Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INFORMATION
Entry fees are US$20/5 per adult/child aged five to 15 per 24-hour period, payable with
Visa or Mastercard and PIN. For camping fees,
Click here
.
The main gate (open 7am to 6pm) is about 8km inside the park boundary on its eastern
side, near the park's Msembe headquarters. Driving is permitted within the park from 6am
to 6.30pm.
Ruaha can be visited at any time of year. The driest season is between June and November
(August through October are peak), and this is when it's easiest to spot wildlife along
the river beds. During the rainy season, some areas become impassable and wildlife is
widely dispersed and difficult to locate in the impressive numbers possible during the dry
months. However, the green panoramas, lavender-coloured fields and rewarding birding
compensate.
From June to January, it's possible to organise two- to three-hour walks (US$25 per group
park walking fee).
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
There are airstrips at Msembe and Jongomero.
Coastal Aviation flies from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar to Ruaha via Selous Game Reserve
(US$350 one way from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar and between Ruaha and Arusha
(US$330). Safari Airlink has similarly priced flights to Dar es Salaam, Selous and Arusha,
and also flies to Katavi and Mikumi.
Bus
There's a daily bus between Iringa and Tungamalenga village, departing Iringa at 1pm
and Tungamalenga (from the village bus stand, just before Tungamalenga Camp) at 5am
(Tsh5000, five to six hours). From Tungamalenga, there's no onward transport to the park,
other than rental vehicles arranged in advance through the Tungamalenga road camps, and
there's no vehicle rental once at Ruaha, except what you've arranged in advance with the
lodges.
Warthog Adventures in Iringa (
Click here
)
offers day safaris from US$250 per vehicle per
day, and is a good contact for finding other travellers interested in joining a group.
Car
Ruaha is 115km from Iringa along an unsealed road. About 58km before the park, the road
forks; both sides go to Ruaha and the distance is about the same each way. To access Tun-
gamalenga and accommodation outside the park, take the left fork. The right fork ('never-
