. Another great place to stay is Tandala Safari Lodge. It is located just outside the park (about 10 min.), but the tented bandas are great and several are located right around a water hole (Try Tents 9, 10 or 11). When we went in September it had been dry and there were so many animals coming to the water hole (including lion, greater kudu and hyena, among the many!) that we didn't need to move from our very comfortable verandah in order to watch all of the wildlife very close up. The food was plentiful and quite good and the price is very affordable. Be sure and tell them you are IST teachers. The drive from Dar can be done in a day (9.5 hours), but is best done if broken up with a night in Mikumi village which seems to be halfway. The last part of the drive into the camp is 1.5 hours on a dirt and very bumpy road, but the rest of the drive was easy.


Selous:

1.The Selous is a very good park. You can stay in a quite cheap hotel called Mbega Camp, situated just outside the park.

http://www.selous-mbega-camp.com/

2. Walking Safari" is incredibly exciting because you see so many animals. The best time to go to Selous in from July to October. In Selous you go walking in the park for 5 days and camp.

3. Selous safari camp - it is wonderful! Expensive, but worth it for a real treat.

http://www.selous.com/