Ruaha and Mdonya Old River Camp, Bushlife at its best!
**LOCATION:** Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
**PERIOD:** November
**TRAVEL AGENT:** Matoke Tours
If you’re in search of an authentic bush experience, your quest ends here!
One destination stands out: Mdonya Old River Camp!
At Mdonya, your wildest expectations are not only met but exceeded; the seemingly impossible becomes a reality! After more than 10 safari trips in Africa and numerous stays in tented camps, lodges, and the like, our time at Mdonya was a true triumph!
It was our second visit to Ruaha, one of Tanzania’s most remote wildlife reserves, and once again, it surpassed our expectations. Ruaha, as vast as Switzerland and just an hour and a half flight from Dar Es Salaam, is one of Tanzania’s least-visited parks, making it one of the best. This is partly due to its abundant wildlife, including several Wild Dog packs.
We chose to revisit the park in November, towards the end of the dry season.
Mdonya Old River Camp is nestled right in the heart of the bush! The camp is so authentic that you’ll feel like Dr. Livingstone. It consists of 12 bush tents, lacking electricity but adorned with petroleum lamps, candles, and comfortable beds. The shower and toilet facilities are located outside the tents. The dining area at the camp is simply a long table beneath the beautiful African sky. What more could you ask for? At the camp’s reception, you have the opportunity to charge all your electronic devices. There are plenty of outlets to charge your batteries, cameras, smartphones, and more!
Life at Mdonya primarily unfolds outdoors, which is truly fantastic. The food is sublime! You’ll savor Italian “cucina” blended with African specialties. Finger-licking good!
At Mdonya, everything revolves around its guests. Camp Manager Mary and her team go above and beyond to ensure their guests have the best possible experience. Whether you opt for the usual morning and afternoon game drives or a full-day game drive, nothing is too much to ask! We chose to venture out for a full day every day, having breakfast and lunch in the bush, departing the camp before sunrise and returning after sunset. Never did we receive a complaint from the Camp Manager or our tireless guide and driver. Not to mention how delicious the “on-the-go” meals were!
Ruaha is a national park, but in the area where Mdonya Old River Camp is located, they often take a more relaxed approach to the rules and are willing to go off-road when a sighting is truly worthwhile. Our guide, Christian, and driver, Ayoub (pronounced AJOEBOE), were fantastic! The end of the dry season meant that all the wildlife was concentrated around the few remaining water sources—the Mwagusi and Ruaha rivers—guaranteeing spectacular sightings! During our stay, we were treated to incredible experiences.
We saw no less than 7 lion prides during our trip, often multiple times a day. We had the pleasure of meeting the Mdonya, Bushbock, Mbagi, Mdonya Juu, Njaa, Mesembe, and Mayembe prides. These prides provided us with one highlight after another. Mdonya Juu had about three young cubs, providing an amusing spectacle, the Mbagi pride had just taken down an adult giraffe before we arrived, and the Msembe pride showed us how quickly a baby elephant can be devoured… We also witnessed several times how one of the prides launched an attack on herds of buffalo, impalas, and more… The lion prides in Ruaha were a wild bunch, providing a photographic highlight every day!
Aside from the numerous lions, we also saw the very elusive Sable antelopes, bat-eared foxes, hyenas, plenty of elephants and giraffes, impalas, kudus, waterbucks, gazelles, duikers, dik-diks, and more than 20 different raptors. It’s worth mentioning; Ruaha is also a paradise for raptors. We saw Martial Eagles, Fish Eagles, Tawny Eagles, a Verreaux Eagle Owl, and the ever-present Batteleur Eagles and Brown Snake Eagles. However, the real highlight of our trip was witnessing a “live” kill; a leopard literally caught a baby impala right before our eyes. What an experience!
Every night, after indulging in an extensive and delicious dinner, we fell asleep content and satisfied, accompanied by the typical bush sounds: roaring lions and howling hyenas. Okay, we didn’t spot any Wild Dogs on our trip, even after spending a whole day searching for them in the Jongomero area, and the Tse Tse flies were quite annoying in certain spots, but these are just minor details compared to the fantastic trip we had the privilege of experiencing!
Expect a more detailed trip report soon!
Eric Lahey
Photos: Stijn Cavens & Eric Lahey
