Nyerere
National Park · TANAPA
Tanzania's largest national park, carved out of the Selous in 2019.
- Area
- 30,893 km²
- Established
- 2019
- Region
- Pwani, Lindi, Morogoro and Ruvuma regions
- Best time
- June–October
- UNESCO
- Within the Selous Game Reserve World Heritage Site, inscribed 1982
Wildlife
- African wild dog
- Elephant
- Lion
- Hippo
- Crocodile
- Buffalo
- Sable antelope
At 30,893 square kilometres, Nyerere is the largest national park in Tanzania and among the largest in Africa — bigger than Belgium. It was gazetted in 2019 from the northern section of the Selous Game Reserve, a protected area that has existed in some form since the German colonial period and was inscribed by UNESCO in 1982.
Its defining feature is water. The Rufiji River runs through it, spreading into a system of lakes, channels and sandbanks that supports hippo and crocodile in extraordinary numbers and makes boat safaris possible — a different way of seeing game, and largely unavailable on the northern circuit. Walking safaris with an armed ranger are also permitted here.
The country is miombo woodland and open floodplain rather than short grass, and the game viewing is less concentrated than the Serengeti's but far less crowded. Nyerere holds significant populations of African wild dog, one of the continent's most endangered large carnivores.
Boat safari on the Rufiji
Hippo, crocodile and waterbirds at eye level. Rare in Tanzania.
Walking with an armed ranger
Permitted here, and a completely different pace of looking.
African wild dog
One of the most important remaining populations on the continent.
Fly-camping
Overnight under canvas away from the lodges, arranged with the camps.
Usually flown from Dar es Salaam — around 45 minutes to the airstrips. The road journey is long and seasonal.
Driving in is not practical. Camps here run their own vehicles, and we arrange the flight and the game drives instead of a hire.