If you are interested in reaching some of the last remaining untouched and little visited parts of the world to feel the privilege of experiencing incredible wildlife (and wonder who was the last to share this experience), rather than following the crowds to the more common destinations found in the north of Tanzania and Kenya, then Africa 2000 Tours  with our specialized Tanzanian friends are the answer to your prayers. 

Off the beaten track:

Although we can organise trips to any part of Tanzania, Africa 2000 Tours and Foxes African Safaris specialise in 'off the beaten track' remote destinations away from the crowds and mass tourism circuits found in the north of Tanzania and in Kenya. With forty years experience in Tanzania our reputation was established in Ruaha National Park (Tanzania's little known but second largest park). 

Since then we have turned a number of pipe dreams into reality with:

The Highland Fishing Lodge in the Southern Highlands, adding activities and culture; Foxes Safari Camp and Vuma Hills Tented Camps for Mikumi and Udzungwa Mountain National Parks to add diversity to the itinerary; and

Lazy Lagoon Island in the Indian Ocean & Zanzibar channel offshore from Bagamoyo slave town, for its swimming at all tides, snorkeling and 9km uninterrupted beaches.  

An exclusive tented camp in the ultimate 'off the beaten track' destination in Katavi National Park has been set up.

Ruaha National Park, Katavi National Park, and Mikumi National Park, are three of the four largest National Parks in Tanzania and certainly the wildest. Add to this trekking in the unique Udzungwa Mountain National Park, and you have a unique and exciting itinerary. You can’t get much more remote than these National Parks!

If you are not yet convinced that our operations are unique then you might like to know about the Safari Express Train: the first of its kind in East Africa; to add a new dimension to accessing these remote areas.  

We can offer you the complete tailor made beach and bush itinerary, with every aspect of the holiday organised from arrival in Tanzania until your departure. Different modes of transportation to a variety of locations mean that you will be able to find a safari to suit even the most adventurous of people.

Katavi National Park "Africa's best kept secret".

Described by Travel Africa and Africa Geographic magazines as "Africa's best
kept secret". This is for the connoisseur Africa traveler or those people who like to visit the most remote places to experience the best wildlife  away from the crowds. 

A recent survey at Katavi recorded the highest concentration of game in all the parks of Tanzania which in this country is quite a statement!

The northern parks are visited by 120,000 people while less than 200 people reach Katavi and you will feel very privileged when you look through the visitor book to see who was the last person to come. So you can experience the highest concentration of game in Tanzania and share it with the lowest number of people! If you have the time and resources Katavi is a ’must see’ safari destination. 

Katavi has the same climate as Ruaha but with a completely contrasting topography comprising of a series of secret flood plains fringed by woodlands and teaming with wildlife (many species of which are not found in Ruaha eg.Topi). You are surrounded by wildlife the moment you arrive and as you pass through the fringed woodland these vast flood plains, teaming with game, open up in front of you totally unexpectedly. 

Its remoteness and vast ecosystem has meant that the lush floodplains attract a very large biomass and huge herds of wildlife; it is not uncommon to see herds of 1600 Buffalo!  Along with large herds of Topi and Zebra the Buffalo graze the plains during the day when they are less vulnerable to predators preferring to return to the relative safety of the woodland at night. Their predators maintain the balance by ambushing them as they return to the woodland.  

Katavi Wildlife Camp is very exclusive with only six tents luxurious in size and furnishings and cunningly set back in amongst the trees that line the floodplain, providing both shade and camouflage in the prime game viewing area of the park, where the wildlife are unaware of your presence.

The camp will be small and select with personalised hosting and guiding by an experienced professional guide.  

Katavi makes the perfect combination with Ruaha for the ultimate off the beaten track safari.
 

However the catch is that currently the most cost effective way of reaching Katavi is by light aircraft from Ruaha. To give you a perspective Katavi is half way between Dar and Ruaha. Katavi is being extended and will supersede Mikumi as Tanzania's third largest park.  Clients are guided in our specially adapted open game viewing vehicles, with a unique design to maximize comfort and visibility, accompanied by expert guides and driver with an in depth local knowledge of the park. During guided walking safaris our guides will interpret for you the previous nights dramas from the spoor and you can experience the thrill of game as you walk amongst the wildlife and view the surroundings from their perspective.
 

Ruaha National Park
Tanzania's second largest National Park; it is difficult to describe what it is that makes Ruaha so special, but if I were to visit only one park in Tanzania it would be Ruaha.

Central features:

-The Great Ruaha River which is the lifeline of the park.
Wildlife is attracted to the river from the surrounding hills. Game becomes increasingly concentrated along the river as the dry season progresses from June to December.

