28-Day Birdwatching Safari in Tanzania with Ruaha and Amani

• Arrive at Iringa Airport (IRI), where you will be picked up by your tour guide. Then, drive directly to Ruaha National Park.

• Explore Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's least accessible park, which is therefore still poorly visited. It remains totally untouched and is one of the most exciting game reserves in Tanzania, almost as large as the Serengeti. We include Ruaha National Park on many of our off-track safaris.
• Ruaha is exciting and regarded as a birdwatcher's paradise, with 350 bird species not found in northern Tanzania. As the river runs through spectacular gorges and majestic trees, the park is especially appealing to photographers. The new Ruaha Red-billed (Tanzania Red-billed) Hornbill, another Tanzanian endemic, is localized in Ruaha.

• Arrive at Masumbo Lodge, have some rest, and prepare yourself for the next day's safari.

Spend your overnight stay at Masumbo Lodge in Iringa.

• After an early breakfast, you will drive through the beautiful Iringa mountains, birdwatching en route. On arrival, you will meet the village chairman, stop for lunch, and offload your camping gear. You will complete registration while the porters arrange the loads.
• When everything is ready, you will start hiking to the forest for about two hours while birding en route. You will reach the camp and find it already set. Enjoy a nice shower, have dinner, and afterwards prepare your bird shortlist.

You will stay overnight at Uluti Forest Camp.

• Explore Uluti Forest, one of the best forests for birdwatching in Tanzania. The usual birds seen here include the Dappled Mountain Robin, Spot-throat, African Tailorbird, White-winged Apalis, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Iringa Akalat, Sharpe's Akalat, Swynnerton's Robin, Rufous-winged Sunbird, Mountain Sunbird, and many other forest birds.

You will stay overnight at Uluti Forest Campsite.

• After breakfast, you will depart and drive through a couple of hills with beautiful landscapes while birding en route.
• You will have lunch on the way and reach Iringa town later in the evening.

Overnight stay at Masumbo Camp.

• Wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, and leave for Udekwa, which is about a three-hour drive away.
• On arrival, you will complete registration. In the meantime, the porters will load the camping gear and go ahead to set up the camp in the forest. The hike to the camp takes almost two hours, and you will find everything ready when you arrive.
• After a hot shower, sit down for dinner and shortlist the birds you hope to see that day.

Overnight stay at Udekwa Juu Special Campsite.

• After breakfast, you will hike deeper into the interior part of the forest. Birds to be seen here include the Uduzungwa Forest Partridge, Moreau's Sunbird, Kipengere Seedeater, and many other forest birds.
• On day 11, you will spend a full day in nature, surrounded by beautiful and attractive birds singing lovely songs. You are free to take as many photos as your camera space allows.
• You will also look for more species such as Sharpe's Akalat, sunbirds, African Grass Owl, and many more.

You will stay overnight at Udekwa Juu Special Campsite.

• After breakfast, pack your belongings, close your camp, and go down to the village to officially sign out.
• Then, depart for Kilombero. It will be quite a long day, with about six hours of driving, but there will be many beautiful landscapes to enjoy along the way.
• There will be stops for birdwatching and taking photos as you drive to Kilombero. You will arrive late in the day.

Overnight stay at Hondo Hondo Lodge.

• Today you will experience birdwatching on the lowland side of Kilombero. This area is absolutely amazing, so be prepared to take plenty of photos of birds and landscapes. You may see birds such as Winifred's Warbler, Uluguru Greenbul, and Loveridge's Sunbird, to mention but a few.
• On day 14, you will enjoy a full day of birdwatching in East Kilombero.
• On this eastern side of Kilombero, expect to see the Uluguru Bushshrike, Bertram's Weaver, and many other species.

Overnight stay at Hondo Hondo Lodge.

• After a hot coffee and African bites, pack your things and drive to Gairo. It is a long drive, and you will arrive there late.
• Upon arrival, you will have a rest.

Overnight stay at Gairo Lodge.

• After an organic breakfast, you will drive to the mountains for a full day of birdwatching.
• In this area, you may see birds such as Rubeho Akalat, Rubeho Warbler, Masked Weaver, and Kenrick's Starling.

Overnight stay at Gairo Lodge.

• Collect your belongings, have breakfast, and depart for Lushoto. Near the lodge where you will stay, the trees are about 28-31 meters tall, the air is filled with oxygen, and the area is alive with the wonderful songs of different birds.

Overnight stay at Emmaus Hill Lodge.

• Today you will walk early in the morning for birdwatching and return for breakfast. Afterwards, you will continue with daytime birdwatching activities with a packed lunch. Birds to be seen include the Usambara Eagle-Owl and Green-headed Oriole, to mention but a few.
• On day 19, you will continue enjoying birdwatching in Amani. There will be plenty of bush silence, and you can explore more areas in search of birds such as the Usambara Hyliota, Long-billed Tailorbird, and Kretschmer's Longbill.

Overnight stay at Emmaus Hill Lodge.

• After a hot breakfast, you will drive to Lushoto. This place has very nice landscapes, and the people of this area are welcoming.

Overnight stay at Mullas Lodge.

• Today, prepare to explore Lushoto and see its beauty. Bird species here include Steppe Buzzard, Gymnogene, Kenrick's Starling, Gordon Bleu, Usambara Weaver, Brown-breasted Barbet, Hartlaub's Turaco, White-chested Alethe, African Hobby, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, and Usambara Akalat.

You will stay overnight at Mullas Lodge.

• After breakfast, you will drive to Spare. The journey takes about seven hours, and you will reach the place at around 05:00 or 06:00 p.m.
• After a nice hot shower, dinner, and a short rest, you will briefly discuss the next day's activities before saying goodnight.

Overnight stay at the Elephant Motel.

• After breakfast, head out for birdwatching in the Upare area. Expect to see the Pare White-eye, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Bar-tailed Drongo, Cinnamon-bracken Warbler, and many other beautiful birds.

Overnight stay at the Elephant Motel.

• Depart after breakfast for Arusha National Park. Take a walk in the forest surrounding Mount Meru, escorted by an armed ranger, and visit Momela Lakes in search of water birds.
• Spot interesting species such as Hartlaub's Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, White-starred Robin, Montane White-eye, Waller's Starling, White-fronted Bee-eater, Tropical Boubou, Crowned Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, Maccoa Duck, Little Grebe, Greater Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, White-eared Barbet, and Narina's Trogon.

Dinner and overnight stay will be at Momella Wildlife Lodge.

• After breakfast, your driver-guide will be waiting for you at 7 am and will brief you before today's safari begins.
• Visit the lake by car and take a walking safari on the Rift Valley Escarpment. Lake Manyara National Park lies at the foot of the Great Rift Valley and covers only 330 square km, with most of its surface underwater. The park's interest lies in its diversity of habitats: groundwater forest, acacia woodland, and the alkaline lake. It is also famous for the tree-climbing habits of its lions. The park's bird list covers 380 species.
• Among the interesting species you may see are Lilac-breasted Roller, Rough-breasted Roller, European Bee-eater, Dusky Turtle Dove, Palm-nut Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Spur-winged Plover, Madagascar Pratincole, Chestnut-banded Plover, Purple-crested Turaco, Taita Fiscal, Southern Black Flycatcher, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Red-billed Hornbill, Grey Hornbill, Ground Hornbill, Crested Guineafowl, Black-winged Stilt, African Spoonbill, Egyptian Goose, Pink-backed Pelican, Cattle Egret, Yellow-billed Stork, and Marabou Stork.

Accommodation at Lake Manyara Serena.

• This will be your last day. You will be driven to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), or to any other place depending on your choice.

Safari ends.