Jabali Ridge

an incredibly polished property

Jabali Ridge is located in the Ruaha area of southern Tanzania.

This property is owned and operated by Asilia Africa, one of the leading safari companies in East Africa, the owners of which are committed to both an earthy, authentic, high quality approach to safari and a very strong conservation ethos.

Forgive us for mentioning this, but the fabulous site of this lodge was first discovered in 2008 by our Greg Welby, who explored it with the then manager of Kwihala Camp, Pietro Luraschi, and subsequently conveyed its potential to Asilia.

“There was clearly something very magical about these rocks, we could feel their age and power as we scrambled through the undergrowth trying to scale them. We sat on their sun-baked surfaces, watching the agamas and hyraxes scuttle around, contemplating the amazing views. We knew at that moment how beautiful a camp could be.”

The lodge did not open until September 2017, but it was certainly worth the wait.

From the vehicle turnaround, a sandy path leads up into the heart of the rock kopje, passing several of the enormous baobab trees for which the area is renowned.

The path leads through the central campfire area, contained within a circle of domed rocks, and up onto a boardwalk, where we encounter a small reception area, with a nice little boutique off to one side.

A few steps further and we emerge onto the northern side of the kopje and the lovely main areas, with the dining room to the right, a bar and social area to the left, with comfortable lounges beyond.

Behind the lounge, a boardwalk ascends further up through the kopje, calling in on a small library, on the way to the swimming pool and spa area, elevated above broad views to the west. We can personally recommend the massage service here (not included), followed by a lazy hour or two around the pool with a book in the late afternoon.

We have been particularly enchanted by the wildlife around camp, with families of hyraxes staring nervously from their rocky perches and troops of shy vervet monkeys scaling the trees and pitter-pattering across the flat roofs.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Jabali Ridge is in eight guest suites, ranged around the north and west flanks of the kopje, below the public areas and reached via a network of descending boardwalk pathways.

The rooms are quite unusual, in that their walls are made almost entirely of slatted shutters, designed to permit the breeze. The insect-proofing (which is barely needed for most of the year) takes the form of a curtain that completely encircles the bed area.

To the rear, there is a large bathroom, whilst the outside decks feature both a hammock and a split level lounge area.

• Room : x8
• Family Suite : x1 : with three bedrooms

The Family Suite serves as a completely self-contained mini-lodge, with sleeping accommodation for half a dozen guests, along with lounge, dining and a pool, as well as a full complement of staff, a private guide and vehicle.

Activities

Jabali Ridge provides the following guided activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the price …

• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Balloon safari : not included
• Bush meals
• Night vehicle safari

Despite being one of the best reserves in Africa, Ruaha tends to feature in a remarkably small proportion of trips, mainly because it is obliged to compete with the Serengeti region. It is one of those places that tends to appeal most to more experienced safari travellers.

The usual stay duration is 3-5 nights in one camp or 5-12 nights in two or three camps.

Safari planning

Ruaha is most commonly combined in trips with other safari areas across Tanzania, like Serengeti or Selous (Nyerere), often in addition to the tropical beaches of Zanzibar, Pemba or Mafia islands.

Since around 2018, with the opening up of ever more diverse sectors within Ruaha, we have steadily increased the number of nights here. Most trips now combine two lodges over around six nights, with some trips extending to nine or more nights in three or even four different lodges.

Can you let Ruaha completely replace Serengeti in your trip? That has become the burning question. For ever more people the answer is a very definite yes.

Seasonality

The classic time to visit Ruaha is generally considered to be during the Jun-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is focused on the river and easy to view. But there are also good reasons to visit during other months.

Getting there

Ruaha is almost always reached by light aircraft. To the south and east there are daily services in both directions (Dar, Selous, Ruaha). Connections with the north are slightly less predictable, but usually operate daily (Serengeti, Manyara, Tarangire, Arusha, Ruaha, Selous, Dar). There are also services to and from the west (Ruaha, Mufindi, Katavi, Mahale).

It is possible to include Ruaha in a private-guided overland safari, in combination with Mikumi, Udzungwa and Selous, but the routing includes a lot of busy main road miles, causing this style of safari to fade since around 2015.

common to combine two or even three lodges