-Unparalleled Diversity due to:
Incredibly Varied Topography:  with a consequent wide range of habitats and correspondingly diverse range of wildlife species, from rocky kopjes, baobabs, grassland plains, the escarpment plateau and Miombo (brachystegia) woodland to the acacia albida along the banks of the Great Ruaha River. With an altitude that varies from 3000ft to the mountain ranges of over 6000 ft. 

Transvergence zone:

Ruaha’s main importance lies in its location within the “transvergence zone“ between northern and southern hemispheres which is fundamental to its diversity so that there are 1600 plant species as compared to 600 in the northern parks. This transference zone is the reason for a diverse range of wildlife and bird species and why you can find species not common further north such as Sable, Roan, and Greater and Lesser Kudu to mention but a few as well as those species common to the north such as Grants’ gazelle etc. 

Bird migrants from both hemispheres overlap in Ruaha so that over 500 species of birds can be found in this one park alone (approximately half that found in the entire country).  

No major game migration occurs in Ruaha such as those found in the northern parks so game can be seen in Ruaha at any time of the year. Although the game is most concentrated along the river during the long dry season the park becomes a different world after the rains in December with the trees erupting into leaf and the Great Ruaha River swelling into a bursting torrent while the bird population explodes with migrants from both hemispheres visiting Ruaha. A visit during this time will open your eyes to a completely different Africa to the one you thought you knew well. The road infrastructure is excellent and all weather.

Accommodation:
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 visitors can witness the great wildlife dramas unfold from the comfort and protection of their self contained natural stone and thatch 'banda'. The Lodge is hosted by Peter and Sarah Fox who after a couple of decades living in Ruaha have an unparalleled knowledge of the park.
 

Mikumi National Park and Udzungwa Mountain National Park.

Mikumi National Park until recently, when Katavi was expanded, was the third largest National Park in Tanzania and part of the Selous ecosystem. The central feature is the Mkata flood plain whose lush pastures attract wildlife from the surrounding hills thereby concentrating game while also making it easy for game viewing. The best game area is on the northern part of this flood plain around the Mwanambogo waterhole.The flood plain also means you get plains game species not found in Ruaha National Park such as wildebeaste.

In Mikumi National Park we operate two very different tented camps, Foxes Safari Camp and Vuma Hills Tented Camp:

Foxes Safari Camp: Set on a rocky outcrop on the Mkata flood plain. The restaurant and bar at the top offering 360 degree game viewing and panoramic views over the plain and Mwanambogo waterhole. Only 8 tents with a very personalised real bush safari  atmosphere. Ideal for stepping off an airline and straight into the bush. Large tents ensuite bathrooms with solar heated showers and flush toilets, lighting and shady verandas.

Vuma Hills Tented Camp: Swahili: "a good rumour that is spread with the blowing wind". Set in the hills overlooking the Mkata flood plain. There are 16 exceptionally large spacious tents  with ensuite bathrooms with solar heated showers and flush toilets, lighting and shady verandas. The restaurant over looks the swimming pool and seemingly endless wilderness beyond. It is more suited to families since the tents are larger and closer together than at Foxes Safari Camp.

While Vuma Hills remains open all year around we close Foxes Safari Camp for a short period in April during the rains due to its location on a flood plain.

Udzungwa Mountain National Park
With three nights in Mikumi at either of the above camps there is time for a full day of trekking in Udzungwa Mountain National Park walking under the canopy rainforest and endemic primates and birds to emerge at Sanje water falls with spectacular views over the rift valley below. The walk is relatively steep and not suitable for young children or visitors with a medical or mobility condition. However there is always the option to remain in Mikumi and admire the game. 

Udzungwa is a remnant of the eastern arc rainforest that used to stretch along the eastern rift. 165 m years ago Madagascar separated from the mainland such that the forests there have similarities to the Udzungwa rainforest. While 6m years ago the Udzungwa rainforest was isolated from the West African rainforests so that there exists a high degree of endemism with 25% of the plants being unique only to Udzungwa.  

Of the ten primates that are found in these forests four are endemic only to Udzungwa including the Red Hehe Colobus and the Crested Mangaby. There are also a couple of endemic Galagoes (bushbabies), several endemic birds including the Rufous Winged Sunbird and Udzungwa partridge, and the forest is so full of biodiversity that the scientists are still finding endemic birds, plants, butterflies (& other insects) and mammals.
 

Lazy Lagoon Island

Central feature: Idyllic, and arguably the most exclusive, 9km private retreatin Tanzania, lying in the Zanzibar channel just 6km offshore from Bagamoyo slave town and Kaole ruins, with uninterrupted beaches and one of the few places in Tanzania where you will find swimming at all tides. It is under an hour from Dar airport by boat and car so visitors can catch even the early BA flights.

Accommodation is in 12 very large airy natural mkuti beach bandas only yards from the Indian Ocean. From the sundowner lounge above the bar, visitors can watch the sunrise over Zanzibar and set over the palm trees of Bagamoyo and feel the Swahili atmosphere as they follow the flotilla of hundreds of local fishing boats tack around the island to get from their villages on the mainland to their fishing grounds.

