Nyerere National Park is a unique safari destination in Tanzania, it is part of the Selous game reserve to the north, and it boasts a large biodiverse ecosystem, ranging from Savannah grasslands dotted with shrubs, short bushes, and scattered trees, the park is a recognized UNESCO world heritage site as a way of protecting the critically endangered species that call this home. The 30,893 square kilometre national park is the largest and oldest national park in Tanzania, it was initially the Selous game reserve named after British explorer Selous Franklin, in 2019, the national park name was changed to Nyerere National Park named after the president of Tanzania Julius Nyerere who led the country into independence.
Game drives in Nyerere National Park are typically conducted using 4×4-wheel car drives, these last for 2-3 hours per drive per session, the session is in the morning in search of early morning risers, this is by far the best and recommendable time to do game drives while in the national park, as animals are active, predators come to hunt while other species are out to graze. At 2:30 pm, and evening time at 4:30 pm respectively, it is one of the few parks in Tanzania where night game drives are allowed, these are accompanied by an experienced park ranger.
Expect to meet variety of variety of animal species, most African wildlife species can be seen in Nyerere National Park for example mammal lions, leopards, African buffaloes, African elephants, oribi, hyenas, jackals, zebras, waterbucks, warthogs, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, to mention a few and over 400 bird species have been recorded in the national park, it is possible to view some of the birds while on game drives like African fish eagles, skimmers, ground hornbills, pelicans,
Game drives in Nyerere National Park can be conducted all year round but are best during the dry season between the months of December-February and June-September, the park receives less rainfall and more dry days, and the trails are less slippery which makes it easy to do game drives, despite the dry season being the best time to do game drives in the national park, the wet season is ideal, except that it is wet with so much green and difficult in finding animal species.it is advisable to pack for game drives in Nyerere National Park including proper boots, long-sleeved shirts, insect repellants, and any other items of a personal nature.
Other things to do in Nyerere National Park besides Game drives include boat cruise experiences along river Rufiji, it takes 2-3 hours to do the activity animals gather around the banks of the river drinking water and having greener pastures, expect to see water animals like hippos, crocodiles, and birds along the ride. The park is one of the best places in Tanzania to go birding, this is best done during the wet season.
In conclusion, Nyerere National Park can be visited all year round, visitors do not need to worry about where to stay because there is available accommodation ranging from the best budget to luxury.