The Jongomero River runs strongly through the rains, then settles into a wide sandy bed as the dry months arrive, when it becomes a corridor for animals crossing toward what water remains. Jongomero Camp sits alone on this stretch, deep in the southern reaches of Ruaha National Park, with no other camp anywhere near. Game drives here rarely meet another vehicle. What is left is the wildlife, the riverbed, and very little else.
In the dry season the experience continues on foot.
Elephants, kudu and baboons move along the sand within sight of the tents, and lions have been heard calling as they pass through camp in the dark. In the dry season the experience continues on foot, a qualified guide and an armed park ranger leading small groups along the riverbed, reading tracks and following the quieter signs of the bush. For those who want to sleep out under canvas beneath the stars, there is fly-camping.
Eight canvas tents stand on raised wooden decks along the riverbank, spaced well apart beneath tall makuti thatch that reaches out over each private veranda. Inside, the mood is classic tented safari comfort with a faint colonial edge. Polished wooden floors give onto generous beds under mosquito netting, and each has an en-suite bathroom of its own. The two westernmost tents sit apart from the rest.
Polished wooden floors give onto generous beds under mosquito netting
Life gathers at the centre, where an open-sided lounge and bar stand beneath old riverine trees and a dining terrace and swimming pool wait out the heat of the day. Dinners run to three courses, and mornings to fresh mango, papaya and Tanzanian coffee, while the evenings draw everyone in around the campfire. There is no mobile signal here, though Wi-Fi reaches the main area, which is rather the point.
Charles Dobie founded the Selous Safari Company in 1988 to open southern Tanzania to travellers drawn to genuinely remote country. He had grown up in Kenya with a lasting attachment to wild, unpeopled landscapes, and that instinct ran through everything that followed. Jongomero operated for many years under his company, sharing its aesthetic and its management with sister camp Siwandu in the Selous. Ownership has since passed to the Laba group, which has kept the wilderness focus while widening the range of activities on offer.
Jongomero is often called one of Ruaha’s original camps, though the record does not quite bear that out. Ruaha River Lodge held the park to itself for two decades before Jongomero, Mwagusi and others followed. What is well documented is different, and more telling. Over many years in the specialist safari catalogues, Jongomero built its name as the most isolated address in the park, a distinction that still holds today.
Ruaha River Lodge held the park to itself for two decades before Jongomero
Game drives run morning and afternoon, or as full days pushing deeper into the park. Through the dry season, from July to around November, walking safaris and fly-camping open the same country to those willing to travel it on foot and sleep out in the bush. Ruaha carries strong predator populations and large elephant herds, and the country around Jongomero is known for its less common antelope, the sable and roan among them, animals many long-time safari-goers have never seen in the wild.
Mornings begin with tea delivered to the tent, drives run through the cooler hours, and the middle of the day passes by the pool or on a shaded veranda above the riverbed. Dinner sometimes moves down into the dry sand of the river itself, set out by candlelight under the stars. Elephants feeding from the trees beside the tents and lions calling in the dark are the ordinary soundtrack here, not the exception, and no wall or fence stands between guest and wilderness.
accommodation
Eight canvas tents on raised wooden decks run along the riverbank, each shaded by tall makuti thatch extending over a private veranda. Inside, polished wooden floors lead to large beds under mosquito netting, with ceiling fans, in-room safes and en-suite bathrooms with flushing toilet, basin and shower. The two westernmost tents sit apart, suited to honeymooners.
activities
Game drives run morning, afternoon and full-day inside Ruaha National Park in open 4x4 vehicles, while dry-season walking safaris go on foot with a qualified guide and an armed park ranger. Fly-camping, offered from roughly July to November, sleeps small groups in the bush, and birdwatching and bush picnics round out the offering.
conservation
Under Charles Dobie's Selous Safari Company, Jongomero Camp supported conservation partners including the marine conservation group SeaSense, alongside a programme introducing staff children to conservation work. As a camp within Ruaha National Park, park fees continue to fund TANAPA's management of the wider ecosystem.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
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Ruaha National Park
Ruaha is a remote southern park, reached by air. You fly into Dar es Salaam or connect from Arusha on your international flight, then join a light aircraft to Jongomero's own airstrip in the remote south of the park, from where a short game drive brings you to camp. We build these charters into your itinerary so the connections line up in a day.
Seats are shared and the exact departure is fixed the day before, once the airline sets its routing, so the final timings firm up close to the day. For complete flexibility we can arrange a private charter instead, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, flown direct to Jongomero's airstrip. Luggage is soft bags only, with a weight limit of around 15 to 20kg depending on the airline, which we confirm with you before you pack.
Yes. Ruaha lies below 1,800 metres, and current UK guidance from TravelHealthPro treats all of mainland Tanzania below that height as a malaria area. The camps help with screened tents, nets and repellent, but antimalarial tablets and covering up after dark are the real protection.
We do not give medical advice. We are travel planners rather than doctors, so the choice of tablets, and whether they suit everyone in the party, belongs in a conversation between you and your own doctor or a travel clinic. What we can be useful on is the non-medical part: cover up once the light goes, and carry repellent.
Ruaha runs hot and dry through the June to October safari season, with warm to hot days, dust and cooler evenings rather than real cold, and October is the hottest month of all. In the green season the rains of March and April can close roads.
Pack light, breathable clothes in neutral colours, a fleece for early starts, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and strong sunscreen, plus a light waterproof if you travel in the green months.
Come between June and October for classic big game, when thinning bush and shrinking water draw wildlife to the Great Ruaha and its sand rivers for reliable sightings. October is prime but the hottest month. The green season is lush and best for migrant birding, though March and April can close roads.
Jongomero sits alone on its sand river with no other camp near, so the concentrations along the water are yours to watch, and drives rarely meet another vehicle. These dry months are also when Ruaha's painted dogs den, and with some of the largest packs in Africa this is a fine place to look for them. Because the flights in are long and there is no neighbouring camp, we would suggest at least three nights, and it pairs naturally with Nyerere or the coast on a southern loop.
It is a remote, classic tented camp built around drives, walks and fly-camping rather than family facilities, so it suits older, confident families more than young children.
Tell us the children's ages and what they are like in the bush, and we will say honestly whether Jongomero fits or suggest a camp better set up for them.
Ruaha is one of Tanzania's wilder parks, so keep expectations low. Where a camp has wifi it is usually confined to the main area and often slow, and some camps choose not to offer it at all; mobile signal across the park is very limited.
Most guests treat it as a genuine chance to switch off. If you need to stay reachable for work or family, tell us and we will confirm what this camp currently offers before you go.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
