Ruaha Safari Car Rental with Driver
Serengeti Trips offer reliable Tanzania car hire and rental services in Dar-es-salaam and all over Tanzania, using a proven range of Safari vehicles for hire with Driver Guides at competitive rates. Vehicles include Safari Tour Vans and 4×4 Landcruisers, ideal for Tourist safaris and gamedrives in national parks such as Mikumi National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngoongoro Crater, Nyerere (Selous) National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Saadani National Park, and Kilimanjaro National Park.
We also provide car and driver service in Dar-es-salaam as well as rental for trips combining Kenya and Tanzania.
Our 4 x 4 car rental service has been extensively used by international photographers, tourists and corporates alike.
Rent a car with driver
All of our drivers are experienced, helpful and most of all pleasant company. He will also do the game drives in the parks. The cost of hiring a driver is $45 / day – this also covers his meals and accommodation. You don’t need to arrange accomodation for him, as the lodges have facilities for the driver-guides.
The driver is responsible for the wellbeing of the car, and the security bond will no longer apply.
If you’re taking a driver with you into the national parks, the Tanzania National Parks Authority requires you to have your entrance permits paid in advance, so you won’t be able to just decide on the fly. If you book a car with a driver, we will help you by arranging the required park entrance permits for you in advance.
Ruaha National Park
Wildlife
All big cats are regularly seen, and wild dog are the star attraction. They are especially easy to find when denning. Several antelope species that are rare or absent in northern Tanzania, such as greater and lesser kudu, roan and sable antelope, are often encountered.
Scenery
The main feature of the park is the Great Ruaha River, which attracts loads of animals in the Dry season. The dominant vegetation is brachystegia (miombo) woodland, and some areas are dotted with the impressive baobab tree.
Weather & Climate
Due to Ruaha being near the equator, temperatures don’t change much from month to month. The area is at its coolest during the Dry season (May to October), which doesn’t say much when the average afternoon temperature is around 27°C/81°F. The Wet season (November to April) piles on the heat and the humidity, with the rainfall at its heaviest early in this period.
Best Time To Visit
The heat is less intense in the Dry season (May to October), though plenty of dust is kicked up as you move around the park. This is also when the resident animals are more often glimpsed, unable to hide in the sun-withered bush. Safaris can get uncomfortably steamy in the wetter months, and some roads may be inaccessible at this time.
Ruaha National Park Accommodation
Lodges and Tented Camps
There are numerous accommodation choices both inside and outside the park. Inside the park there are six privately run options; five camps and one lodge. Mwagusi and Ruaha River Lodge are two of the more established, while Kigelia and Kwihala are relatively newer. Jongomero is away from the main game viewing area, while Mdonya is also quite remote.
There are several camping options, the cost varying whether you decide to stay at one of the special campsites or one of the public options along the Mdonya and Ruaha Rivers. There are also several park run ‘bandas’ along the Ruaha River which are quite basic but perfectly adequate. Another option are the newer park run rooms perched on a hill overlooking the Ruaha River.
They are all ensuite and there is also a family room available. A very reasonably priced restaurant is alongside them, and can also be used by those staying in the older bandas by the river. Outside the park there are a few options, both camping and in lodges and are cheaper than staying in the park; however with the exception of Tandala where elephants are a regular occurence you will not be immersed in wildlife like you would inside the park.