Often described as the most underrated national park in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park is one of the less known gems in Africa and a must visit destination for your safari in the northern circuit of Tanzania.

Tarangire National Park is famously known and loved by travelers for boasting a variety of wildlife and diverse landscape, the park also boasts the largest population of elephants in Tanzania marking it arguably the best place in the world to see African elephants.

Tarangire National Park ranks as the 6^th largest National Park in Tanzania covering an area of 2,600 square kilometers, the park is located between the meadows of Maasai Steppe to the south east and the lakes of the Great Rift Valley to the north and west, about 120 kilometers outside of Arusha.

Tarangire National Park gets its name from Tarangire River that cross through, this is the only source of water for wild animals during the dry seasons. The river is usually very dry, it is drier than the Serengeti.

The Wildlife Migration of Tarangire

As one of the most seasonal parks in northern Tanzania, Tarangire National Park gas a lot of migratory movement within the Great Tarangire Ecosystem. During the dry season between June and October, the most of the Tarangire Region is completely dry with just a few surviving water sources, the wildlife migration happens though it is not as dramatic as the Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti.

As the Tarangire River remains the only source of water, it attracts large numbers of animals including wildebeests, elephants, gazelles, zebras, hartebeests, buffaloes and various predators like lions that come to drink and graze around the river banks.

During the rain months of November to May, the Zebras as well as large herds of wildebeests move into the north-western direction towards the Rift Valley floor amongst the largest numbers of animals that spread across the large open areas of the Maasai Steppe and dispersing all the way to Lake Manyara.

Wildlife in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is home to one of the largest elephant populations in Africa with several herds of up to 300 members per herd, other animals found in Tarangire include large numbers of impalas, elands, buffaloes, giraffes, Bohor reedbuck, Coke’s hartebeest, Thompson’s gazelle, the greater and lesser kudu and on rare occasions, the unusual gerenuk and fringe –eared Oryx are also seen.

Tarangire National Park is also home to a few black rhinos.

While in the park, you will see big numbers of elephants as well as wildebeests and zebra, other common animals are leopards, lions, hyenas and cheetah that are very popular within the southern open areas. Wild dogs are also occasionally seen in Tarangire National Park.

Birdlife in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park hosts over 545 species including crested francolins, hoopoes, yellow necked spurfow, hornbills, guinea fowl, steppe eagles, brown parrots, the gigantic lappet-faced vulture, white-bellied go away bird, bateleur eagles, mousebirds, Kori bustards, yellow-collared lovebirds, bee-eaters, lilac breasted rollers, swifts, hammerkops, striped swallows and starlings among others.

Plant life in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire’s Vegetation is much greener especially with lots of elephant grass, vast areas with mixed acacia woodlands and baobab trees, acacia and the Iconic Baobab Trees which are known as the Tree of Life.

The baobab tree gets its shape from the fact that it can store anywhere between 300 and 1000 liters of water with its trunk, the trees have a life span of up to 600 years. Baobab trees are commonly in Tarangire National Park, also there are a number of wide swamps which dry into green plains during the dry season in the south.

The dry open woods like acacia thickets make up most of the vegetation of Tarangire National Park.

Safari Activities To Do in Tarangire National Park

Game drives

Game viewing is the most popular Tanzania safari activity in Tarangire National Park, the park has 5 routes that lead to most parts of the park providing the best option for game viewing including the Lemiyon route, The Gursi and Lamarku routes, the western lake Burungi route and Kitibong Hill route.

These routes offer opportunities to see various animals such as lions, leopards, hartebeests, rhinos, wildebeests, gazelles, elands among others.

In addition to day game drives, there are also night game drives in Tarangire National Park offering visitors opportunity to see the nightlife of the park and reveal the elusive magic of nocturnal Africa.

Bird Watching

Tarangire National Park is an amazing bird watching destination in Tanzania with more than 500 species of birds, the best time to see birds in Tarangire is from November to April when resident species begin nesting and at the same time migratory species begin arriving from Europe and North Africa.

The best place to spot birds in Tarangire National Park is at the woodlands, swamps and near the Tarangire River. Some of the commonly seen birds include Yellow-necked spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl and Crested Francolin. Commonly seen birds are also Lilac-breasted rolers, barbet and mousebirds, striped swallows and starlings, swifts, hammerkops, bee eaters, cordon bleus and owls plovers. Raptors to lookout for include the Bateleur eagles, the Steppe Eagles (which migrate from Russia), the giant Lappet-faced Vultures and the tiny Pigmy Falcon among others.

