Located in central to southern Tanzania, Ruaha National Park is around 130km west of Iringa. Covering an area of 20,226km², Ruaha National Park is the largest protected area in Tanzania. Ruaha is bordered in the north by the Kizigio and Rungwa River Game Reserves and together they form a 26,500 square kilometers (10,230 square mile) conservancy, one of the biggest in East Africa. The name of the park is derived from the Hehe word for ‘the Great Ruaha River’, which flows along its southeastern margin and is the focus for game-viewing. Tanzania’s largest National Park, Ruaha is a wilder and more remote park than its southern neighbor Selous Game Reserve.

Ruaha has a hot, dry climate which means the animals don’t tend to stray too far from dependable water sources. This makes predicating game movements far easier particularly in the dry season. Ruaha is believed to have a higher concentration of elephants than any National Park in East Africa. Ruaha safaris have reliably exciting predator concentrations, it is home to 10% of the world’s lion population, contains one of four cheetah populations in East Africa and has the third largest wild dog population in the world. Other animals that may be seen include leopards, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, kudu, elands, roan, sable, impala, bat eared foxes, jackals, crocodiles, monitor lizards, poisonous and non-poisonous snakes.