Reviews of safaris to Ruaha National Park

"Cannot say the word amazing enough.

Loved every minute, Excellently organised by Expert Africa, all ran very, very smoothly. Just wish it hadn't come to an end.

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Don't change a thing" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari

"It will live with us forever.

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Everything went very smoothly and Ellie was unfailingly pleasant and helpful." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Tanzania safari

"As honeymoons go, this was the ultimate. We had the seculsion in Selous, the game in Ruaha and the relaxation in Zanzibar. Everything went like clockwork and each part complimented the trip wonderfully well - thank you Ellie & Expert Africa!

First of all Beho Beho and the Selous. Beho Beho is as good as its reputation. Brilliant guiding, brilliant hospitality and in a part of the Selous where you will feel like you have Africa to yourselves. The seclusion is an invaluable feeling and it really hit home just how amazing Africa is. The Selous itself was very different to Ruaha as it was much more vegetated and incredibly beautiful, with rivers, dry gorges, forests and plains. There is plenty of game but it is not the case that you can sit at the top of a hill and scan for your next pride of lion. If you are going to be able to tick game off the list then Selous is not the right choice. You generally have to work for your sightings, which for us, made it all the more special. As Selous is a reserve and not a national park, you can go off-road and track the animals which we found exciting. As a result sightings were so worthwhile and we gained far more insight from BB's excellent guides.

Ruaha was the next stop and was the perfect complement. It seemed much more like a traditional safari area, with game spread across the horizon. The area was much busier than Selous but it was still possible to lose the crowds and go big game hunting. Although we didn't see any leopard, we were incredibly lucky to spot Wild Dog twice and the second time we followed them as they were hunting, which was an unforgettable experience. Mwagusi Camp was brilliant with an amazing location.

We must mention the time of year...perfect! August was start of dry season so there was enough vegetation to keep the dust down, but virtually no mosquitos and the game was starting to congregate around the water holes. Couldn't have been better for both the Selous and Ruaha.

The follow-up in Zanzibar was just what was needed. Relaxation. The Palms was fantastic with great service and food and a very picturesque beach. We would probably not go to Zanzibar in isolation as there isn't too much to do but it definitely complements an East Africa safari!

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We really like the website as it is very simple to navigate with clear links and lots of detail when required.

Based on our experience, we would 100% recommend Expert Africa.

P.s. Thank you for facilitating such a fabulous honeymoon :-)" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari

"We had a fantastic experience with Expert Africa and our trip. In terms of logistics, everything worked out perfectly well, before as well as during the trip. All the recommendations and suggestions we received turned out to be to the point.

We loved the two lodges were we stayed as well as the two national parks Selous and Ruaha - very complementary and different, both very special and not too touristy at all, despite high season. Closing a week of safari with a few days in Zanzibar turned also out to be the right decision. Thanks also a lot for the complimentary travel guide on Zanzibar - excellent reading, I would recommend it to every traveler. All in all a great holiday!

We would recommend Expert Africa to any friends planning the same thing." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"Our experience couldn't have been better.

Everyone we spoke to at Expert were excellent. The attention to detail and personalised service was extremely impressive and the trip we had couldn't have been more perfect. Thank you!

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Keep doing what you're doing!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Tanzania safari

"We'd recommend this entire trip to everyone, despite the cost! Highlight was Mahale National Park and Greystoke. Selous we were very impressed with, regarding the amount of wildlife we saw. Location of the camp excellent but we'd choose a smaller camp in future." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"A wonderful trip! It was interesting to combine Tanzania and Zambia for the variety of wildlife sightings and changes in landscapes.

Many thanks to Claire Scott (EA) for organising it all, and especially for recommending Kigelia in Ruaha, it is an amazing place! Glad I visited Selous before Ruaha as it only got better! Chongwe River Camp in Lower Zambezi still remains my favourite camp. The team from Tours Africa in Lusaka airport also deserves a mention for being so helpful at arrivals and during transfers.

This trip was a fantastic experience from start to finish!

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Not sure you could raise standards any higher!

Third time I have used EA and have never been disappointed. Already looking forward to booking my next trip with your team in the future." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"Whole trip was smooth, exciting, and a true taste of Africa, that we want to experience again. The organisation and help given to us was always first class, and Expert Africa were patient with our queries along the way.

Ruaha is a diverse and beautiful reserve, and you feel like a spectator in a wildlife documentary.

Mwagusi is superb, a five star hotel in a river bed I think that the bar is now set high and we look forward to visiting Africa again.

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We cannot think of anything that could be improved that is within the control of Expert Africa." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 6 on a Tanzania safari

"Outstanding trip overall, perfectly matching our expectations.

James at Expert Africa listened and probed as to what we wanted and expected from our first safari experience, and then put together several itinerary options that would meet our needs. He was able to answer all our questions, and to provide us with lots of additional information that helped us in selecting the final choices for our Safari holiday." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"I generally plan my trips myself without a lot of input from agents. This time I relied heavily on your company and felt I was well rewarded for doing so. I never would have visited Akagera, Katavi, Mahale, Ruaha, or the Selous on my own. I likely would have confined my itinerary in Tanzania to the Serengeti and maybe Ngorongoro Crater. I'm really lucky to have taken James' advice.

In fact, one of my guides in the Serengeti was extremely impressed with my chosen itinerary, commenting that he didn't see many tourists who went that route.

Again, I'm very grateful for your help and would highly recommend your company in the future." Read full review: 27 nights in Africa; 20 on a Tanzania safari