Nyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park formerly known as Selous Game reserve is the largest stand-alone national park in Africa and one of the largest in the world. With a total land area of 30,893km2, it was established in 2019 curved out from the northern part of Selous Game Reserve. It is also the largest mangrove forest located at its delta.
Its is home to a vast diversity of wild animals and with the great River Rufiji running through it and eventually flowing into the Indian ocean, it harbors a lot of reptiles, fish and amphibians. With all this amount of wildlife and birds available, there are lots of unforgettable safari activities that can be experienced by visits to this newly formed yet the biggest National Park in Tanzania.
History
Selous Game Reserve was established in 1896 when the then German governor of Tanganyika proclaimed it as protected wildlife hunting reserve. Around 1922 it was named after Frederick Selous and in 2019 the government of Tanzania decided that to promote and boost tourism in Selous, the northern part of the reserve will be made a National Park and it was named Nyerere National Park in the honor of the first president of Tanzania after colonial rule, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
Location
Nyerere national park is located in south eastern Tanzania, a country in east Africa, about 230km by road from Dar es salaam to Mtete gate in Liwuli district western Lindi region south west of Pwani region, north west Ruvumu and it occupies a big part of south eastern Morogoro region. It is measured at an area almost the size of Belgium, a country in Europe.
It is quite distant from arusha the tourism town of Tanzania about 606km.
Nyerere National Park Top Safari Tours
Wildlife in Nyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park being new is one of those few places whose wild state and ecosystem and biological system hasn’t been altered or tampered with by humans. Due to its size, it has the largest concentration of wild animals in Tanzania. It has a biodiversity of wildlife which are not yet comfortable with human presence due to the fact that it is less frequented by visitors compared to other parks in Tanzania.
Some of the African wildlife animals that pride themselves in calling Nyerere National Park home include; lions, Masai giraffes herds of wildebeests, pain zebras, black rhinos, impalas, leopards, spotted hyenas among others not forgetting a vast diversity of bird species.
One of the attractions in Nyerere National Park is the great Rufiji River which is Tanzania’s largest river. This river runs through the park and is inhabited by and is home to many crocodiles and hippos and it flows directly into the Indian ocean.
Most importantly, Nyerere National Park is best known for its great population of the endangered African wild dogs.
Safari activities in Nyerere National Park.
There is a variety of safari activities that can be done to create an incredible Nyerere National Park experience for its visitors.
Uncrowded Game Drives.
One of the most common and old-fashioned activity are game drives. A driver guide hits the road with tourists on a 4×4 safari jeep taking them around the park to sight see as many animals as possible. If lucky, you have the chance to witness live predator action, animals mating, feeding and running around the park like they don’t care.
You need to get your cameras ready to capture all these mesmerizing and unforgettable moments in Nyerere National Park.
Unlike other game parks in Tanzania, unfortunately night game drives are not permitted in Nyerere National Park. They only happen on the bordering Selous Game Reserve.
Birding safaris.
For birders, Nyerere National Park has countless species of birds to your disposal. With over 450 bird species found in different habitats such as swamps lagoons, the great River Rufiji and the beautiful lush vegetation found all over the park, an experienced guide who is able to identify these different species is assigned to you. Some of the bird species found in Nyerere National Park are African fish skimmers, the hornbills, the white fronted bee-eater, white crowned spur winged plovers, yellow-billed stork, palm-nut vultures and many more.
Walking safaris.
Organized in places referred to as offbeat track where the animals considered dangerous cant be found, we have the walking safari as one of the safari activities enjoyed by travelers in Nyerere National Park because of the fact that it gets you up-close to nature.
Walking safaris are usually carried out in the morning hours and late afternoon during the dry season with the guidance of an armed game ranger to keep you safe and this is because the heat is a bit bearable at these times.
Animals that will be availed to you during this incredible safari experience are elephants, hippos and zebras to mention but a few and you are always free to take as many pictures and videos to safe guard this unforgettable experience in Nyerere National Park.
