Northern Circuit
Mount Meru trekking
Mount Meru is the fourth highest mountain in Africa continent found in Arusha national park. With its huge cliff, mount Meru is mostly used as acclimatization to conquer mount Kilimanjaro though somehow is little technical climbing and it seems harder than Kilimanjaro. On trekking tour on mount Meru, you will able to see different kind of wild animals such as giraffes, buffalos, antelopes and so many but the good thing you will have a park ranger will accompany you for your safety against the wild animal and the accommodation is in rustic’s huts.
Serengeti national park
Tanzania oldest and most popular national park, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration (which is the main attraction and uniqueness of Serengeti national park), when some six million hooves pound the open plains as more than 200000 zebra and 300000 thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa.
Great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and so many animals are found. As enduring as the game-viewing is the liberating sense of space that characterizes the Serengeti plains, stretching across sun burnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at the end of the earth. The spectacle of predator versus prey is always dominates Tanzania’s greatest park.
The great wildbeest migration
The annual migration of giant herds of grazers across Northern Tanzania and Kenya is a truly specular event. Over two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles move through the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems in search of green pasture in a regular pattern. This is surely one of the greatest wonders of the natural world. The wildebeest migrate around Serengeti into the Maasai Mara for the sole purpose of following the rainfall. For their calving from December to March they always begin their cycle in southern Serengeti Ndutu area and follow wherever the grass is greener. Whilst we have a good idea of where the wildebeest should be at any given time of year it realy does depend on where the rain falls.
Generally there are two main events of the Serengeti migration when the herds are the most concentrated.
July-October; this is when the wildebeest are in the Northern Serengeti plains and you have a chance of seeing up to thousands crossing the great Mara river.
December-march; at this time the wildebeest are in the southern Ndutu plains of the Serengeti and its calving season. It’s a fabulous time to see the herds on the dramatic sweeping plains of the south.
April-May; the wildebeest migration moves north into the plains of the Southern Serengeti with front runners stretching out to the western corridor and centre of the park at Seronera. Asilia dunia camp is a great option so at this time as are any of central Serengeti hotels such as the serena or sopa. Early herds may well have pushed up to the grumeti river camp,Kirawira and mbalageti lodge area of the western corridor.
Tarangire national park
This delightful park, covering an area of 2600sq km was established in 1970, and it’s the numerous baobab trees that will initially catch your eye. The Tarangire river running through the center of the park provides a year round supply of water to thirsty animals, and at certain times of the year (especially from July to October) attracts a lot of animals especially elephants in large herds.
The park is made up of 8 distinct vegetations zones varying from swamps, to open grasslands and acacia parkland. For the bird watching fanatics, Tarangire is said to have the highest recorded number of breeding bird species for any habitat in the world.
Lake manyara national park
The compact game-viewing circuit through Manyara offers a virtual microcosm of the northern Tanzania safari experience. Contrasting with the intimacy of the forest is the grassy floodplain and its expensive views eastward, across the alkaline lake to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise from the endless maasai steppes.
Tree climbing lions, large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on these grassy plains, as do giraffes-some so dark in coloration that they appear to be black from a distance. Manyara also provides the perfect introduction to Tanzanian’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded and also thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans ,cormorants and storks.
Ngorongoro crater
The Ngorongoro conservation area covers 8300sq km of which the renowned Ngorongoro crater only makes up about 3%-equal to approximately 260sq km. The conservation area also encompasses the volcanic area around the farmed crater including the still active volcano of Oldonyio Lengai, and the famous Olduvai Gorge. Its center-piece, the Ngorongoro crater, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world is the largest unbroken caldera in the world, and the first sight of its truly breathtaking.
The floor of the crater is home to a year round population of varied wildlife, including big five animals (buffalo, lion, leopard, rhino and elephant. Animal densities are high, and game viewing is excellent, with visitors often being able to get up close to the now almost habituated wild animals.
Southern circuit
Udzungwa mountains national park
Udzungwa is the largest and most bio diverse of a chain of a dozen large forests swathed mountains that rise majestically from the flat coastal scrub of eastern Tanzania known collectively as the eastern arc mountains and it’s also unique within Tanzania in that its closed masl forest spans altitudes of 250m to above 2000m without interruption. Not a conventional game viewing destinations, Udzungwa is magnet for hikers. An excellent network of forest trails includes the popular half-day ramble to sanje waterfall which plunges 170m through a misty spray into the forested valley below.
