| Page Views: 1,340 Last Visit to Ruaha National Park: September, 2004 | RUAHA: Land of Baobabs, Elephants & Lions! by safardreams - last update: Nov 14, 2004 |
Close and Personal in Ruaha! Along with TSAVO in KENYA. RUAHA, for many years was of great interest for me. Because of a WILDLIFE show I had seen. It mainly followed the LIONS there in RUAHA. The place looked SO WILD and FREE. Located in Southern Tanzania. It is remote and a little hard to get to. You need some time. You just can't go visit there and not visit another park in the South. The PARK is HUGE! The WEST side of the park has no road net-work yet. Maybe soon.
This was the main place for my SEPT trip. I came here to see LIONS! I did see LIONS! Hope to have the WILDLIFE come up close from the RIVER. Where are BANDAS were located. The WILDLIFE did come up close.
My tour op ECO-RESORTS set me up at FOXES RUAHA RIVER CAMP.
Great choice! She knows the FOXES, they took care of me. The BANDAS & DINING area are right on the RUAHA RIVER. We had a show every day for the 8 days I was there.
Add the game drives. It is hard to BEAT! Even though I fell a bit ill and was in bed most of a day and a half. IT DID NOT MATTER! This turned out AWESOME. Do not walk back to your BANDA alone after dark. HIPPOS come up grazing. We had one ELEPHANT walking up from one end of the BANDAS to the other end. The pic here in the collage top left. Thats HIM! The ELE is at the BANDA next to mine! Also have some video.
We heard LIONS almost every morn!
RUAHA also known for it's
BAOBAB TREES! At times there are forests of them. Some with huge holes from the ELEPHANTS. Still standing, how? Tough Trees!
Here at FOXES RIVER CAMP. You can set up GAME WALKS. You hire a PARK RANGER for a half day or full day. I did both! I will tell you. I am the only visitor who has ever done the full day walk! With an armed RANGER & CAMP GUIDE. 15 miles ZIG-ZAGGING in 100 plus degree heat! GREAT STUFF!
Try to get there if you can!
OH, I almost forgot to mention. My last morn here. I was being taken to the air-strip. Well, LIONS had just killed a ZEBRA across the RUAHA RIVER. Almost in front of MY BANDA! We found out by radio. Did we have time to go back? Let you know later!!!!! |
|  | BBQ In Ruaha National Park! We all know LIONS love to EAT & SLEEP! RUAHA has MANY LIONS. Big PRIDES , with plenty of food walking around. As you can see here. These ladies are baby sitting a BUFFALO! Whats left of it any way. They had killed it the day before. I am not one who likes to leave a scene quickly. As long as things look ok. I will stay. My driver , guide and my self stayed for at least 30mins! Noticed DEEP DRAG marks almost 100ft long. The LIONS pulled it out of the sun. AWESOME POWER!! The rest of the PRIDE was taking it easy in the dry river bed close by. The MALE LION in the collage. Thats what was near by. There were VULTURES flying over head, JACKAL. Even a MALE IMPALA was hiding behind a bush watching the LIONS.
We stayed for awhile, talked , had a TUSKER BEER! Took video.
This body looked like a HORROR movie! Smelled like it too.
I did not know it yet. But there are more LIONS to come! |
| | "Who Needs To Go On A Game Drive?!" This is across our RUAHA RIVER. Where we stayed. We had, WATER BUCKS, ZEBRA, GIRAFFES, IMPALA, BABOONS, HIPPOS, BIRDS, TURTLES, LIONS. Of course ELEPHANTS! Many ELES here. Not much in the way of BIG-TUSKERS. They were POACHED out back in the 80's. Along with many other places. They are making a come back now. But still, no BIG TUSKERS. We had many MOCK & REAL charges! We had many BABY ELES doing this too! ELES close up at the BANDAS. We even drove into a BULL ELEPHANT that was resting against a tree! All I can say is. I am glad I had my video cam on at the time.
VERY-COOL!
On that full day walk. We were forced to walk around a herd of ELEPHANTS!
Still not enough for me. The closer the ELES are. The better for me.
The afternoon before I left the next day. We had MANY ELEPHANTS around! That was the day I walked up behind a big rock & thorn bushes on our side of the river. To within 10ft of a BULL ELEPHANT! I had the wind, and he had no idea I was even there. I guess it's not so hard to be a POACHER or HUNTER!
This is same ELE that walked towards my BANDA a little later!
Just show respect and be aware. Be quiet! Don't do anything stupid. |
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| Pros: | "Many Lions , Elephant & Beautiful Landscape!" | | Cons: | "At First Thought, NONE!" | | In A Nutshell: | "Go See This Unspoiled Place!" |
 safardreams' Ruaha National Park Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for safardreams about Ruaha National Park | | | | |
oases Sun Jun 4, 2006 10:12 UTC
Amazing page Dave, and yes African ladies are the best, I hope you meet your baby soon xxx Ayo | Geisha_Girl Wed May 4, 2005 17:49 UTC
This looks like a good locale, D. "Just show respect and be aware. Be quiet! Don't do anything stupid." Okay, that's good advice you give.......But, define "stupid?" ;-))) | luddinra Sun Apr 17, 2005 05:31 UTC
Never saw these before David...I'm telling you, send them to National Geo. with a story & you are IN. Let me know if U need help writing it! That's my specialty. | sachara Thu Feb 17, 2005 21:42 UTC
Wonderful pictures of wildlife and nature, as usual !!! |
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