Blog - Foxes Safari Camps

Foxes Safari Camps take home a gold at the Global Responsible Tourism Awards

2025-11-04T00:00:00+02:00

Foxes Safari Camps, a family-owned portfolio of seven camps and lodges across southern and western Tanzania, was awarded a gold in the ‘All-Inclusives Responsible Tourism Award’ category at the Global Responsible Tourism Awards held at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism Global in London on 3 November 2025. To commemorate the win, Foxes Safari Camps launched their newest short film showcasing their circular economy principle, highlighting their farming operations in renewable resources, protecting Africa’s landscapes through conservation, and supporting local communities.

WATCH FOXES' FARMS HERE

"The people are the company. The community has given us this extraordinary opportunity which has enabled us to pioneer tourism in the southern circuit which we've done through training skills, in guiding, chef training, mechanics in all different departments.“For over four decades, we have lived and breathed sustainability by being self-sufficient by creating our own circular economy, continuing the vision, not because we have to do it but because we want to do it.” – Bruce Fox, Owner and Director, Foxes Safari Camps.

The nomination came after receiving a Gold at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards for their circular economy model in April 2025 which automatically afforded Foxes Safari Camps an entry into the Global Responsible Tourism Awards in the category, ‘All-Inclusive Responsible Tourism’.

Award winners at the ICRT Global Awards 2025

So this category is for businesses that break that mould, that show an all-inclusive model can:

Be environmentally responsible
Create genuine benefit for local people and suppliers
Minimise waste and emissions
Offer authentic, culturally respectful experiences
Provide transparency and ethical operations

The Foxes have 2,880 hectares of farmland in the Mufindi Highlands, dedicated to a diverse range of agriculture and employing over 320 people in the region. From fruit, vegetables, coffee and macadamia nuts, to forestry and furniture production, the farm in Mufindi Highlands supplies food and furniture to the camps and lodges throughout southern and western Tanzania.

The farm produces:

4,500kg coffee annually
2,270kg macadamia nuts annually
2,240 litres milk monthly
210kg cheese monthly
32,000 pcs timber and poles for the lodges and camps annually

The awards recognise individuals, destinations, and businesses worldwide that champion environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Hosted by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and sharing knowledge on responsible tourism, the awards celebrate efforts to make sustainable tourism the norm.

“Responsible tourism is about making better places for people to live in and visit. As is clear from the 2022 Responsible Tourism Charter there is a wide variety of ways that businesses and destination managers can take responsibility. It is critically important that organisations support any statement of impact with facts. Our sector is still plagued with extravagant claims, we hope that national and EU mis-selling regulations will reduce this over time. All of the Global Responsible Tourism Award winners have explained how they decided what to take responsibility for, what they did and with what impact. Congratulations to them all and we hope they will inspire other organisations to follow in their footsteps.” - Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, chair of the judging panel and founder of ICRT global

Foxes Safari Camps

Foxes Safari Camps operates on a self-sustaining model developed over four decades of working in some of Tanzania’s most remote regions. The company grows its own food on a family-run farm, constructs furniture and fittings using timber from its own reforestation projects, and produces uniforms and soft furnishings through local tailoring initiatives. All lodges are powered entirely by solar energy, and logistics are managed internally to ensure reliability and reduce environmental impact.

Key initiatives include:

Community Employment and Decasualisation: They employ over 98% Tanzanians, with 90% from local communities. Staff receive full-time contracts, even during seasonal closures, ensuring job security and consistent income. They have trained and promoted numerous employees who have stayed with them for decades, demonstrating their commitment to career development.
Circular Economy and Local Sourcing: The Foxes’ Farms supply meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables to their lodges, while their reforestation efforts have planted over 4 million trees, providing carbon-sequestration and timber for construction. They also produce furniture and game vehicles locally, training artisans and mechanics in the process.
Support for Charities and Artisans: Foxes Safari Camps collaborate with charities like Neema Crafts and Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust to source soft furnishings and showcase local artwork. Uniforms are tailored by a disabled craftsman, further supporting marginalised groups.
Infrastructure Development: Operating in remote regions, they have invested in bush flights that serve both tourists and logistical needs. This integrated approach allows them to efficiently transport supplies, minimising waste and ensuring sustainability.
Minimising Environmental Impact: Solar power systems have been installed across all lodges, and waste is strictly managed due to logistical challenges and regulatory requirements in national parks. Their farm’s proximity enables precise food supply management, drastically reducing waste.
Accessible and Trustworthy Tourism: Foxes Safari Camps cater to travellers with diverse needs, including families and differently-abled guests. Centralised management ensures tailored experiences, increasing trust and reducing financial risk for guests.

Foxes Safari Camps’ all-inclusive model was chosen to simplify the complex safari planning process for international guests and operators. By managing all components under one umbrella, they ensure consistent service standards and reliable support for local suppliers and employees. This approach also reduces the risks of unethical practices often associated with fragmented operations.

Additionally, as a family-owned business rooted in Tanzania since the 1950s, they felt a deep responsibility to support local communities. Employing and training our employees provides long-term career opportunities, empowering individuals and fostering economic growth in underserved regions.

Their commitment to sustainability and conservation drives them to go beyond offsetting emissions. Initiatives like reforestation, farm-to-table practices, and carbon-negative operations are integral to their ethos. These efforts reflect their belief that tourism must be a force for good, benefiting the environment, local communities, and travellers alike.

Foxes Safari Camps opens newly-refurbished tented camp in Secluded section of Mikumi National Park, Southern Tanzania

2025-10-20T00:00:00+02:00

Foxes Safari Camps is proud to announce the re-opening of their newly refurbished tented camp, Stanley’s Kopje within a wild and secluded section of Mikumi National Park. Stanley’s Kopje is one of only two tented camps within the national park, both of which are owned by Foxes Safari Camps.

Stanley’s Kopje is positioned on a rocky ‘kopje’ (or hill) on the vast Mkata flood plain stretching all the way to the Udzungwa mountain range on the horizon. 12 meru-style tents are built on raised wooden platforms, and positioned around the perimeter of the hill, with elevated, sweeping views across the Mikumi wilderness. Guests have a 360 degree view over the surrounding plains from the main dining area.

"We're about thirty kilometres away from anyone else. We're in an area very little frequented by other game drives, so really we've got the whole area to ourselves here." - Jane Fox, Head of Marketing and Sales, Foxes Safari Camps.

Stanley's Kopje is named after the great explorer, Henry Morton Stanley. In 1871 he made an expedition starting in Bagamoyo on the east coast of Tanzania, en-route to Lake Tanganyika.

"In his memoirs he talks about passing through Morogoro Town and then what is now the spectacular landscape of Mikumi National Park." - Oliver Fox, Operations.

In these very memoirs he speaks of and details the surrounding landscape and a ‘kopje’ where he rested in between his travels, which is believed could be where Stanley's Kopje is located.

“You really get a sense of what Henry Stanley went through on his expeditions,” Oliver adds. “It’s still very remote, you have 360 degree views where you see nothing but bushland. The feeling you get when you arrive here is that you are on the same expedition.

“It’s a tip of the hat to his journey.”

