tanzania
The ultimate safari destination in Africa
T anzania is blessed with incredible diversity when it comes to national parks, wildlife and so many areas with unique features. With home to 22 national parks (not including game reserves and other nature reserves, it might be an overwhelming task to find the best areas for your upcoming safaris. Through this next section we will break it down to different circuits, to give you an idea of which national parks that are sensible to combine, and of course which areas that is the ideal place for you to visit. We break it down into 5 different safari areas also called circuits. Naturally the different circuits and be combined, but staying within one circuit will definitely keep the cost lower, as well as avoiding too much travel.
Northern
eastern
coastal
southern
western
north west
- Ibanda-Kyerwa N.P
- Rumanyika-Karagwe N.P
- Burigi-Chato N.P
- Kigosi N.P
- Rubondo Island N.P
- Sanaane Island N.P
NORTHERN TANZANIA
experiences:
The legendary endless savannahs of Serengeti, with the famous wildebeest migration. The incredible Ngorongoro Crater is the 8th wonder of the natural world, a unique safari experience found nowhere else. Tarangire has some of the largest concentration of elephants anywhere in the world, and Lake Manyara complements the other parks with its lake, and is a perfect warm-up safari destination. This region is also home to Mt. Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, the largest freestanding mountain in the world at 5895 masl.
when to go:
This is one of the few safari destinations that can be visited throughout the whole year. This region is the least exposed to rain in Tanzania, although March & April can get heavy rainfalls. (Not ideal if you want to combine with a beach experience). The dry season is between June and October. November through February can experience some rain, but lush and amazing scenery. This is our favorite time to go, in addition to late May, where you will not experience a lot of tourists and guaranteed an “all green” scenic view.
suitable for:
Anyone who would like to visit the most famous safari destinations in Africa. A true bucket-list destination for most, and if you only plan to go on safari once in your life, this might be your preferred choice. The wildebeest migration is a sought after attraction, and we advise January to mid-February when the migration rests in the Ndutu-area during calving season, for this activity. For those who would like a physical challenge, hiking the Kilimanjaro is your best pick. The safari attractions can be visited by all ages.
a piece of advice:
To get the full experience, do a roadtrip with multiple parks. When visiting the Ngorongoro Crater, it is critical to sleep on the crater rim the night before, and not outside of the conservation area. This is to beat the morning traffic and be one of the first cars down the following morning. In Serengeti, we recommend 4 nights to get a proper safari. The location of your camp inside Serengeti is vital to get an authentic private safari, and to avoid a lot of vehicles and hordes of other tourists.
tarangire
Lake manyara
ngorongoro
serengeti
This is without a doubt, the most famous safari circuit in the world. The diversity in this region is second to none, and if this region does not satisfy your expectations set for your first safari, then there is not much we can do. The national parks and nature sights in this area are on most safari travelers bucket-list. The northern parts of Tanzania invites you to amazing road trips due to the close proximity of multiple parks, that provides you with a large variety of incredible safari experiences and stunning scenery. Scroll down to read more about the parks.
serengeti
The legendary savannah
S erengeti is probably the most famous National Park in all of Africa. Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers over 14,700 km2. The name Serengeti is derived from the Maasai name “Siringet”, meaning “endless plains”. Home to “The Great Migration” – where the six million hooves from more than 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson Gazelles, join the wildebeests journey in search for fresh grazing and rainfall. We especially love Serengeti when the fresh rain has arrived, to experience an “all green” scenery that is truly breathtaking. The animal experience you can get here should be second to none, and a tented camp in a remote area of Serengeti will provide the ultimate safari experience.
A piece of advise
To get your Serengeti-experience right, there are a few important elements you need to be aware of. It is crucial to know where to stay at the different times of year. This to both get the best animal experience, as well as avoiding too many other tourists. This is also a destination where you need a minimum of 3 nights, while 4 nights is recommended. The migrations goes on throughout the year, and many are "chasing" the river-crossings in Northern Serengeti during August to October. In our opinion the best time to experience the migrations is in late December through February which is the calving season in the Ndutu-area, located in the Southern part of Serengeti.
One of the few destinations in Africa that can be visited all year around. Going in December through February will give you a lush and green experience away from the dust, and ideal for seeing the migration during calving season. Late May & early June is fantastic with great deals, lush scenery and very few other visitors
Easy to combine in a road trip with Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro. For the full circuit we advise 6-7 nights. We can also do a fly-in safari just to Serengeti, where 4 nights is advisable. Either fly-out when you exit or cross Serengeti to Lake Victoria and exit with a flight from Mwanza
A part from game-drives, you can experience cultural visits to a maasai village, balloon safari, and crossing Serengeti to Lake Victoria