Nature Walks

Tarangire National Park is a great destination for nature walks, this thrilling experience is done in morning and evening lasting about 1 to 3 hours with an experienced and armed guide who knows every corner of the park.

The nature walk takes you to scenic environments such as climbing to the top of the nearby mountain and bushwalking safaris where you get a chance to see a variety of birds and animals.

How to Get to Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is located in the North of Tanzania in the Manyara Region and it can be reached via road from Arusha on a drive of 2 hours, Kilimanjaro International Airport is the closest international Airport to Tarangire.

The Best Time for a Tarangire National Park Safari

Tarangire National Park is an all-year-round destination, however the best time is during the dry season. Tarangire National Park has the highest concentration of animals in the country thanks to thousands of animals that migrate to Tarangire from Lake Manyara National Park from late June to October. These animals tend to congregate around Tarangire River which makes for one of the greatest safari experiences in Africa.

Note: Keep in mind that July to October marks the high season in Tarangire National Park and Tanzania as well with many tourists filling the park, while on the low season the park is less busy as it also comes with more rain and due to the tall grass animals are a bit harder to spot.

The post Tarangire National park appeared first on Africa safaris tours.

Ngorongoro crater National park : In Tanzania’s crater highlands, Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arusha is 180 kilometers west of Ngorongoro. The nearby Ngorongoro crater is where Ngorongoro gets its name. Established in 1959, Ngorongoro National Park has an overall area of 8,292 square kilometers. Ngorongoro is a part of the Serengeti ecosystem and is bordered to the northwest by Serengeti National Park and to the south by the Serengeti plains. The wall of the East African Rift Valley defines the eastern limits of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

One of Tanzania’s largest protected areas, Ngorongoro draws a sizable number of tourists each year. The fauna, beautiful scenery, birdlife, and numerous calderas all entice visitors to discover this natural wonder. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s main tourist draw is the Ngorongoro crater.

Attractions  in Ngorongoro conservation. 

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area has a lot of attractions that draw tourists there in large numbers each and every year. The Ngorongoro attractions are listed below.

Ngorongoro Crater.

Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most well-known places to have a high density of animals. It is the biggest dormant, undamaged, and unfilled volcanic caldera in the world, measuring 610 meters deep and covering around 265 square kilometers. Travelers are rewarded with some very breathtaking vistas at Ngorongoro Crater. The soda lakes in the Ngorongoro crater, like Lake Magadi, draw additional bird species, including flamingos and other water birds. You can have picnics here and enjoy the scenery.

Craters.

In addition to the main crater in Ngorongoro, there are several craters in the park that tourists visit. The Olmoti caldera and Empakai caldera are two other volcanic craters that draw visitors to Ngorongoro. The former is well-known for its beautiful waterfalls, and the latter is well-known for its deep lake and lush, green cliffs.

Olduvai gorge.

The first skull of Zinjathropus was discovered in the famous archaeological site in East Africa known as the Olduvai Gorge. Many tourists come to Ngorongoro simply to see the ancient skull and learn about the evolution of man because it is a historically significant part of the Olduvai Gorge.

Shifting Sand

Sand dunes mysteriously move from one location to another while retaining their shape when this phenomenon occurs. The sand dunes atop the active volcanic peak of Oldonyo Lengai are thought to have moved around 10 meters to a different location every year, according to historical accounts of this moving sand.

Wildlife 

Wildebeests, zebras, wild dogs, cheetahs, reedbucks, gazelles, spotted hyenas, hippos, elands, blue monkeys, and a large number of other wildlife species can all be found in Ngorongoro National Park. The primary reason people travel to Ngorongoro Conservation Area is to see wildlife.

The  big five 

One of the rare Tanzanian national parks from which visitors can observe all five of the big cats in one location is Ngorongoro. Lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses are the “big five.” Due to their rarity, many visitors who go on game drives keep an eye out for the black rhinos in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The greatest number of lions may be found at Ngorongoro crater. Cheetahs, lions, hartebeests, and jackals all have large numbers in the Ndutu Lake area, which is to the west of the protected area. Serval cats are common throughout Ngorongoro.

Bird life in Ngorongoro

While participating in a bird watching activity, birders can observe a variety of bird species in Ngorongoro. Yellow wagtails, saddle-billed storks, ostriches, Kori bustards, and smaller flamingos are just a few of the bird species.

Activities in Ngorongoro Crater. 