Stanley’s Kopje Short Film

In August this year, a few team members, with our Love Africa Marketing team, filmed and photographed the refurbished lodge to bring you the sixth short film in our series showcasing Foxes camps and lodges across southern and western Tanzania.

Our latest promotional video features the newly refurbished Stanley's Kopje. The short film tells the story of Henry Morton Stanley, highlighting his journey across Tanzania- a journey that brought him into what is today Mikumi National Park and up to the kopje that we believe he found refuge, and where Stanley’s Kopje is built.

Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/Tl0ChaFgLKE?si=KyVOC_yYS7JOuUsO

The Lodge

Stanley’s Kopje has the advantage of being the only elevated land in an otherwise flat open plain. A nearby waterhole encourages game within sight of the camp.

The main area sits at the crest of the hill, built in typical Swahili style with a thatched roof. The dining area surrounds a central bar with sitting and dining areas that look out on the Mwanamboga area. Below this is a shaded seating area next to the infinity pool from where you can cool off after a game drive.

The twelve tents are spaced around the lower perimeter of the hill with views across the plains. They are pitched on high wooden platforms with traditionally built thatched roofs that provide shade from the classic African sun while you sit on your verandah and look out for game around the camp.

Mikumi National Park

The first national park of Tanzania's Southern Circuit is Mikumi National Park, home to large populations of plains game and big cats.

At 3 230km2, it is Tanzania's fourth largest national park and is known as the 'Little Serengeti' due to its wide open plains that allow for spectacular wildlife sightings.

Its close proximity to Dar es Salam makes getting to the park a quick and easy journey, especially with the Standard Gauge Rail electric train service.

The park is surrounded by the Uluguru and Udzungwa mountains, and within the park the Mkata Plain sees dense congregations of grazers, especially during the dry season.

‘Mikumi’ is the Swahili word for the borassus palm that are seen throughout the park.

With beautiful surrounding landscapes, hippo pools scattered throughout the park, and over 400 recorded bird species, Mikumi is the perfect start to a Southern Circuit safari.

Foxes Safari Camps takes home two awards at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa

2025-06-10T00:00:00+02:00

Hosted at Hotel Sky in Sandton, Johannesburg, two of our films won 2 awards at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) on Friday, 6 June 2025. Over 450 films were submitted from around the world, which culminated in a red carpet event attended by over 200 people from the film, tourism, and conservation industries.

“Foxes Safari Camps are thrilled to have won a gold and a silver award for our films on Ruaha River Lodge and Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge, produced with Love Africa Marketing. Working together with the team to create the films was hard work, great fun and immensely rewarding. We are very pleased to use this opportunity to raise awareness of the Southern areas of Tanzania, with their beautiful sceneries, wildlife and people.” - Jane Fox, Head of Marketing and Sales

The winners were selected by a panel of 34 jury members, equally representing the film and digital creation industries and the tourism sector. The films were judged on seven key criteria: impact, subject matter, storytelling, creativity, style, sound, and goal effectiveness with scores out of 10 awarded to each entry.

Our award-winning Films:

GOLD Award

'Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge,' was awarded gold in the ‘Tourism Product/ Lodge’ category. This promotional short film profiles our island destination along the Swahili coastline. Lazy Lagoon, a gem in the Foxes portfolio, is a 9 kilometre private island and features 12 A-Frame, ensuite bandas (bungalows).

SILVER Award

‘Ruaha River Lodge', took home a silver award in the ‘Tourism Product/ Lodge’ category. It showcases Ruaha River Lodge within Ruaha, Tanzania’s second largest national park. We share the history and significance of the lodge for our family - the first one built in the national park and how truly remote this part of Tanzania is.

To watch the full series - visit our Facebook page.

Films produced in collaboration with Love Africa Marketing

ENDS

About International Tourism Film Festival Africa:

ITFFA was founded in 2019 and recognises film content relevant to the tourism and travel industry. The festival aims to honour and promote innovative and exceptional content related to promoting tourism services, products, and destinations. The ITFFA awards was held in Sandton, Johannesburg at Hotel Sky and hosted by CapeInfo.

Spotlight on lesser-known Southern Tanzania as Foxes Safari Camps takes home Gold at WTM Africa

2025-04-24T00:00:00+02:00

Foxes Safari Camps received the Gold accolade for its innovative circular economy model, which sets a strong example of how all-inclusive tourism can operate responsibly.

“All-inclusive” holidays are often criticised for:

Cutting out local businesses (since guests don’t need to spend money outside the
hotel/lodge)
Generating lots of waste (buffet culture, mass consumption)
Offering little cultural connection or economic benefit to the surrounding community
Focusing more on convenience than sustainability

So this category is for businesses that break that mould, that show an all-inclusive model can:

Be environmentally responsible
Create genuine benefit for local people and suppliers
Minimise waste and emissions
Offer authentic, culturally respectful experiences
Provide transparency and ethical operations

The awards formed part of World Travel Market (WTM) Africa, a leading annual tourism and
travel exhibition attracting over 6,000 industry professionals. Hosted in partnership with the
Responsible Tourism Partnership, the awards recognise individuals, destinations, and
businesses across Africa that lead in environmental, social, and economic sustainability—those
who are making responsible tourism the norm, not the exception.

“We are incredibly proud to be recognised among Africa’s sustainability leaders,” said Oliver
Fox, of Foxes Safari Camps - Marketing and Operations. “This award reflects the commitment of
our entire team to not only provide unforgettable safari experiences, but to ensure our presence
benefits the people, wildlife, and landscapes of Tanzania.”

Foxes Safari Camps operates on a self-sustaining model developed over decades of working in
some of Tanzania’s most remote regions. The company grows its own food on a family-run farm,
constructs furniture and fittings using timber from its own reforestation projects, and produces
uniforms and soft furnishings through local tailoring initiatives. All lodges are powered entirely by
solar energy, and logistics are managed internally to ensure reliability and reduce environmental
impact.

This integrated approach not only lowers the company’s footprint, but also creates long-term
employment, supports skills development, and strengthens local supply chains. Central to this
model is the Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust, an independent NGO founded
by the family to provide healthcare, education, rainforest protection and rehabilitation, and
broader conservation support to vulnerable communities, particularly those affected by
HIV/AIDS.

With a team that includes many long-serving staff, and a supply chain that is almost entirely
Tanzanian, Foxes Safari Camps demonstrates how tourism can thrive through independence,
responsibility, and deep community connection.

ENDS

For more information:
WTM: https://www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb/about.html
Website: https://www.foxessafaricamps.com/
WTM: https://www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb/about.html
Image credits: Foxes Safari Camps / Love Africa Marketing
Contact: oliverfox@safaricamps.info

Exploring Katavi's untouched wilderness

2025-02-18T00:00:00+02:00

My gaze meets a herd of elephants seemingly unaware of my presence. The matriarch leads the procession, followed by a parade of adults, two playful calves and an adolescent male. The other elephants follow her cue as she wraps her trunk around an acacia tree branch to skilfully strip it. This is an intimate glimpse into their world, as they unhurriedly meander through the camp between tents with an air of unassuming ownership. This is their home after all, we are merely visitors. It’s moments like these that capture the essence of Katavi – where wildlife and people each acknowledge the presence of the other without any expectation.

