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Trustpilot Rating : Five Stars

Reviews 132 • Excellent

Where to Stay

Mdonya Old River

from $500 per person per night for 2026/27

Simple and secluded luxury in Ruaha

As with Mdonya's sister camp, Lake Manze, in the Selous, Mdonya Old River Camp is a simple and elegant camp that offers great value for money along with a true bush experience. It is not for those looking for brass taps and massages, but what it does it does really, really well! Again, the concept behind a stay here is to really relax into what Ruaha has to offer and it is certainly somewhere that we recommend very highly.

Good location, wonderfully simple camp with good atmosphere, price

Set a little away from the main game areas (not necessarily a bad thing!)

About the location

Set over on the western side of the park, away from the busier Msembe region of the park, Mdonya Old River, as the name suggests, is set on the Mdonya River that seasonally runs through the region, attracting in game of all sorts.

Do see Parks & Regions on this page.

lodge Layout

The camp itself is relatively simple in its design and so the tents offer simple comforts with running water, beds and covered verandah out the front. Similarly the main areas are also of the functional type with relaxed dining and seating areas looking out to the scrub bush that surrounds the camp.

Do see our new Mdonya Old River Picture Gallery further down this page.

Mdonya Old River Accomodation

Using the simpler “Meru” style A-frame tents the accommodation is pretty simple but still retains comfortable touches such as running hot and cold water, pocket sprung mattresses and flushing loos.

Set in amongst the forest allows the occasional visitor to wander past during the day so you can still be game viewing even when seated out on the covered verandah!

Do see Best Safaris & Holidays on this page.

Wildlife & Activities at Mdonya Old River

Ruaha is definitely one of our favourite parks in Africa as the game very rarely disappoints. As with most camps in the park, game viewing activities are focussed on open sided Landcruise safaris but it is also possible to do some walking and, unbelievably, we just had a client return having seen 2 aardwolf on a night drive in the park!

Don’t miss our Mdonya Old River Wildlife Guide on this page.

How to book Mdonya Old River

Please call us in the UK on the usual +44 1525 840 149 or email info@theafricaspecialists.com to check availability, best prices and what adventures you have in mind. We can plan and arrange it all for you and have been for over 20 years!

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Where on the map is Mdonya Old River?

Mdonya Old River

Mdonya Old River, Ruaha National Park map

Mdonya Old River Highlights

Just some of the highlights of this hand-picked Ruaha National Park lodge. Do call us direct for any other details or to help with planning and logistics.

Luxury Accommodation

11 tents with ensuite facilities

4WD Drive Game Safaris

walking & driving options

Private Restaurant

relaxed dining & seating areas

All ages welcome

all ages aged 7 years & above welcome

Please go to either of our Tailormade Safari Trips pages to see a lot more safari trips, ideas and budgets.

What kind of wildlife should you expect to find around Mdonya Old River for 2026/27?

For 2026/27, we expect you’ll be able to find the following wildlife around the Mdonya Old River bearing in mind the quality of guiding, budgets, time of year and duration of stay all affect your chances of finding or seeing any of the following outstanding wildlife that dwell in this part of the Ruaha National Park…

Don't miss our full Africa Wildlife Guide right here.

What are your best safari trips & itineraries to Mdonya Old River’s Ruaha National Park for 2026/27?

Some of our most-popular tailor-made trips for the Ruaha National Park that could include a stay at Mdonya Old River include...
Days14Days15

Duration

$4,500$7,000

Price Brackets (USD)

1 Selous Ruaha & Zanzibar

Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar

Visits : Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park, Southern Tanzania, Zanzibar beaches Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar

Unbelievably it is actually possible to safari in both the Selous and Ruaha within this budget. For this amount of money, this itinerary offers exceptional value for money and, for those wanting… More…

15 Nights

FROM $4,500pp/pn

Lake Manze Camp lake views, Selous/Nyerere

2 The Ultimate South

Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar

Visits : Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park, South of Dar, Southern Tanzania, Zanzibar beaches Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar

If you gave us the choice of where we would go and what we would do, apart from maybe upgrading the beach to Vamizi, this really is it! Arguably the best time… More…

15 Nights

FROM $7,000pp/pn

Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, Mwagusi Camp

3 Best of Southern Tanzania

Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar

Visits : Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park, Zanzibar and islands, Zanzibar beaches Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar

This is a great little safari itinerary that takes in two of Tanzania and Africa’s least visited but, in our opinion, best paired parks. The riverine Selous offers walking and boating safaris… More…

14 Nights

FROM $4,500pp/pn

Laba Siwandu, Boat safari, Nyerere National Park, Tanzania

Don't miss our new Africa Safari Finder to find safari ideas by destination, region and type...