Great care has been taken to protect, conserve and balance this fragile ecology and its thriving habitats, with bushbabies, bushpigs, suni antelope, birds, butterflies etc, so that our guests can enjoy their surroundings while co-existing in harmony with the environment around them.

Not only is it one of the few places in Zanzibar or Tanzania you can find swimming at all tides with snorkeling from the island but also, apart from the 12 beach bandas, it is unpopulated and you sleep yards from the Indian ocean.

Your stay at Lazy Lagoon Island includes full board accommodation, boat transfers, and free use of the facilities such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking to explore the mangrove islands in the lagoon, swimming in the pool or at all tides, and snorkeling in azure water to explore the coral gardens that protect the island. Dhow trips to nearby islands or the coral reef, historical excursions to the Kaole ruins and Bagamoyo slave town, Scuba diving, and other water sports can be arranged and quoted on request. 

Historically important areas of interest:

Ras Kaole: The 12 Century Kaole ruins remaining from the Arab Shirazi era with the oldest mosque on the mainland lies only 2kms across the ocean from Lazy Lagoon. The settlement went into decline two hundred years later following the disruption of Arab trading routes by the Portuguese. 

Bagamoyo Slave town: Following the decline of the nearby Kaole settlement Bagamoyo grew out of the slave and ivory trade. Its was also referred to as the “gateway to the dark continent“ by explorers including Livingstone, Burton, Speke, Stanley, Grant and others who used Bagamoyo to launch their expeditions to find the source of the Nile. Livingstone’s sundried body was later carried by his two faithful servants 1600km back to Bagamoyo. Later Bagamoyo became the Capital of German East Africa.
 

Safari Express Train

Part of the attraction of southern and western Tanzania is that it is remote and off the beaten track and therefore you do not get large numbers of tourists common to the mass tourism destinations. The downside of this is that the transport can make it quite expensive. Until now the most cost effective means of transport has been to fly on scheduled flights. 

Flying is convenient and quick but may not always be appropriate. By flying, apart from the wildlife you miss out on what the country is about: the people, their history and culture, and the stunning scenery, not to mention the possibility of traveling through the largest conservation area and world heritage site: the Selous game reserve and visiting Mikumi and Udzungwa Mountain National Parks en route.

You will therefore be interested in the new Safari Express train which was launched in October 2003. The Safari Express train is Tanzania's first private train.

The train is designed for visitors as “an experience and not just a means of travel“: air-conditioned with a comfortable upholstered lounge seats positioned for maximum visibility,  hot shower, wash basin and toilets, a bar with cold drinks and lunch served on board.

The train leaves from Dar traveling through ever changing scenery and the Selous game reserve offering the opportunity to view game from the train, before arriving at Kidatu station between Mikumi and Udzungwa Mountain National Parks. The train leaves Dar on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays with another train simultaneously returning to Dar in the opposite direction.

The Southern Highlands (activity destination):

Central feature: 6700ft altitude (cool climate) and spectacularly abrupt 2000ft rift valley escarpment, stunning scenery, dark thick montane rainforest, pristine tea estates, interlaced with lakes, rivers and streams.  

A complete contrast to the lowlands and gives a matchless sense of freedom to roam where you please by foot, horse, mountain bike or vehicle. Also at Lulanda you can find the ancient remnant of the eastern arc rainforest similar to Udzungwa which is also full of endemic species that have excited the Scientists.

Accommodation:

The Mufindi Highland Fishing Lodge is set on a private 2000 acre estate adjacent to the rift valley escarpment and surrounded by rainforest, tea estates and lakes. Small and select with 9 log cabins (ensuite with hot baths) is very personalised and self sufficient with home grown and organically produced fruits & vegetables, dairy products, fresh and cured meats, and coffee beans. Hosted by Geoff & Vicky Fox who managed the adjacent tea plantations after arriving in 1959. 

Apart from offering a welcome break to the intense game driving and traveling of the remainder of your trip, Mufindi offers a rare insight to the cultural aspects of this out of the way rural community. You can walk, ride or cycle into nearby villages to meet the local people and observe their local customs.

Your stay at the Highland Lodge includes F/B accommodation and free & unlimited use of the facilities which include activities such as: horse riding, mountain biking, guided forest walks, golf, swimming or boating in the lakes, and fly fishing for rainbow trout. Equipment and instructions provided for the uninitiated willing to have a go.

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* Contact: Gill & Graham Maskell *
* Postal Address: P.O. Box 1204, Hilton, 3245, South Africa *
* Telephone: +27 33 3433911 * Fax: +27 33 3431786 *
* email: info@africa2000tours.co.za  *

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