My retelling of this intimate encounter over sundowners around the bonfire reminds Bruce Fox, co-owner of the family-run Foxes Safari Camps, of the time he had a similar encounter of the wild kind. Bruce was sitting on the ground floor beneath the makuti-thatched dining area, when an adult elephant approached to hoover up fallen pods from an acacia tree. As it was displeased with its pillage, the elephant leaned against the trunk of the tree and rocked it back and forth to dislodge more pods, shaking the dining area’s wooden deck. “He was so close that he could have touched and sniffed us with his outstretched trunk if he wanted to,” recounts Bruce.

Location, location, location

Katavi’s appeal is found in its rugged remoteness, which deters the faint-hearted. Fewer tourists and the national park’s unspoiled, far-stretching landscapes have seen it dubbed the country’s ‘wild west’. The allure of Tanzania’s less-visited western safari circuit lies in its high concentrations of wildlife that makes it well worth the journey to get there.

On his first visit to the national park in 1999, it took Bruce’s entourage four days to travel via gravel road from Dar es Salaam, in the direction of Zambia, before the road redirected in a north-westerly direction. These days, it’ll take around 24 hours to drive along the same route, which is almost entirely paved.

Today, like me, most travellers hop on a biweekly, scheduled Safari Air Link flight from Ruaha National Park to Katavi and onwards to Mahale Mountains National Park. The airline’s fleet of Cessna 208s connect Tanzania’s more popular travel destinations to remote corners of the country, so that travellers have more time to spend on safari. This ‘western safari circuit’ also connects to the ‘southern safari circuit’ which takes off from Ruaha National Park and flies to Mikumi National Park, Nyerere National Park, Zanzibar, Mafia Island, Dar es Salaam and Serengeti National Park.

This bird’s eye view perspective showcases the thriving ecosystems that the national park supports, from the Miombo woodlands that shelter Katavi Wildlife Camp to sweeping grasslands, three floodplains – Chada, Katavi and Kitasunga – and the seasonal Lake Katavi and Lake Chada, which are drained by the Katuma River during the long dry season (June – late October). Katavi offers its best game viewing when the water dries up. This is when thousands of plains game (zebra, impala, hartebeest, Defassa waterbuck, topi, sable, roan) congregate around remaining water sources.

This density of wildlife per kilometre squared seems to rival that of other national parks in Tanzania, explains our guide Kelvin Mwipopo during a half-day game drive along the 12km-long Katisunga safari circuit. In fact, it has become somewhat of an urban legend that’s stated as undeniable fact. Indeed, the national park is home to thousand-strong buffalo herds (some of the largest documented anywhere on Earth), alongside large populations of elephants, hippos and crocodiles. Visitors also have the opportunity to potentially tick off African Wild Dog from their game viewing list, as well as the near threatened puku antelope, which favours swampy habitats and is only found in one other location within Tanzania – the Kilombero Valley.

Katavi Wildlife Camp

The Fox family set up Katavi Wildlife Camp as a mobile camp in 2003, before it became the first permanent tented camp in the national park in 2009. With only two other small-scale camps and a public campsite in Katavi National Park, there are only a handful of guests here at any given time. Even fewer still during the long rainy season (November to April), especially when the other two camps temporarily close between March and May.

“The national park was established in 1974 and when I first visited in 1999, the park’s visitors book documented around 600 annual visitors,” says Bruce over a gourmet lunch after our game drive. “In 2021 there were 4 227 visitors to the park, according to TANAPA (The Tanzania National Parks Authority). This is substantially fewer to the 272 981 visitors to the Serengeti National Park in the same year.”

This dearth of travellers throughout the year accentuates the feeling that you have this 4 471km2 stretch of wilderness almost all to yourself. The intimate camp is located on the edge of the Katisunga Plain, with each of the six tents, two tented suites, and honeymoon suite overlooking the Katuma River. The double-storey, open-air dining and lounge area, with its telescope, offers an elevated lookout point for unrivalled game viewing. Katavi invites you to immerse yourself in the natural world, to witness the dance of life and death in its most natural form.

When to visit Katavi National Park

Game viewing at Katavi National Park reaches its peak during the dry season (June to late October) much like at Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve). It’s best to visit before the rains arrive in November, when the wildlife parades to the last of the water. While April is the wettest month of the year, and all camps are closed from the end of February until 1 July, the rains transform the floodplains into some of the best birdwatching opportunities in Tanzania with some 273 bird species.

“You will likely see lions and leopards corner antelope in and around Katavi Wildlife Camp during the dry season,” says Kelvin. This proximity to this kind of unrivalled game viewing action, which literally plays out on your doorstep, is another reason why guests need to be accompanied by Kitamboi Momberine, the Maasai guide, to their suites between dusk and dawn.

Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's best-kept safari secret

2024-12-06T00:00:00+02:00

Journey to Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's untamed wilderness, where the Fox family has built a legacy of conservation and exploration. Discover why Ruaha is the country’s best-kept secret – even though it’s characterised by dramatic landscapes, abundant wildlife and recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot.

Ruaha is where it all began for the Fox family. In the 1960s, the four Fox boys (Christopher, Peter, Bruce and Alexander) grew up in nature’s playground during walking safaris with their parents Geoff and Vicki. They would hunt what they ate, stoke the fire to keep it alive during their watchout hour, and learn the names of birds by their calls.

All four generations of Foxes continue to visit regularly. If you happen to find any of them sitting around the camp fire one evening, they might regale you with tales of their childhood adventures during walking safaris into the wilderness, long before there were any facilities around.

It’s easy to see why the Fox family love Ruaha so much and speak of it so highly. The national park’s dramatic topography is shaped by the plateau, the steep crevices of the Great Rift Valley and the life-giving Ruaha River. It was here, amidst granite mounds and between the silhouettes of ancient baobab trees, that Ruaha River Lodge – the first accommodation in the Foxes Safari Camps’ portfolio – was established in January 1982. It was a pioneer in its time. The lodge was the only safari camp in the national park for at least two decades before Tanzania opened up to tourism.

Ruaha's remoteness is one of its key defining features and also its greatest selling point. And while Ruaha is Tanzania's second-largest park (after Nyerere National Park), visitor numbers remain low. This gives guests the feeling that they’re on an exclusive safari, without the price tag of having the national park (almost) entirely to themselves.

Ruaha River Lodge is steeped in history

Ruaha River Lodge offers an up-close perspective of this untamed wilderness, between two captivating locations. Each of which capitalise on the park's diverse landscapes to show off an unparalleled diversity of wildlife and birdlife. From its lofty perch atop a kopje, the dining area provides panoramic vistas of the Ruaha River as it carves a way through the landscape. Its glinting waters often draw guests’ attention to the wildlife at its banks. Even from this height you can spot hippos bobbing in the water and elephants coming down to drink. The iconic baobab trees are another characteristic feature – their gnarled branches reaching skyward like ancient sentinels.