The Ngorongoro conservation  area   boasts of multiple activities that its frequent visitors take part in. some of the common activities includes game drives, birding watching, view of  the sceneries, visiting of the oldupa museum, walking safaris and cultural encounters.

Appropriate time  for visiting Ngorongoro.

The aConservation Area is accessible year-round, including during the wet and dry seasons. The greatest time to watch wildlife is during the dry season, which lasts from May to October, when the animals congregate around water sources. Tourists can still visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area during the wet season, which lasts from November to April, to enjoy activities like game viewing when the grass is lush and green and there is plenty of room for the animals to graze freely while the predators hide behind them to catch their prey.

Getting to Ngorongoro Conservation Area .

Access to Ngorongoro is possible both by road and by air. From Arusha, travelers drive 160 kilometres and take around 2 hours to reach Ngorongoro. Use a car with four wheel drive. Travelers can reach Ngorongoro by air by taking a flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport to any of the airstrips in the region.

Accommodation in Ngorongoro Crater

Tourists can stay in a variety of lodging options in Ngorongoro, including luxurious, moderate, and affordable ones. All campsites in Ngorongoro, with the exception of Simba, are categorized as special locations where visitors must provide all the necessary amenities because they are intended for independent safari travelers. For travelers looking for the highest level of accommodation and first-rate service, luxury resorts like Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge are a fantastic choice.

The post Ngorongoro crater National park appeared first on Africa safaris tours.

One of Tanzania’s top national parks, Lake Manyara National Park is located in the Arusha region. The park is well-known for its distinctive inhabitants, tree-climbing lions, which are uncommon and can only be seen in Tanzania’s Manyara and Serengeti. In the Ishasha region of Queen Elisabeth National Park in Uganda, one can also view the tree-climbing lions. This park is one of Tanzania’s tiniest national parks, at 330 square kilometers, or 127 square miles.

The park derives its name from the soda lake there, which was also given its name by the tree that is frequently seen there. The tree is a species of Euphorbia Tirucalli, also known as Emanyara in Maasai. The Maasai people depend on the tree to protect their cattle from predators and thieves.

The second-oldest national park in Tanzania after Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park was created in 1960. The Tanzania National Parks Authority oversees the park’s operations. At Lake Manyara National Park, there are over 400 different bird species, making it a birdwatcher’s delight. Not to mention the large number of creatures that can be seen all year round.

Location and How to get to Lake Manyara national  park

The popular national  parks such as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park are all included in the Northern Tourist Circuit, which also includes Lake Manyara National Park. It is 126 kilometers from the popular tourist destination of Arusha. The park is located right on the main highway between Arusha and Karatu. located in Mtowambu Town, which is situated on the Great Rift Valley’s level. Due to the magnificent vistas along the way and the abundance of cultural places worth visiting, it takes 2 to 3 hours to get to the park.

There is also the option of flying through the park’s Lake Manyara Airport for those who may be weary of long trips. This airport is well-known worldwide and even has the IATA and ICAO codes LKY and HTLM. Numerous domestic airlines that fly out of various airports in Tanzania and Kenya serve the airport. Coastal Aviation, Air Excel, Safari Air Link, Regional Air, Air Tanzania, Zan air, and Precision Air are the most often used local carriers.

Things to see  in Lake Manyara National park

The Great Rift Valley’s foothills are home to a variety of animals, birds, lakes, woodlands, and more in the blessed nature national park. Your safari to Lake Manyara National Park can be enticed by a variety of sights. The lists of the top sights in Lake Manyara National Park are provided below.

Lake Manyara: The name of the lake was given by the natives after a regularly seen tree species known as Emanyara. This is roughly one-fourth of the overall park area, making it a vital supply of water for the park’s fauna. More aquatic creatures inhabit the lake, including crocodiles, hippos, and vast flocks of flamingos. During the rainy season, the people take boat trips and engage in some limited lake fishing. The lake is mostly used by terrestrial species for ecological purposes. The soda alkaline lake’s salty water is a result of the volcanic activity that led to its development.

Wildlife/ Animals : The park is home to a wide variety of animals, from little species to huge or great game that live there year-round. The main attractions for visitors to African parks, including Lake Manyara, are the African big game, which includes four of the continent’s big five animals with the exception of rhinos. Baboons, which constantly  play along the road, tree-climbing lions, leopards, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and impalas, to name a few, predominate the wildlife.

