Bird watching at Nyerere National Park
On a Nyerere safari, keen birders will be in their element, with over 450 species reported! Ducks, geese, grebes, egrets, herons, bitterns, pelicans, spoonbills, kingfishers, skimmers, cormorants, storks, and ibises abound in the lakes. Eagles, vultures, hawks, harriers, buzzards, kites, and osprey are examples of raptors. Other ground-dwellers such as quails, guineafowl, crakes, and bustards browse in the foliage while the secretary bird hunts on foot. Gulls, plovers, doves, pigeons, lovebirds, parrots, cuckoos, and bee-eaters are also present. If you enjoy birds, this is a fantastic site to visit!
Best time to visit Nyerere National Park
Nyerere is a traditional dry-season facility, with the greatest game watching from July through October. The game tends to concentrate around rivers and lakes during this ‘dry’ season, making viewing much simpler. Because the vegetation is so sparse and dry, the herds congregate in quest of water, making game viewing much simpler.
Outside of this time, game viewing in Nyerere might be a little dicey! If you travel in June, the grass may still be too tall… The relocation of wildlife away from the rivers (due to rain) means there is less of a concentration to be seen across the park from November onwards.
This is, however, the season for safari fans, who are content to forego the density of animals in exchange for the exclusivity of quiet camps and quiet parks. The birding, on the other hand, is fantastic from November to March…if you’re a twitcher!
Nyerere National Park Safaris
Boating and daylight wildlife drives are among the activities available on a Nyerere safari. Night safaris are not permitted in Nyerere. The great majority of camps also provide walking safaris, with Beho Beho and Sand Rivers providing a very high level of service. The famed fly camping vacations offered by Sand Rivers are among the top walking camps in Africa, let alone Tanzania!
Nyerere Accommodation
The campgrounds in Nyerere National Park vary from our ‘Value’ category to a few luxury camps in our ‘Luxury’ bracket. The Siwandu lakes are undoubtedly the greatest region for game watching, and the facilities here (Siwandu Camp and Lake Manze Camp) provide excellent game drives and walking safaris, as well as excellent boating safaris. With dhoum palm trees swinging on the banks and wildlife frequently coming down to the water’s edge for a morning or evening drink, the lakes are truly lovely.
Siwandu Camp is a premium choice, offering excellent service and gorgeous tents with views of the lake. It’s ideal for honeymooners and anyone looking for a little more luxury while on vacation. Lake Manze Camp is a fantastic deal. It is unquestionably superior to any house within walking distance of the Mtemere gate, and it is priced competitively. The camp’s location is fantastic, and it always exceeds expectations… I’m not sure why you’d want to hang at the park entrance when Manze is available!
The Beho Beho hills and the gorgeous Beho Beho Lodge, which claims the title of the most luxurious property in the region, are reached by traveling further into the park. It features fantastic accommodations with unparalleled views, as well as outstanding cuisine and service. As a result of these factors, it has become one of Tanzania’s most well-known hotels, and it will always provide for guests seeking a high-end safari experience. Beho Beho is known for its exceptional levels of guiding, but it also stands out in terms of cuisine and service – plus it’s one of the few sites in the park where you can view rhinos, though chances are still limited!
Sand Rivers is the final property worth consideration. It aims on providing a true safari experience and delivers barefoot luxury. The finest boating in the park is up to Stiegler’s Gorge, where you can see hyrax, red colobus monkey, and leopard if you’re lucky! The walking is also fantastic, and the guides at Sand Rivers are among the finest we’ve ever encountered! We recommend spending a night out in the wilderness, fly camping, for guests staying four nights — it will be the talk of the town when you return home!
Nyerere travel Tips
- The finest game-watching place in the park is the Siwandu region. This is a terrific place to game drive in because it is home to Lake Manze Camp as well as Siwandu Camp. Beho Beho, Sand Rivers, and Impala can all game drive in this region at a moment’s notice, although Azura is a long way away!
- Without Ruaha, Nyerere would be nothing! Combining these two parks for a southern Tanzania safari is usual; it’s a fantastic safari. Selous is gorgeous and charming, but there aren’t many cats there. Ruaha is known for its cats, and it is one of Africa’s most predator-rich parks.
- Azura Selous has lately earned a name for herself in the business by attracting attention to a stretch of the Nyerere River that goes up the Ruaha. What the campers in this area refuse to acknowledge is that the area was severely poached only a few years ago. The game hasn’t recovered to the extent that it needs to, and boating safaris are severely limited due to the current amount of water in the Ruaha.
- We recommend only walking safaris with camps that have their own certified gun bearers, like we did in Ruaha. We do not recommend walking with the park rangers unless they are accompanied by a licensed camp gun carry.
- If you want to see two regions of the Nyerere in one trip, we recommend visiting the area near Siwandu with either Sand Rivers or Beho Beho.