In contrast, the riverside camp places you right at the very centre of all the action, with bandas facing directly onto the water. Here, the riverine acacia forest provides a natural hunting ground for the park's prolific birdlife, while the boulders are a hiding place for its reptiles, among them the Nile crocodile, monitor lizards and colourful agamas

A global biodiversity hotspot

Another thing that makes Ruaha so special is that it straddles the convergence zone of southern and eastern African ecosystems. Ruaha National Park shows off remarkable biodiversity that has earned it global recognition as a hotspot. Its unique ecological position sees plant and animal species showcase fascinating adaptations to a changing climate, making Ruaha a crucial site for long-term conservation efforts. In fact, the Fox family established the Friends of Ruaha Society in 1984 to protect this sensitive ecosystem. Today, its work continues as the Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust.

While Ruaha is famed for its impressive elephant herds and lion prides, it's often the park's other inhabitants that catch regular safari-goers’ attention. Keep your eyes open for sightings of the bat-eared fox, striped hyena, African wild dogs, greater and lesser kudu, the roan antelope, and a plethora of other endemic species.

The rhythm of the rains

The dry season is ideal for game viewing as animals congregate around the remaining water sources along the length of the Great Ruaha River, aptly named "river" in the dominant Hehe language. The arrival of the long rains (between November and April) transforms the national park. The Ruaha River becomes a dominant feature, it’s a lifeline coursing through the national park, nourishing the surrounding ecosystem to sustain its diversity. It breathes life back into the landscape. The once parched earth bursts with greenery and the number of bird species soars to an impressive 574.

Prime birding destination

If your pulse quickens at the sight of a crowned crane or the distinctive outline of a marabou stork, Ruaha is waiting to be explored. Pack your binoculars and zoom lens and be prepared to tick off a few lifers from your checklist. The endemic Tanzanian sandgrouse is a beautifully patterned bird that has perfectly adapted to the park's arid regions. It’s very likely that you’ll see Pel's fishing owl, pale-billed hornbills, great white pelicans, blue-breasted bee-eaters and European rollers throughout your stay. While birdwatching is excellent year-round, the wet season welcomes migratory bird species.

How to get to Ruaha River Lodge

Locals will tell you that Ruaha is southern Tanzania’s best-kept safari secret because so few people make it this way. While the Foxes had a hard time getting here back in the day, today it’s much easier with daily flights onboard Safari Air Link to the southern and northern national parks, the Swahili Coast, the southern highlands and Dar es Salaam. The flights are planned in such a way to allow for convenient onward connections with all major airlines flying out of Dar es Salaam. On Mondays and Thursdays, you can fly onwards from Ruaha to the western safari circuit.

Boat rides and walking safaris along the Rufiji River

2024-11-06T00:00:00+02:00

The Rufiji River carves its way through Nyerere National Park for some 600km before flowing into the Indian Ocean – shaping the landscape and unfurling with each tributary. Gliding upstream from Rufiji River Camp, along Tanzania’s largest riverine ecosystem in a flat-bottomed boat, offers a wildlife experience entirely different from a game drive.

For an idea of its size, the Rufiji’s catchment basin stretches over 177 429 km2 and collects around a third of Tanzania’s rainfall. During the long rainy season, the river level fluctuates and overflows into seasonal lakes. Life in the national park revolves around its ebb and flow, and the widening and narrowing of its waterways. Wildlife innately understands this watery timeline.

At twilight, the riverbank erupts in a soundtrack of rustling reeds, splashing water, air bubbles, and a chorus of bird calls from more than 440 species. Kingfishers pin-drop into the water and herons stand sentinel in the shallows as carmine bee-eaters announce their return to their nest holes burrowed into vertical cliffs.

Water safaris allow you a closer look. Watch hippos bare their incisors during a mock yawn before sinking below the waterline, crocodiles slither into the water, and buffalos appear and disappear between the grass like watercolour apparitions. Monitor lizards sashay into the riverine thicket as elephants greet the water with their upturned periscope-like trunks. As the sun kisses the horizon good night, the water continues to flow – nature’s dutiful timekeeper.

A walk on the wild side

Nyerere National Park is a staggering 30 893 km², making it larger than 70 countries around the world. It's hard to wrap your head around its size. Before it was subdivided to form Nyerere National Park in 2019, the Selous Game Reserve was Tanzania’s oldest and largest protected area, covering some 50 000km2 – it is no surprise then that it holds UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its conservation value and biodiversity.

Guided walking safaris depart at first light, following in the footsteps of our experienced guides – rifle in one hand and an innate knowledge of Tanzania in the other. Once you slow down, there’s the chance to see the seemingly small things – such as dung, wildlife tracks, insects, reptiles, and medicinal plants – that are seldom seen during a game drive.

Each step offers a closer look into the delicate balance of the ecosystem, from hippo teeth and crumbling skeletons to wildflowers, dung beetles freewheeling a haul, and the inner workings of a partially dismantled termite mound.

A gourmet bush breakfast with all the trimmings, much like what you would expect in camp, is laid out in the shade of a lala palm or along the outline of a seasonal lake. The location very much depends on where the walking safari begins and ends, as our guides are always in the know when it comes to all the action. But it is the rawness of the setting, without any limits or restrictions, that is a feast for the senses.

Painted Dogs

The Nyerere-Selous ecosystem is a sanctuary and critical refuge for the world’s – and indeed Tanzania’s – largest population of free-roaming African Wild Dogs, numbering some 2,000 individuals or a third of the global population. It is no wonder then that many return visitors to Tanzania have such a sighting at the top of their game viewing list.

With their distinctive, patterned coats, characteristic bat-like ears, and tails tipped in white, these wild canines have earned the moniker 'painted wolves'. With packs of up to 40 members, the dominant breeding pair orchestrate hunts that demonstrate remarkable teamwork. It is the relentless chase that wears down their prey.

Much like their hunting techniques, the packs' social dynamics focus on communal pup rearing. Once the pups are weaned at five weeks, they are fed regurgitated meat by various pack members. Until that time, the greatest chance of seeing African Wild Dogs in Nyerere is during denning season (July – August) and during the cooler hours of the day. Sunrise and sunset game drives offer the best opportunity to see them before during this time, before they move on in search of prey and new territory, while keeping out of the way of their rivals – lions, leopards, and hyenas.

Rufiji River Camp

In the 1980s, Rufiji River Camp was the first lodge to be built in what is today the north-eastern photographic section of Nyerere National Park. “We were buying the location right on the river’s edge,” says co-owner Bruce Fox. It’s true, the upper viewing decks from the camp’s main dining and lounge reveal panoramic riverfront views as far as the eye can see.

The Fox family rebuilt and renovated the camp in 2010 to set it further back inland to protect it from the might of the Rufiji River during El Niño and the rainy season. The classic tents at Rufiji River Camp are designed with comfort and game viewing in mind. They are set beneath thatched roofs with spacious verandas that overlook views of the Rufiji River. For those looking for a more luxurious experience, the three larger suites feature two large tents each on a shared wooden platform with a private plunge pool and open-air living spaces, making it ideal for families or groups.

The adventurous at heart can book a fly camping experience where a mobile tented camp with cold bucket showers is set up within driving range of Rufiji River Camp, complete with a private guide, tracker, chef and vehicle which allows for exploration of the seasonal lakes further afield.