Hot springs :  Numerous volcanic characteristics can be discovered at the park as a result of its location in a volcanically active area at the foot of the huge rift valley. The hot springs are one of the fantastic aspects of the park’s volcanic activity. Geothermal energy is used by the hot springs to heat the ground water. A decent boiling point for cooking eggs is 60 degrees Celsius, which is the average temperature at which hot water rises from the topmost part of the ground. In the western region of Lake Manyara, a small area lies beneath the rift valley escarpments where hot springs can be found.

Bird life: Birders believe Lake Manyara National Park, which has over 400 bird species, to be a birding paradise, making it well-known. The park is home to a big colony of flamingos that may be found at the salty Lake Manyara, despite its small size. Both migratory birds that visit the park exclusively for breeding and year-round residents can be found there. Both terrestrial and aquatic birds, which are visible all year long, can be seen in the park.

Rift Valley  Escaprtment :The enormous rift valley escarpments in Lake Manyara National Park are a gift from volcanic activity and are located roughly 1600 meters above sea level. A nice picturesque view is created by the rift valley walls, especially at the entrance gate. Before visiting the Ngorongoro crater, visitors can halt and get a good aerial view of the area from these structures.

Things to do in Lake Manyara National park.

After your business trip to Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park is the finest place to go on a short safari in Tanzania. It’s a little park, but it offers many fun things for visitors to do. The wildlife is sufficient for visitors to enjoy in a short amount of time, such as a 1-day or 2-day Lake Manyara National Park safari. It is not good for all of the African big 5.

Game Drive

: game drive, afternoon game drive and night game drive and they should be done on 4×4 wheel drive safari cars. The open safari landcruisers are used for the game drives which takes you closer to the game. The game drives take you closet to the wildlife in their natural habitats.

One of the few national parks in Tanzania that conducts night wildlife drives is Lake Manyara. The park rangers coordinate with Lake Manyara Serena lodge to organise the night wildlife excursions, which begin at 7 o’clock. The guests are picked up and put off at Lake Manyara Serena Lode, where they all congregate. You get to experience amazing wildlife, including lions that can climb trees, hyenas, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, baboons, monkeys, elephants, and leopards, to name a few.

Birding in Lake Manyara park

Despite the fact that birders can enjoy birdwatching throughout the year, the rainy months are the best since migrating birds are there and there are over 400 different bird species in Lake Manyara National Park. The most frequently mentioned birds include flamingos, geese, ducks, swans, guinea fawls lovebirds, two-banded courses, grey-crowned cranes, emerald cuckoos, crown hornbills, Schalow’s turacos, crested guinea fowls, and others. The list of birds is endless; all you need is a skilled guide, complete with detailed bird books, birding equipment, raincoats, good zoom cameras, and other essentials, to make your birding trip unforgettable.

Tree Top Walking 

Experience the rain forests of Lake Manyara by taking a treetop stroll or swinging through the treetops while taking in the park’s aerial vistas. This is Tanzania’s first treetop walkway, also known as the Manyara treetop walkway. Taking you on a high-altitude excursion through the park’s beautiful woodlands. The treetop is a separate activity that costs extra and is not covered by park admission. They are organized differently, much like night game drives, and are not a part of the park entry fee.

Boat Cruise :Boat rides are a seasonal pastime that are only available during the rainy season in Lake Manyara National Park. The lake’s water level determines the boat ride, and when the lake’s water level is low, boat rides are not permitted. Before scheduling these activities, one needs have a lot of information.

Hot springs :The huge rift valley actions produced Lake Manyara National Park, which has a large number of attractions, including hot springs. It is worthwhile to visit these distinctive volcanic features; spend some time to boil some eggs or bananas as you observe the forces of nature. You feel excitement from this life event.

The post Lake Manyara National park appeared first on Africa safaris tours.

Millions of wildebeests migrate through Serengeti National Park in Tanzania on their way to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya. It is a popular safari destination in Tanzania. The largest park in Tanzania is Serengeti National Park, which is 14,763 square kilometers in size and borders Kenya’s Masai Mara. It almost reaches Lake Victoria.

A safari in Tanzania is not worthwhile if you don’t see the stunning Serengeti National Park. In Maasai, the phrase Serengeti simply means infinite grasslands. You’ll be compelled to visit the park as soon as you can by its diversity and attractiveness. The yearly migration of large herds of herbivorous species, including zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles across the Grumeti River is one of the most breathtaking sights to behold in the Serengeti. The richness of the park also contains a number of threatened species, including the black rhinoceros and many others.

Serengeti National park History .

