Nyerere National Park and the wide Rufiji River plains

Nyerere National Park in southeastern Tanzania is a landscape of wide river plains, miombo woodland and scattered lakes that stretches across much of the Rufiji River basin. In 2019 the northern photographic section of the historic Selous Game Reserve was designated as this new national park and named after Tanzania’s first president, Julius Nyerere, giving the park both a vast physical scale and a strong connection to the country’s political history.the history of Nyerere National Park

Rufiji River, lakes and floodplains

The defining feature of Nyerere National Park is the Rufiji River, one of East Africa’s major river systems, which runs through the park in braided channels and feeds a string of shallow lakes and seasonal floodplains.braided channels of the Rufiji River Along parts of its course sand rivers and palm-lined backwaters branch away, creating quiet side channels and wider open reaches where water collects in lagoons and pools. Boat safaris here follow the river edges and lake shores, passing sandbanks, reedbeds and muddy inlets where animals come down to drink.

The floodplains and riverine areas sit within a broader mosaic of woodland and grassland. Miombo trees cover large parts of the park, while doum palms, open savannah patches and thickets appear closer to the water.miombo woodlands and doum-palm channels This combination of permanent river, seasonal wetlands and extensive dry woodland gives Nyerere National Park a distinctive southern Tanzanian character, different from the volcanic highlands and grass plains further north.

From Selous Game Reserve to a named national park

For much of the twentieth century the area now recognised as Nyerere National Park formed part of the enormous Selous Game Reserve, a protected wilderness in southern Tanzania covering tens of thousands of square kilometres.Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania The reserve was divided in use between hunting blocks and a northern photographic sector above the Rufiji River, and that photographic sector is the part that later became Nyerere National Park. In 2019 the Tanzanian government formally carved out around 30,893 km² of this northern section, set it aside for photographic tourism under the management of Tanzania National Parks Authority and named it for Julius Nyerere.formed in 2019 from the northern Selous

The change did not erase the older name: “Selous” still refers to the remaining southern hunting blocks, and many safari brochures use both names when describing trips to the region.Selous rebranded as Nyerere National Park On the ground, however, the water systems, woodlands and wildlife-viewing areas that most travellers encounter now lie within the boundaries of Nyerere National Park. The park itself spans parts of several administrative regions, including Morogoro, Lindi, Pwani and Ruvuma, and its total area makes it one of the largest national parks in Africa.30,893 km2 in southeastern Tanzania

A southern Tanzanian safari landscape

Nyerere National Park lies in southeastern Tanzania, with Morogoro Region forming part of its northern extent, and is reached most directly from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam by road or light aircraft.location and access from Dar es Salaam The park sits within the Rufiji basin and is bordered by Mikumi National Park to the northwest and Udzungwa Mountains National Park to the west, placing it within a wider network of protected areas that together cover a large stretch of southern Tanzania.bordered by Mikumi and Udzungwa Inside the park, game-viewing tracks and river routes pass through open woodland, grassland plains and low ridges rather than steep mountain terrain, and the combination of boat and vehicle routes is a notable feature of safaris here.

The broad scale of Nyerere National Park means that many safari camps and lodges sit in relatively remote settings along lake shores, river loops or in clearings between the trees. The area is recognised within the wider Selous ecosystem as one of its most wildlife-rich sectors, and the combination of large herbivores, predators and birdlife is linked to the water systems and extensive woodlands.wild and beautiful Rufiji River system Within Tanzania’s roster of parks it stands out by sheer area and by its southern location, forming a counterpart to northern destinations such as Serengeti and Ngorongoro while offering a different river-and-woodland setting.

Visiting Nyerere National Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Nyerere National Park lies in southeastern Tanzania within the Rufiji River basin, and is commonly reached from Dar es Salaam by road or scheduled light aircraft services to airstrips such as Mtemere.
• The terrain combines river channels, floodplains and extensive miombo woodland, so game drives involve unpaved tracks, some sandy sections and occasional crossings of shallow, seasonally flooded areas.
• Mikumi National Park and Udzungwa Mountains National Park lie to the northwest and west respectively, making it practical to combine Nyerere with other southern Tanzanian parks on a single itinerary.
• The official language is Swahili and the currency is the Tanzanian shilling.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Nyerere National Park

Where is Nyerere National Park?

Nyerere National Park is in southeastern Tanzania within the Rufiji River basin, covering parts of Morogoro, Lindi, Pwani and Ruvuma regions.

What should travellers expect on a visit?

Travellers encounter a mix of river, lakes, floodplains and miombo woodland, with safaris that combine vehicle game drives on unpaved tracks and boat excursions along the Rufiji River.

What makes Nyerere National Park distinctive among Tanzanian parks?

Its combination of very large area, river-and-lake landscape and origin as the photographic section of the former Selous Game Reserve gives it a distinctive southern character within Tanzania’s network of national parks.