When to visit Nyerere National Park

The park is a mosaic of habitats with magnificent year-round game viewing. Yet, the dry season, from June to late October, sets the stage for some of nature's most awe-inspiring performances, when the river becomes a meeting point for all of the park's inhabitants, guaranteeing more frequent wildlife sightings. New life returns to the landscape with the short rains (October to December), while the camp closes temporarily during the long rainy season (April to May) to allow nature to flourish before welcoming guests again in early June.

How to get to Rufiji River Camp

Our carbon-neutral sister airline, Safari Air Link has twice daily flights in the morning and afternoon to and from various airstrips across Nyerere National Park. This schedule allows for onward connections out of Dar es Salaam and onward to southern and northern national parks across Tanzania. Flights from Dar es Salaam are 45 minutes and Rufiji River Camp is located a short distance from Mtemere airstrip. Alternatively, Rufiji River Camp is 250km by road from Dar es Salaam, though certain routes are inaccessible during the long rainy season.

Leave all the planning to us

Foxes Safari Camps offers a three-night, fly-in safari from Zanzibar to Nyerere National Park. Or perhaps you’d prefer to explore Tanzania’s mighty rivers during a seven-night itinerary between Nyerere National Park and Ruaha National Park, starting from Dar es Salaam. Meanwhile, our 10-day Tanzania Safari Explorer itinerary is geared to travellers wanting to experience three regions during a longer trip.

Mikumi: In the shadow of the Uluguru Mountains

2024-07-03T00:00:00+02:00

Embarking on a safari across southern Tanzania is punctuated with the anticipation of what you might see. This is even more true on a return visit to the East African country, as you already have a taste of the magic that awaits.

Not only does Mikumi National Park promise wildlife sightings, but its theatrics give visitors front-row seats to a spectacle of savannah plains that transmute into Miombo woodland as they venture higher up the slopes of the Uluguru and Udzungwa mountains, replete with an assortment of wildlife.

The show is about to begin.

At 3 230km2 Mikumi is Tanzania’s fourth largest national park. Its size is deceptive, when you consider the density of wildlife and the park’s expanse compared to the area that most day visitors traverse. The opening act of Mikumi National Park deserves a standing ovation. Within minutes of touchdown of our Safari Air Link flight, a herd of feeding elephants, lounging lions and plains game take centre stage to welcome us on the scene.

Mikumi is the Swahili word for the borassus palm. They stand tall, observing the comings and goings of all the park’s key players. During the dry season, the Mkata Plain sees dense congregations of grazers, much to the delight of visitors.

Seasoned safari goers know that this makes it a prime location for predators on the prowl – when they are not lazing under the shade of an acacia, flicking away flies with their tails; or lifelessly dangling from horizontal branches to conserve as much energy as possible in the midday heat. African Wild Dogs and tree-climbing lions also make cameo appearances from time to time.

As your safari vehicle ventures deeper into the park, the scene transitions as it undergoes a set change to dense Miombo woodlands. It is in stark contrast to Mikumi’s opening act. Age-old granite rock formations delicately rise from the plains to form the Vuma Mountains, before transforming into the Uluguru and Udzungwa mountains that outline the horizon.

Venture into the Vuma Mountains

This is the location of Vuma Hills Tented Camp. It’s secluded. And quiet. Far removed from day visitors, with no other vehicles around except for a handful of fellow guests and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) officials on duty. These densely forested rocky outcrops shelter some of the park’s lesser-known 400-odd bird species from endemics like the yellow-collared lovebird and white-tailed cisticola which are seen year-round to European migrants that visit during the wet season.

Dappled sunlight peers through the intertwined tree canopies allowing visitors to make out smaller mammals, reptiles and critters. Staying in an unfenced camp is like being on a never-ending game drive, as shy kudu and other species roam between Vuma Hills Tented Camp, with rumours of regular leopard sightings too.

Vuma Hills Tented Camp

Overnighting in Mikumi National Park is the encore to the day-time safari experience – when the landscape once again takes on a different appearance with a costume change between sunset and twilight after the sky has burst into hues of orange, pink, purple and everything in between.

The forests reveal another highlight. One that you’re likely to hear before you see it, as nocturnal species begin to stir from a lofty height. Wide-eyed Lesser Bushbabies are the star of the show, as they leap between tree tops chased by their puffy tails. Sightings of civets and honey badgers appear to be mere supporting actors.

Vuma Hills is a permanent camp with 16 spacious tents standing atop wooden decks overlooking the plains below, beneath the shade of a makuti-thatched roof. It is part of the portfolio of properties belonging to the family-run Foxed Safari Camps. Each of the en-suite tents is elegantly furnished and fitted with all the creature comforts that guests expect of an exclusive safari. While the overhead thicket covers the camp in a cooler climate, the large swimming pool and palm-frond salas always await, especially after a sunrise game drive or guided walking safari.

Here, the animals come and go as they please. It’s the guests who need to be accompanied by Maasai guides as they move between the camp’s elevated lookout deck and their suites after dark. Bushbaby call echoes through the night. It seems that there really is no final curtain call on a visit to Mikumi National Park. It's a wildlife experience unmatched, where visitors can witness the full spectrum of southern Tanzania's incredible biodiversity.

When to visit Mikumi National Park

While Mikumi National Park offers year-round wildlife sightings, the dry season (June to October) is an excellent time to visit as a large variety of animals congregate around the river and waterholes. During November and December, southern Tanzania experiences short bursts of rain. From January onwards, the wet season brings with it a different experience through the changing landscape, with March and April being the wettest months. Regardless of the weather or season, Vuma Hills Tented Camp remains open – at the ready to wow guests – throughout the year.

How to get to Vuma Hills Tented Camp

Whether driving or flying, getting to Mikumi National Park is something special. When driving from Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam along the tarred A-7 highway, the time it will take you to cover the 300 km stretch depends on how many game viewing stops you take along the way. Safari Air Link, Foxes Safari Camps’ sister company, operates regular, scheduled flights from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar to Mikumi, which continue onwards to Ruaha National Park, making it convenient to visit, even if you have limited time in Tanzania.

Discover Tanzania’s Swahili coast with Foxes Safari Camps

2024-06-04T00:00:00+02:00

Island life unfolds at a pace of your choosing – whether you prefer to watch the glimmering sun rise over the Indian Ocean from your beach-front banda, spend your time between the swimming pool and your daybed, or find solace in a book beneath your palm-frond sala on the beach.

Each day at Lazy Lagoon invites you to relax, whether you do so at the lodge’s al fresco reading room or stretched out on a lounger by the swimming pool. Perhaps you prefer walking along the length of the 9km-long sandspit that has been sculpted into three crescent-shaped beaches by the tides. Regardless of how you choose to spend your downtime, there’s always time to explore the secrets of the rock pools at low tide, discover marine life among the coral reefs during a snorkelling excursion, kayak along the mirror-like lagoon, or take in the mangrove forests from a stand-up paddleboard.

