Tanzania's Northern Parks

Tarangire National Park

Situated only 120km from Arusha and south east of Lake Manyara National Park,

Tarangire is famous for its dense wildlife population which is most spectacular between June and December.

During this time of the year, thousands of animals migrate from the dry Masai Steppe to Tarangire River searching for water. Huge elephant herds can be seen here together with rhino, buffalo, lion, warthog, eland, fringe eared oryx, lesser and greater kudu and large numbers of impala.

The National Park is also famous for tree climbing pythons and the abundance of birdlife.

Lake Manyara National Park

Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park (9322 sq.km) is one of the most beautiful places in Africa. As you enter the gate, the Park is dramatically marked off by lush green vegetation consisting of tall trees of the ground water forest which provide home to troops of baboon and blue monkeys. Further down, the forest opens up into woodland, grassland, swamps and beyond, the soda lake itself where 350 species of birds including the lively flamingo (lesser and greater), pelican, sacred ibis, grebe and stork can be viewed (a bird watchers paradise).

At the southern end of the Park are hot sulphur springs called Maji moto. The most famous spectacle in the Park are tree-climbing lions who spend most of the day spread out along the branches of Acacia trees 6-7 metres above ground. The Park is also noted for its numerous buffalo, elephant, giraffe, impala, hippo and a great variety of smaller animals which can be observed during the course of a single day. The Park is situated 130km from Arusha.

The Ngorongoro Crater

Standing at 2236m above sea level is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610m from the Crater floor, the Crater covers an area of 259sq.kms. It is considered to be one of the wonders of the Natural World.

On the floor of this Garden of Eden which can be reached by four-wheel drive vehicle, roam thousands of plains animals.

Elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, rhino and the ever hungry predators including cheetah, hyena and black maned lion can all be observed at close quarters in their natural habitat.

More than a hundred species of birds have been spotted here. Ostrich, kori bustards, secretary birds, crested cranes, egrets, red billed ox-peckers and the countless flamingo which form a pink cover over the soda lake can all be observed.

The Serengeti National Park

At 14,763 sq kms the huge the Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value. Within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals living in total freedom on the "endless plains" (as Serengeti means in Masai language), scattered with rock outcrops, patches of acacia bush, forest and occasional small rivers. About 35 species of plains animals can be observed here including the "big five" Elephant Cheetah Zebra Leopard and over 2000 lions.

During the months of late May and early June, depending on the weather, huge herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle begin their spectacular migration from the central plains to the permanent water in the north and west of the Park. Lines and columns of wildebeest up to 40km long have been observed. At the tail end of this procession come the crippled and those too old to keep up. Lion, cheetah and hyena follow, ensuring that only the fittest survive while vultures circle overhead, patiently wait to scavenge.

Other common species to be found in the Serengeti include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala, waterbuck, klipspringer, baboon, warthog, topi and a rich selection of birdlife.