Nyerere National Park Most Common Attractions
African Fish Eagle
Bateleur Eagle
Ostrich
Waterbucks
Warthogs
Black Rhino
Nile Crocodile
African wild dogs
Hippo
Bat eared Fox
Fishing
Fishing is the perfect way to relax on a safari in Nyerere National Park. With River Rufiji as the primary source of fish, you can carry out spot fishing in this new national park, that is, the fish captured must be put back into water. Apart from River Rufiji, other places you might carryout spot fishing in Nyerere National Park are swamps.
Your fishing expedition will be set off by the help of a guide who will provide you with fishing equipment like fishing rod, bait and life jacket for safety at a small fee.
Balloon safari in Nyerere national park.
Offered in only two national parks in Tanzania, that is, Serengeti National Park in the northern circuit and Nyerere National Park in the southern circuit is the unforgettable balloon safari.
Due to the a fact that balloon safaris are carried out very early in the morning, you get to see your favorite wild animals, landscape of Nyerere National Park and most importantly the sunrise at a different view and distance after which you pop champagne to celebrate the incredible expedition but most important safe landing
Nyerere boat ride
Unlike most national parks in Tanzania, Nyerere National Park is one of those few places that can be explored on a boat. Although there are other sources that you can use, River Rufiji turns out to be the main water stream used for the boat safari activities at Nyerere National Park.
With the guidance of a tour guide and a life jacket for safety, you will be in position to view countless animals and birds. You are in great luck to see many aquatic animals that pride themselves in calling River Rufiji home in their natural habitat for example, crocodiles, hippos among others.
Photography safari.
With your cameras ready, take photos of animals, landscape and the birds found in Nyerere National Park. Photography safari in Nyerere National Park is usually done in the northern park of the park in the presence of a driver guide.
Bush meals and sundowners.
Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner in the bush in the beautiful wilderness after a long day filled with other activities or simply have a sundowner experience at a scenic spot while relaxing and unwinding in the evening
Destination Gallery
Best time to visit Nyerere national park
Although Nyerere national park is considered a year-round travel destination, the best time to visit it is in the dry season. This is because animals are lured to the available water sources like lagoons, swamps and the famous great River Rufiji.
The dry season spans from June to October when the long lush vegetation and tress dry and thin out making animals much more and easily visible especially the predators that always stay hidden not to be seen by their prey.
It is also the best time to witness predators in action since all animals prone to their hunger are easily visible and in big numbers. This season comes in after the calving season making lots of weak animals available for hunting
How to get to Nyerere national park.
There are so many ways to get to one of the places in Tanzania where you can see animals feed, mate, relate and play in their natural habitats, Nyerere National Park.
Nyerere National Park is a few kilometers from Dar es salaam making it much easier and shorter if you are coming from Dar es salaam unlike starting your journey from Arusha the tourism capital of Tanzania in the north.
There are three ways to get to Nyerere national park.
• By air transfer.
• Transfer by air is the most expensive yet convenient and easiest way to get to Nyerere National Park. Domestic flights can be got from Zanzibar, Dar es salaam and Arusha to Nyerere national park.
• Transfer by rail.
• This is the newest and most recent way to transfer to Nyerere National Park. Although it is the cheapest means, you get to have a lovely scenery passing through multiple villages and mountains before getting off at the Matabwe stop after which you get to drive to Nyerere National Park since the distance is short.
• Road transfer
• Considered the most common, old fashioned yet most adventurous way to get to Nyerere National Park, we have road transport. A drive to the park takes about 4 hours and beyond depending on your location during which you can make stopovers at different places and sights depending on your itinerary or just to stretch your legs for a while before hitting the road again for a long drive that is worth every minute
Conclusion.
A visit to Tanzania’s newest park is one that is worth every minute and penny. With a vast diversity of wildlife and bird species not forgetting the beautiful landscape to offer, you can never go wrong with a safari to Nyerere National Park.
Reach out to us today at Serengeti Mara Experts to enjoy a trip of a life time to this beautiful and largest stand-alone national park in Tanzania and Africa as a whole and one of the biggest in the world.
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