Should you wish to turn things up a notch, the lodge serves as a gateway to adventure during a half-day boat excursion to a private sandbar that emerges from the water for a few hours before disappearing into the depths of the ocean once again. Choose between sunbathing on the white sand and watching fishermen go about their business as they float by, to water activities such as snorkelling above coral reefs and stand-up paddle boarding. And there’s always the anticipation of seeing a dolphin fin cresting the waves, as you indulge in a fish and seafood barbecue that’s freshly prepared over the fire.

Explore 'Mwamba Kuni,' a tidal sandbar close to Lazy Lagoon Island

On yet another day, you may want to cross the water to the mainland for a guided tour of a local fish market coupled with the historic sites of Bagamoyo and the 13th-century Kaole Ruins. These culturally important sites narrate stories of the ivory and spice trade of yesteryear, slavery, and its liberation, as well as German occupation predating World War I.

Few travellers explore Tanzania’s slave trade history beyond the shores of Zanzibar. In reality, Bagamoyo was once East Africa’s most important trading port. Much like commodities, slaves were rounded up from across East Africa to Bagamoyo before being shipped off to Zanzibar and beyond. This experience juxtaposes the overcrowded, bustling energy of Stonetown, even though it also holds UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Visit the local fish markets and historic sites of Bagamoyo

A sun-soaked holiday at Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge can be as busy or as quiet as you like. At the same time, it seamlessly intertwines the cultural, historic, and natural splendours of the Swahili coast, making it the perfect stop on your way to or from your East African safari.

Island life at Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge

The lodge is one with the landscape. Set amidst a mahogany and mangrove forest, it shelters wildlife unlike that which you will find on safari at other Foxes Safari Camps properties. Each morning, the island sleepily awakens to the ebb and flow of the Indian Ocean and the whisper of a coastal breeze. This sets the rhythm for your day, as seagulls squawk in the distance and hermit crabs scuttle along our pathways in search of larger shells. By night, Lazy Lagoon falls asleep to the sounds of bushbaby calls and genets going about their nocturnal adventures.

Relax and unwind at Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge

Life at the lodge is deliberately slow and we’ve curated it that way. We intentionally channel the pole pole lifestyle. This encourages guests to connect with the true meaning of island living, with a little bit of help from our pool-side loungers, beachfront salas, al fresco reading room, and leisure areas for a round of snooker or darts.

Our collection of 12 A-frame, en-suite bandas feature an airy loft with two twin beds – ideal for families travelling with children – and an upstairs balcony with unobstructed ocean views. It’s the ideal spot for a relaxing, full-body massage by our visiting masseuse. Meanwhile, the downstairs area, with its double or twin beds, leads out onto a spacious wooden deck with a hanging daybed – and the beach a few steps away.

Our A-frame bandas offer sea views and beach access

Wining and dining at Lazy Lagoon

As the day draws to an end, guests gather around a beachfront bonfire to watch stars playfully twinkle alongside the flickering flames, while sipping on their sundowner of choice. With sustainability in mind, each day our chef and his team sources fresh, line-caught, and cast-net seafood from local subsistence fishermen with whom we have an ongoing relationship. It really doesn’t get any fresher than this.

End your day with a beachfront bonfire as the sun sets over the ocean

The ocean’s bounty is served alongside produce and products from Foxes Safari Camps’ vegetable garden and farmhouse located at Mufindi Highlands Lodge, where we source our coffee beans, roasted macadamia nuts, cheese, meat, much of our fruits and vegetables alongside other staples. What we don’t produce or supply ourselves, we sustainably source from communities across the water or from our trusted suppliers in Dar es Salaam.

How to get to Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge

Lazy Lagoon is located on Ras Luale spit, less than 2.5km from mainland Tanzania, along the Swahili coast near Bagamoyo. Getting to our off-the-grid lodge is where the adventure begins. With its expert crew and fleet of Cessna 208s, Safari Air Link runs regular, scheduled flights from key tourist attractions and national parks across northern and southern Tanzania to Dar es Salaam.

You can drive yourself to Mbegani Fisheries Institute, located 10km south of Bagamoyo, where your car is safe with our 24-hour watchman, or you can undertake the short, 70-km drive from Dar es Salaam in our AC transfer vehicle with our professional drivers. The lodge’s private boat crosses the Indian Ocean a number of times a day to ferry guests between the mainland and our coastal lodge. The boat departs from mainland Tanzania to Lazy Lagoon at: 12:00; 15:00; 18:00. It returns from Lazy Lagoon to mainland Tanzania at: 10:00; 14:00; 16:00.

The lodge's private boat ferries guests between the lodge and mainland

When to visit Tanzania’s Swahili Coast

No matter the time of year you choose to visit us, Lazy Lagoon is open all year round. The Swahili coast experiences some rain throughout the year, though unlike other parts of Tanzania, this rainfall is unpredictable and fleeting. Due to our coastal location, we do not experience a long or short wet season like other parts of the country or our six other camps and lodges. Rest assured that it never rains for too long and the weather often clears up within a few hours or a day or two.

On safari in Southern Tanzania with Foxes Safari Camps

2024-04-11T00:00:00+02:00

Whether you long to journey across Africa’s oldest national park or want to combine the northern safari circuit with the southern reaches of the country, Foxes Safari Camps showcases the real Tanzania. While Southern and Western Tanzania are often overlooked, our seven family-run camps and lodges offer intimate safaris with fewer tourists for an immersive encounter with Africa’s wilderness.

Southern Tanzania is home to wildlife species not found elsewhere in the country, from the world’s largest population of endangered African wild dogs in Nyerere to the Puku antelope in Katavi and East Africa’s largest biodiversity of species in Ruaha. For over forty years, our secluded, eco-friendly retreats showcase exclusive wildlife experiences without the crowds.

Mikumi National Park

Whether swaying in your private hammock amid misty forested hills or watching Lesser bushbabies leap between the wooden deck at Vuma Hills Tented Camp, one thing is certain – the elevated location overlooking the Mkata plains is an ideal introduction to Mikumi National Park. It’s not only the most visited park within the southern safari circuit for its proximity to Dar es Salaam (300km/5-hour drive), but for the abundance of wildlife, including Nyasa Blue Wildebeest which is seldom seen elsewhere. The wildlife paths that carve their way around the camp is a sign of the fact that you are in the very midst of the African wilderness. The park’s northern section, beyond the airstrip, park gate and day trippers – where Stanley’s Kopje is located – reveals an even wilder terrain with denser vegetation, less-travelled roads and wildlife that is less accustomed to safari goers. It is arguably the most coveted location in the national park with panoramic views that paint a picture of a quintessential African safari.

Explore Vuma Hills Tented Camp and the soon-to-reopen Stanley’s Kopje in Mikumi National Park

Nyerere (Selous) National Park: Africa’s oldest national park

Despite the 2019 name change from Selous Game Reserve to Nyerere National Park, this remains Africa’s oldest national park and the second largest conservation area in the world. The mighty Rufiji River takes centre stage here, making Nyerere one of two national parks in Tanzania that offers water safaris and a different perspective along Tanzania’s largest riverine ecosystem. You don’t even have to leave your riverside banda at Rufiji River Camp to watch playful elephants drinking sundowners, hippos bobbing between sandbanks and crocodiles gliding past while Black-and-white colobus monkeys swing overhead. Nyerere is also renowned as a critical refuge for Tanzania’s largest population of African wild dogs.