Of six primates species recorded, the Iringa Red Colubus and Sanje crested mangabey both occur nowhere else in the world. You can do two hour hike to the waterfall then camping safaris combine with nearby Mikumi or en-route to Ruaha.
Selous game reserve
This is the largest game reserve in Africa and it’s situated in the southern part of tanzania bordered by Mikumi to the northwest and Udzungwa to the west. The greater part of northern Selous is reserved for photographic safaris and its one of the most beautiful and game rich areas in the whole ecosystem. The southern part of Selous is found Rufiji river which is the largest river in Tanzania and it is spilt into several hunting concessions which are leased out to professional trophy hunting companies.
Selous is also having the large concentrations of buffaloes, zebras, gazelles, hartebeest, giraffes, kudus, roan & sable antelopes and crocodiles. Almost 4000 lions are found. And is considered to have half of Tanzania’s elephant population within its boundaries and endangered african wild dog and leopards are also found here.
Ruaha national park
Ruaha national park is the second largest national park in Tanzania after Serengeti covers an area of 103000sqkm. Ruaha’s is a function of its location which is transitional to the acacia savannah of east africa and the miombo woodlands and belt of southern africa. Grants gazelle and lesser kudu here at the very south of their range, alongside the miombo associated sable & roan antelopes and on of east Africa largest population of greater kudu.
Once you here you can enjoy game viewing, day walks or hiking safaris through untouched bush, stone age ruins at Isimila near Iringa one of the most important historical sites. The best time to visit is during the dry season mid-May to December.
Saadani national park
Saadani is where the beach meets the bush. The only wildlife sanctuary in East Africa to boast an Indian ocean beachfront, it possesses all the attributes that make Tanzania’s tropical coastlines and islands so popular with european sun worshipers. Saadani has a diverse population of mammals and birds. Elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo, girrafes, wildebeest, zebras, colubus monkey and hippos. The Saadani also offers a choice of driving safari, nature walk and boat safari.
Unlike as in other national parks in Tanzania, visitors can combine a safari with a relaxing beach stay in Saadani national park. The beaches are clean and lined with palm trees. Saadani’s coast is hot and humid and swimming is pleasant.
Mikumi national park
Mikumi national park abuts the northern border of Africa’s biggest Game Reserve-Selous and is transected by the surface road between Dar es salaam and Iringa. The park is rich in wildlife and animals such as buffaloes, hippos, baboons, sable antelopes, wild dogs, zebras, impalas, girrafes, warthogs and elephant can easily be viewed all the year round. Over 300 species of bird have been recorded and reptiles including crocodiles, monitor lizards and pythons are also resident in the park. Lions and leopards are also found here and make your game drives seemingly very beautiful. When you here you will be easily visiting Udzungwa or travel on to Selous or Ruaha and another park is accessible year round.
Western circuit
Gombe stream national park
Gombe is the smallest national park in Tanzania. A fragile strip of chimpanzee’s habitat straddling the steep slopes and river valleys that hems in sandy northern shore of Lake Tanganyika. It situated some 16km of Kigoma town in Western Tanzania. The most visible of gombe’s other mammals are also primates. A troop of beach combers, olive baboons, velvet monkeys and red tailed monkeys, bushbucks and bush pigs can also been seen.
When you here you can do chimpanzee trekking, hiking, swimming /snorkeling, visiting the site of henry stanley famous Dr. Livingstone I presume at Ujiji near Kigoma, and watch the renowned dhow builders at work.
Mahale national park
Mahale mountains like its northerly neighbor gomb stream is the home to some of africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzees. A population of roughly 800 habituated to human visitors by japanese research project founded in 1960’s. While chimpazees are the star attractive, the slopes support a diverse forest fauna including readily observed troops of red colobus, red tailed & blue monkeys and a kaleidoscopic array of colorful forest birds. In this national park the main things to do is chimp trekking, hiking, chimps safaris and snorkeling
