Boat Tours In Tanzania

Boat Tours In Tanzania : Embarking on a Boat tours in Tanzania are a thrilling adventure that you shouldn’t miss during your visit to this beautiful country. These guided boat tours involve exploring the water bodies and come with incredible views while enjoying breathtaking scenery. Tanzania has a diverse range of water sources, including lakes, oceans, rivers, and swamps, making it one of the top tourist destinations for boating tours. As you set off on your boat or launch cruise excursions/tours, you’ll have the chance to see fascinating aquatic life such as hippos, crocodiles, flamingos and other mammal species.

Boat tours provide aa fantastic way to experience Tanzania’s natural beauty, especially in areas where tourists can navigate using a 4×4 safari car or on foot. Typically, a boat cruise tour in Tanzania can take between 2 and 3 hours, making it a perfect addition to your travel itinerary. Simply put, your visit to Tanzania wouldn’t feel complete without taking part in a boat tout!

Best places to go for boat tours in Tanzania

If you’re looking for amazing boat cruise tours in Tanzania, some of the best spot to check out are Rufiji River in Selous game reserve, River Wami in Saadani National Park, canoeing on Lake Duluti near Arusha town, Lake Manyara and Momella lakes in Arusha National Park.

Rufiji River in Selous Game Reserve

Rufiji River in Selous Game Reserve is one of the best places to explore on boat tours in Tanzania. the Rufiji River is the biggest roar in Tanzania and flows from the highlands in the southwest to the eastern part of the country, where it meets the Indian ocean. This river splits the Selous Game Reserve into northern and southern sections, which are home to the largest mangrove forest and many elephants. The Rufiji River has two smaller rivers that feed into it, the Ruaha and Kilombero. It is a key attraction in the Selous game reserve, known for various fish species like ellow fin, dogtooth tuna wahoo, dorado, five-fingered jack, red cord, kingfish among others, acts as a breeding area for turtles, remnant dugong and shrimps.

A boat excursion on the Rufiji River takes about 2-3 hours as you explore part of natural that runs through the charming Selous game reserve. During a boat cruise tour, you’ll have the chance to encounter the Nile crocodiles, hippos, and water birds such as yellow-billed storks, kingfishers, lapwings and colorful bee-eaters.

Boat excursions on the Rufiji River are conducted twice a day with the first session which starts in the morning and the last one begins in the afternoon. Visitors on the Rufiji River boat tour embark on their journey with the presence of an experienced park ranger guide and boat captain.

On the boat, there is safety gear and everyone is expected to wear it. What to expect on the Rufiji River boat cruise includes giraffe, impala, waterbuck, kudu, warthog. Savannah Baboon and Black and White Colobus Monkey are often spotted in the trees along the banks of the river as well as Nile Monitor Lizards. Expect to spot a diversity of birds including African Fish Eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, Goliath Heron, African Skimmer and Boehm’s Bee-Eater among others Your guide will stop the boat at the edge of one of the lakes so that you can enjoy a picnic lunch.

Saadani National Park

Saadani National Park is one of the best places to enjoy boat tours in Tanzania. Boat tours in Lake Saadani national park are enjoyed on the scenic River Wami. River Wami boat cruise tour is best done in the morning and afternoon and its tales about 2 to 3 hours. Each session guarantees visitors incredible sights, especially hippos, huge crocodiles, and aquatic life. Beyond aquatic species, there is a chance to see giant kingfisher, African fish eagle, ground hornbill, malachite and pied kingfisher, bateleur, pels fishing owl, purple heron, African skimmer, little bittern, greater flamingo, goliath heron, African cuckoo hawk among others.

Lake Manyara National Park

Boat/launch cruise tours in Lake Manyara National Park is best done along the Lake Manyara. Lake Manyara is a shallow lake that fills up two-thirds of Lake Manyara National Park. It was created by the Great Rift Valley and gets water from four rivers and streams coming down from the nearby Ngorongoro Highlands. Because of high evaporation rates, the lake doesn’t have any outlet, which causes salt and other minerals to build up, giving the water a dark color. Along the edges of Lake Manyara, you can see crusty white deposits of soda that sparkle like diamonds, and the salty water has a soapy appearance because of the concentrated minerals.

This lake is home to a variety of wildlife, including hippos, elephants, and numerous bird species such as vultures, fish eagles, owls, pelicans, and storks. Some migratory birds like flamingos and various waterfowl also visit the area. Visitors to Lake Manyara can enjoy canoeing, which is usually offered in the

morning around 7:00 AM or in the afternoon around 2:00 PM, with each trip lasting about 3 to 4 hours. While paddling on the salty waters, you might spot elephants, giraffes, buffalo, lions, and impalas along the shores, as well as hippos in the water. Birdwatchers can also admire flamingos, great white pelicans, yellow-billed storks, gray herons, pink-backed pelicans, cormorants, saddle-billed storks, African spoonbills, and hamerkops, all of which come to feed on the algae in the lake.

Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park is fantastic spot for boat tours in Tanzania. You can tale a bout cruise on the beautiful Momella lakes, and best time to enjoy this experience is in the morning and afternoon. The Momella lakes are a group of several alkaline lakes, including Lake Rishetani, El Kekhotoito, Kusare, Tulusia, Lekandiro and both small and big Momella, all supplied by underground streams in the northern section of the park. boat tours in this stunning lakes tales about 2 to 3 hours. During these tours, visitors can see amazing sights, including hippo and various types of fish. On top of the aquatic life, you might also catch a glimpse of bushbucks, buffaloes, giraffes, different colorful species such as bird species like flamingos, Egyptian geese, sacred ibis, helmeted guinea fowl, grey-headed kingfisher, white-breasted cormorant, white browned coucal and other freely roaming wildlife.

Zanzibar Island

Zanzibar, located off the east coast of Africa, is famous for its stunning boat tours spots, making its one of the best paves for such activities worldwide. Popular places for boat tours includes Nungwi Beach, Paje Beach, Jambiani Beach, Mnemba Atoll, Menai Bay and Pemba Island.

Zanzibar is known for its rich culture and history, beautiful contrasting its breathtaking landscape of white-sand beaches and palm trees swaying gently in the sea air. As a result of all of this, Zanzibar is a fantastic area to explore as well as a wonderful spot to relax and unwind.

The island’s beaches are some of the finest in the world, with different experiences depending on the side you visit. On the east coast, you can find waves crashing on T coral reefs and sand bars along the east coast, revealing little pools of starfish, small minnows, and anemones at low tide. Ocean swimming is much less affected by the tides up north, and the smooth beaches and white sand make for beautiful days in the sun.

Safety tips on a boat tour in Tanzania

Important tips to have at hand before you embark on a boat trips.

First, it’s important to know how to swim. Being able to swim can really help you in case of any emergencies. While life jackets are provided for everyone’s safety, having swimming skills is also crucial.
Never get on the boat without a life jacket. Take note that life jackets aren’t provided for decoration but for safety reasons.
Maintain a distance from the boat rails to avoid any possibility of attack by aquatic animals.
Avoid jumping into the water while on the boat. It’s good to know that the waters in some areas can have crocodiles and hippos, so it’s best to stay on board.
Keep calm and cooperate when the unexpected happens.
Lastly, always listen to your guide or the captain and follow their instructions. This will help ensure everyone’s safety during your trip.