Explore Rufiji River Camp in Nyerere National Park.

Ruaha National Park: Tanzania’s best-kept safari secret

Locals claim that Ruaha is the country’s best-kept secret when it comes to the diversity of wildlife and bird species you can see on safari in Tanzania. The national park is located in central, Southern Tanzania within an ecological transition zone with species from both southern and eastern Africa making it a global biodiversity hotspot. This is where it all started for the Foxes Safari Camps in January 1982, when Ruaha River Lodge became the first in the Fox Family’s portfolio of properties – and indeed the first property in the national park. It has stood the test of time due to ongoing renovations and expansions. Today, Ruaha River Lodge lies across two locations between sun-baked granite mounds and baobabs – Kopje provides a bird’s eye view perspective of the river and the Riverside Camp dips its toes into the water from the shade of a riverine acacia forest.

Explore Ruaha River Lodge in Ruaha National Park

Mufindi Highlands Lodge: Mountainous escapes

The Mafinga escarpment is unlike anything you might expect to see in Tanzania. Here the mountainous landscape saturates the region with a coolness that is more readily associated with Europe than East Africa. Our guests visit Mufindi Highlands Lodge for relief from the humid heat of the wet season or some downtime between wildlife safaris. From its location amid protected forested slopes, the estate is surrounded by trout-filled lakes and tea plantations. Horse outrides, hiking, kayaking and lawn sports are the order of the day. This is also the heart of our operations and where you will find The Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust (FCWT); our vegetable garden, fruit, coffee and macadamia nut plantations; diary and horse stables. You might even happen upon our founders, Vicky and Geoff Fox, whiling away their time in The Secret Garden.

Explore Mufindi Highlands Lodge in Tanzania’s southern highlands.

Katavi National Park: The Wild West

Katavi Wildlife Camp wears a badge of honour for being the first permanent camp to be established in Katavi National Park in 2003. Today, it remains one of only three located on the fringes of the Kitasunga floodplain beneath a Miombo Woodland canopy. The wet season sees the Ikuu River flood to create a system of seasonal lakes and interconnected rivers aflush in hues of green. It is no wonder then that Katavi National Park has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Tanzania per kilometre squared, particularly during the dry season. Its remote location in Southwestern Tanzania discourages many with the long drive to ‘The Wild West’, which sees fewer travellers. Fortunately, Safari Air Link, our family-run airline, has scheduled biweekly flights to Katavi from Ruaha and Mahale national parks.

Explore Katavi Wildlife Camp in Katavi National Park

Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge: The Swahili coastline

Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge is everything you would imagine of a private island – except that it’s an exclusive sandspit. This narrow coastal land formation extends into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean for 9km between Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. High tide transforms it into three crescent-shaped islands with nothing but our A-frame family bandas encircled by a mahogany and mangrove forest. Book a stay along the Swahili coastline if you want to avoid Zanzibar’s crowds yet still want to snorkel coral reefs, hop between rock pools and indulge in freshly caught fish barbecues. Much like in Stonetown, on the mainland you can undertake a guided tour of Bagamoyo by bajaj (tuk-tuk) or private vehicle to learn about Tanzania’s slave trade history. Alternatively, partake in water sports or unwind to the rhythm of the waves during a day-long boat excursion to a private sandbar.

Explore Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge along the Swahili coast

How to get around Tanzania

Safari Air Link is a carbon-negative airline thanks to the 3 million+ trees it has planted during the course of its operations. As a Foxes Safari Camps sister company, the airline operates a fleet of five Cessna 208 Caravans with regular scheduled flights between Dar es Salaam; all of Tanzania’s national parks; the Swahili Coast (Pemba, Mafia and Zanzibar islands); as well as to the Mufindi Highlands except during the rainy season (01 April – 31 May). Flights can be combined with direct transfers to all seven lodges and camps.

Our Top Five Insider Tips to make the most of your Safari

2023-11-01T00:00:00+02:00

The Fox family have lived in Tanzania for over 60 years, with three generations actively involved in the running of Foxes Safari Camps. It was the first generation of the family that decided that inviting visitors from far and wide to witness the wonders of our home was the best way to ignite people’s enthusiasm for conservation and raise the funds and government motivations to protect vast areas of Tanzania’s ecosystems.

With our deep sense of connection to this part of the world, we’ve made sure our guests can become immersed in Southern wilderness. We have no doubt that each visitor leaves having fallen in love with the region, just as we have.

Here are our Top Five Insider Tips to make the most of your Safari in the South:

1. Pack smart. Preparation is essential for any trip, and we recommend starting as early as the flight to Tanzania. Be sure to pack a t-shirt and spare pair of underwear in your hand luggage for international flights. This will help tide you over in any unexpected situation.

2. Khakis aren’t just for aesthetics. Avoid packing dark coloured clothing on your safari, particularly in the warmer months. Blues and blacks tend to attract insects, absorb heat, and also stand out like a sore thumb in the bush.

3. Prioritise quality over quantity. While we completely understand the desire to see as much as possible on your trip, we always recommend staying longer at fewer destinations if you are pressed for time. A two night stay doesn't quite give you enough time to fully immerse yourself into your surroundings.

4. Appreciate all aspects of the wilderness. While spotting the Big Five is understandably a bucket list item for many, there is so much more to see and learn about. The Southern Tanzanian wilderness is a treasure trove of flora and fauna to enjoy.

5. Live in the moment. At a time when the world is more fast-paced and digitally-inclined than ever, we encourage you to disconnect and in doing so, reconnect, during your time with us. Join us in marveling at our surroundings as nature intended them to be and take in every incredible moment.

We look forward to welcoming you to Southern Tanzania - the place we call home. Contact us on fox@tanzaniasafaris.info to book your stay.

Best Time of Year for a Southern Tanzania Safari - Weather

2022-08-03T00:00:00+02:00

Dry Season ~ June - October

Average High Temp: 27*C Average Low Temp: 15*C

June, July, August & September
Most days will be clear skies with little to no wind. Temperatures tend to peak in the mid-afternoon, and the nights can get quite cold with temperatures dropping as low as 12*C.

October
The temperature starts to warm up with an average high of 31*C. Unlike Serengeti safaris, there is more certainty around October remaining a dry time for a Southern Tanzania safari.

The dry season in Southern Tanzania runs from June until the end of October/mid-November. We usually recommended this period for a Southern Tanzania safari due to the dryer, and cooler conditions, making for a more comfortable stay.

The dryer the landscape, the greater the chances of seeing the big 5 animals on your Southern Tanzania safari, especially at one of Foxes Safari Camps’ spectacular Southern Tanzania locations. As you get into the dry season, the water around the park reduces until only a few key water sources have the precious resource available for the wildlife to drink. Knowing where the wildlife will go to drink allows for a more successful game drive with a greater variety of species gathering in a smaller, more predictable area. Foxes Safari Camps’ camps and lodges, particularly Ruaha River Lodge and Katavi Wildlife Camp, are located right on the banks of these key water sources, allowing for excellent wildlife viewing from the comfort of your veranda.