What are the other best lodges in Ruaha National Park for 2026/27?

We highly recommend the following lodges for Ruaha National Park for 2026/27. These are all tried and tested by The Africa Specialists™ so don’t hesitate to call us with any queries over them or to check availability.

NB. All prices for properties exclude applicable park fees and are guide prices.

$410$1,600

Price pp pn (USD)

Stars4Stars5

Our Rating

4 Nights

Ikuka Safari Camp

Ruaha National Park

From $997 per person per night
See the hotel now
Ikuka Lodge, Bedroom, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

4 Nights

Mwagusi Camp

Ruaha National Park

From $597 per person per night
See the camp now
Mwagusi Camp, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

4 Nights

Jongomero Camp

Ruaha National Park

From $997 per person per night
See the camp now
Jongomero Camp, Bedroom, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

6 Nights

Kichaka Camp

Ruaha National Park

From $1,024 per person per night
See the camp now
Kichaka Lodge, Zumbua suite view, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

5 Nights

Jabali Ridge

Ruaha National Park

From $1,600 per person per night
See the hotel now
Jabali Ridge, Ruaha National Par, Tanzania

4 Nights

Kigelia Camp

Ruaha National Park

From $875 per person per night
See the camp now
Kigelia Camp, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

4 Nights

Ruaha River Lodge

Ruaha National Park

From $410 per person per night
See the lodge now
Ruaha River Lodge, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

When is the best time to stay at Mdonya Old River in 2026/27?

Generally speaking, as the Mdonya Old River is in Ruaha National Park, we recommend booking stays here with us any time on the following timescales — depending on your preferences and wildlife/safari viewing plans — but if you want to avoid peak season or aim to get the timing “just right” then do call us any time to check your plans, costs and best options for a fantastic Mdonya Old River stay in the 2026/27 season…

January fair

February fair

March mixed

April mixed

May mixed

June great

July best

August amazing

September great

October still good

November fair

December fair

Don’t miss our full When to Visit tanzania guide on our main tanzania page.

Why travel with The Africa Specialists™?

1

100% tailormade

We help plan your trip from start to finish
We make sure to include all your interests
We offer a range of accommodation types
It is your trip, made to suit you

2

Expert knowledge

We have over 40 years of destination know how
We all spend time in our destinations annually
Local contacts give us unique insight
We are true specialists

3

We have you covered!

We have full ATOL bonding for your financial peace of mind
We provide 24/7 emergency backup as you travel
We make sure that the properties and guides are the best!

4

A trusted service

Established in 2010, you can totally rely on us.
The Africa Specialists trust logos

Please call us any time on USA +1-917-336-2937 or drop us a note via our contact us page.

It is the people, the animals and the unique experiences that bring people back to Africa time and time again.”

Nick French, The Africa Specialists™

Nick French signature shot in Africa

What to do next...

Begin Your Journey (French's Safari Map)
Begin Your Journey

Step with us into a world where every detail is curated, every moment considered, and every horizon feels like it was reserved exclusively for you.

Craft Your Bespoke Safari (icon)
Craft Your Bespoke Safari

Tell us what inspires you — and we’ll shape an African journey like no other — right down to the smallest detail.

Your adventure tailormade (icon)
Your Adventure, Tailored to Perfection

From private conservancies to remote luxury lodges, let us help you design your perfect safari adventure.

Please call us any time on USA +1-917-336-2937 or drop us a note via our contact us page.

Old Main Content

Nick/FiFi : This is the ‘old’ (imported) main content. Fi : This is what we’re copying up to the new hotel accordions.

Location

Set over on the western side of the park, away from the busier Msembe region of the park, Mdonya Old River, as the name suggests, is set on the Mdonya River that seasonally runs through the region, attracting in game of all sorts.

Layout

The camp itself is relatively simple in its design and so the tents offer simple comforts with running water, beds and covered verandah out the front. Similarly the main areas are also of the functional type with relaxed dining and seating areas looking out to the scrub bush that surrounds the camp.

 

Experience

As we mention in our review of its sister camp, Manze, this is a great little camp and, given that the food and service are both great, it is the perfect choice for those that are on limited budget but who also want to experience what safari has been about for the last 20 years or so…simple tents and total immersion in this raw nature.

MORE PHOTOS >>

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We have a price match guarantee on this property that means, as preferred suppliers, we can guarantee you the best rate available for the property.

Contact us for a quote or call 01525 840 149.
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Mdonya Old River