On the Serengeti’s original Maasai territory, livestock were grazed. The Maasai word “siringet,” which signifies a place where the land extends forever, gave rise to the name Serengeti. Stewart Edward White, who traveled through the northern Serengeti in 1913 and returned in 1920 with his colleagues with the intention of going lion hunting, was the first American to see the Serengeti.

The British government set aside the territory as a conservation unit after seeing the sharp decline in the number of lions in the region. Additionally, the Maasai were relocated in 1959 to the Ngorongoro conservation unit where they still reside. The park is renowned for being Tanzania’s first national park and for leading the country’s tourism sector.

Things and wildlife species to  explore in Serengeti National park.

Amazing wildlife abounds in the park; it’s estimated that over 3 million huge mammals roam the plains in quest of new grassland. You can see the yearly migration of millions of zebras and wildebeests looking for water and food as the seasons change in May or early June.

Patterson’s eland, Klipspringer, Dik-dik, impala, gazelles, water-buck, bush-buck, and reed-buck, topis, kongoni, cotton’s oribi, grey bush dicker, roan antelope, buffalo, and wildebeests are just a few of the numerous antelope species found in large herds (the estimate is above one million of these animals). Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, bat-eared foxes, hunting dogs, and jackals are examples of carnivores. Spring hare, porcupine, warthog, Hyraxes, baboons, vervet monkeys, Colobus monkeys, patas monkeys, and mongooses are examples of smaller mammals. Giraffe herds are among the larger mammals, followed by rhinos, elephants, and hippos. 500 different bird species have been identified, including ostriches, vultures, storks, flamingos, and fish and martial eagles. Crocodiles, a variety of snake species, and lizards are examples of reptiles.

Things to do in Serengeti National park

Among Tanzania’s most thrilling safaris for animal viewing are offered in Serengeti National Park. Additionally, there are tours that focus on bird watching and balloon safaris that typically follow the Grumeti river. The yearly migration of wildebeest herds from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara during the dry season, where they stay from July to October, is one of the main attractions. Therefore, between December and June, there is a higher concentration of wildlife.

Game Drives 

chance to embark on wildlife drives. On this journey, you will get the opportunity to see gorgeous birds as well as elephants, buffaloes, wildebeests, warthogs, zebras, antelopes, lions, hyenas, leopards, and many other creatures.

Wildebeest Migration

Every year, a large number of people travel from all over the world to witness this migration in the hopes of taking in this breathtaking sight. The sight of such massive animals creating enormous waves and splashes in the water as they move in quest of greener pastures is worth the visit, making this action mind-blowing and mouth-gaping one .

Olduvai gorge

Within the boundaries of the Serengeti National Park, there is another another unique attraction. The remains of the first early man from roughly a million years ago were discovered here by archaeologist Dr. Louis Leaky. When visiting the Serengeti, this site is remarkable since it displays human history.

Moru Kopjes.

The black rhino can be easily seen here, and there are other predators that call this area of rocky terrain home. As a result, going there is exhilarating.

Grumeti River

This body of water is inhabited by crocodiles on the coasts and in the water. It is entertaining to see various creatures, like wildebeests and zebras, risk their lives by crossing waters where predators are waiting to pounce on them. The river can occasionally be a serene and beautiful sight.

Seronera River 

With rivers running, grasslands, gorges, plains, and animals grazing within the park, this location is an incredibly beautiful place. The valley serves as a snapshot of the park’s distinctive vegetation and animals.

Hot air Baloon over Serengeti National park

This allows you the chance to observe the stunning scenery from a bird’s eye perspective. At first light, the hot air balloon will provide you a perspective of the entire Serengeti, complete with its fascinating reliefs and wildlife.

Accommodation  in  Serengeti National park

While  at the magnificent and beautiful Serengeti national Park, your comfort ,relaxation and enjoyment will be taken care of at the following lodges; Serengeti Sopa lodge, Soroi Serengeti camp, Serians Serengeti camp, Seronera wildlife lodge, Serengeti Mawe tented camp, Serengeti heritage tented camp, Serengeti Halisi camp, Singita Mara river camp, Robanda tented camp, Mapito tented camp, Lobo wildlife lodge and Lake Masek tented camp.

How to get to Serengeti National Park

The easiest way to get to the Serengeti is to take a flight to the Kilimanjaro airport, which is 29 miles from Arusha. From there, you can either drive for eight hours or take a tiny chartered plane to the Serengeti.
In conclusion, you must visit Serengeti National Park while seeing Africa because it is home to practically all of the creatures that you will see in other African parks.

The post Serengeti National park appeared first on Africa safaris tours.