Wet Season ~ November - May

Average High Temp: 29*C Average Low Temp: 18*C

November & December
Southern Tanzania's 'short rains' begins sometime during November and continues through December. This short rains period is nothing to be afraid of and is unlikely to interfere with your Southern Tanzania safari. It is typical for short rains to consist of short sharp showers in the afternoon, not so much that roads are affected, but just enough to commence growth in the area. We want to emphasise that although the dry season is the typical option for safari-goers, these short rain months are also a wonderful time to have a Southern Tanzania safari due to the incredible birdlife around, and the vast increase in vibrancy within the parks.

Ruaha, Mikumi, and Nyerere National Parks are often seeing the rains begin in December, whereas rain usually begins in Katavi National Park in November. Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge, being on the coast, enjoys a slightly different weather pattern, with rain commencing as early as October, similar to that on a Serengeti safari.

A Southern Tanzania safari during these months will be hotter with maximum temperatures sometimes reaching 35*C. Everything cools down a lot once the rain begins.

January & February
These months are slightly less predictable with rain during this time similar to previous months but often more plentiful. A Serengeti safari during these months is known to be dryer, but although it is wetter in the south, it is unusual for the rain to last the whole day. Temperatures remain high with an average high of 29*C and an average low of 19*C. We love hosting Southern Tanzania safaris during this time as it provides our guests with a completely different landscape from that of the dry season. We definitely recommend visiting Southern Tanzania in both the dry season and the rain season, as you will enjoy a completely different experience.

March & April
March and April are still moderately hot months, similar to January and February, but a lot wetter. Rain during this time is often drizzly and can last the whole day. Katavi Wildlife Camp, Stanley's Kopje, and Rufiji River Camp all close during these months due to the roads becoming impassable. They reopen in June.

May
In May, the rains start to wind down and become less frequent, and the temperature also begins to cool to around 28*C high and 17*C low. Although the rain becomes less, there is still a lot of water around the park, making wildlife viewing and traversing the roads a more challenging experience.

Throughout March, April and May, guests can still enjoy a Southern Tanzania safari as we keep open Vuma Hills Tented Camp and Ruaha River Lodge.

It must be mentioned that a Southern Tanzania safari to Mufindi Highlands Lodge in The Southern Highlands, will include some very different weather to your trip. Due to its altitude of 6000ft, temperatures are much much cooler with an average high of 23*C and an average low of 14*C. In the dry season months, the temperature often reaches freezing at night and not much above 17*C during the day. This temperature contrast to the national parks makes for a lovely addition to any Southern Tanzania safari.

5 Most Underrated Animals Seen Around Our Tented Safari Lodges

2021-12-01T00:00:00+02:00

Foxes Safari Camps have been hosting Southern Tanzania safaris for 30 years and we’ve come to know the surrounding wildlife quite well. Over this time, we have also learnt which animals our guests most want to see, but when they spend time at our safari lodges and observe our surrounding wildlife, they come away with new favourite animals.

1. Honey Badger

Scientific Name: Mellivora capensis
Diet: Omnivore
Average Lifespan: <7 years
Average Height: 22-25cm
Average Weight: 9-12kg

A creature shy to humans, the honey-badger is a fascinating animal that can be found throughout Southern Tanzania and around our safari lodges.
Honey badgers are often hard to see during a safari and will choose to move around when humans are not in sight.

Fortunately, due to the raised position of the lookout deck at Vuma Hills Tented Camp, honey-badgers can scavenge around in peace whilst our guests can observe innocently.

A powerful hunter, the honey-badger is known for its bravery, taking on a lion if it must! This aggression is only displayed when they feel threatened. Similarly, to the skunk, honey-badgers can invert their anus and expel a liquid with an abhorrent stench. The liquid is thought to not only mark its territory but also tame bees, allowing for raiding honey with ease.

2. Bat-Eared Fox

Scientific Name: Octocyon Megalotis
Diet: Insectivorous
Average Lifespan: 6-10 years
Average Height: 45-66cm
Average Weight: 3-5kg

Not only is the bat-eared fox a beautiful and interesting animal, but it is also our family’s safari lodge mascot!

The reason for our bond with the bat-eared fox is their tendency to form family groups like our own. Bat-eared foxes live with their monogamous mate and their young of 3-6 pups, socialising together - much like us.

Termites and dung beetles make up around 80% of their diet, with around 1.8 million termites consumed per year! Their ears are designed to hear and seek out hatching larvae.

Other than the human Fox family, animal fox families can be found in short grass plains of Southern Tanzania, especially around Ruaha River Lodge and Katavi Wildlife Camp.

3. Antlion

Scientific Name: Myrmeleontidae
Diet: Small Arthropods (ants)
Average Lifespan: 1-2 years as larvae. 25 days as an adult.
Average Height: <25mm as adults

There will be many of these creatures around our tented safari lodges, yet they are often missed by most. The reason is that they are less than 1cm in size and it’s their sand traps that safari-goers must look out for. Antlion larvae are incredibly smart for their size, building intricate sandpits to trap and consume ants.

The lava crawls backwards in the sand digging down with its abdomen, until a critical slope angle is reached, and the slightest ant step will create an avalanche. The antlion hides at the bottom with only its jaws protruding from the sand. When an insect steps into the trap, the sides collapse, and the antlion grabs the victim and sucks out its fluid.

These are some of the most voracious creatures found around all of Foxes Safari Camps, a good thing they are so small!

4. Warthog

Scientific Name: Phacochoerus Africanus
Diet: Herbivore
Average Lifespan: 12-18 years
Average Height: 40cm
Average Weight: 55-113kg

The warthog is one of Foxes Safari Camps’ favourite animals, with their humorous buttocks and scurrying around enough to cheer anyone up.
Their name derives from the marks on their faces resembling warts. The marks are actually thick patches of skin that act as padding in fights during mating season.

Warthogs are easily identified by their large tusks which are actually teeth! With the upper incisors growing up to 30cm’s.

Often overlooked on a Tanzania safari, there is a lot to learn about these fantastic swines, such as their ability to go months without water, and their passive approach to acquiring dens originally built by aardvark, along with their symbiotic relationship with mongooses and vervet monkeys.

5. Bush Baby

Scientific Name: Galago Senegalensis
Diet: Omnivore
Average Lifespan: 3 – 4 years
Average Length: 30cm (excluding tail)
Average Weight: 95 – 300grams

You might not see these cute primates during your Tanzania safari, but you will certainly hear them!

The Bush Baby (also known as Galago) are most often seen at Vuma Hills Tented Camp and Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge, where they have their eyes on your supper!

Identified by their distinctive cries like a human infant, the bush baby is a nocturnal tree-dwelling animal that can cover over 10 meters in seconds.

Their long bushy tail powers a tremendous leap, hopping from tree to tree to seek out food, return to nests, and escape predators. The bush baby cleverly marks its route with urine, allowing them to return to their base along the same route.

These are just 5 of the many wonderful animal species we are lucky enough to enjoy around our safari lodges and tented camps. So when you are on your next Tanzania safari, be sure to focus on those creatures typically missed of the safari-goers animal tick-list.