Nyerere National Park is Tanzania’s largest national park. Formerly Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania’s largest national park was in recent years renamed Nyerere National Park in memory of Julius Kambarage Nyerere – Father of the Tanzania Nation – who served as the first President of Tanzania and previously Tanganyika, from the country’s founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this pristine uninhabited area is larger than Switzerland, whose lifeblood is the mighty Rufiji River – the largest and longest river in Tanzania. A 45-minute flight by daily scheduled light aircraft from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam enables visitors to experience superb game drives as well as boat and walking safaris.