SAFARI GUIDE TO TANZANIA

Arusha National Park is one of Tanzania’s smallest—and most underrated—national parks. At just 322 sq km, the park contains stunning topographical variety, including the peaks of Mt. Meru, to the grasslands of Ngurdoto Crater, and the park’s dense forests. While Arusha National Park features less abundant wildlife than many of the other parks on the Northern Circuit, sightings of zebra, waterbucks, bushbucks, giraffes, dik-diks, hippos, and buffalos are common. The park is also home to elephant, leopard, and the black-and-white colobus monkey.

Walking safaris or canoe safaris on Momella Lake are often popular options within the park for visitors looking to stretch their legs between game drives.

Best known internationally as the setting for Jane Goodall’s chimpanzee studies, this small, 52 sq km park can be found in remote northwestern Tanzania. Morning and afternoon treks into the forest searching for chimps can be arranged, though the primates can also often be spotted near the research station, as they are well-habituated to human presence. Other primates include red colobus monkey, baboon, and blue monkey; the park is also home to wildlife that includes leopard, buffalo, and Defassa waterbuck.

Located on the outskirts of Arusha, Lake Duluti is a popular spot for day trips. Activities here include nature walks and canoe trips on the lake against the backdrop of Mt. Meru. For family-friendly safaris, or those looking to branch out beyond the game drive or have a more gradual start to their trip, Lake Duluti is a good option that’s easily accessible from Arusha.

At 325 sq km, Lake Manyara National Park boasts a remarkable diversity of wildlife and varied vegetation zones, from marshlands along the edge of the lake to the crest of the Rift Valley. Though sightings are rare, Manyara is one of the few East African national parks known for its tree-climbing lions.

Other wildlife in Manyara includes numerous elephant and buffalo, Maasai giraffe, zebra, impala, baboons, and blue monkeys, as well as over 450 species of birds. Avid birdwatchers can look out for crowned eagle, saddle-billed stork, spotted morning thrush, and southern ground hornbill, among others. Travelers looking to get off the beaten path often enjoy exploring the southern region of the park, which attracts fewer visitors than the north.

Part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, Mafia Island is a 40-minute flight from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam. The island has excellent diving and big-game fishing, and also offers even more unique opportunities for adventure, such as swimming with the whale sharks in the Indian Ocean.

Mahale Mountains National Park is a 1,577 sq km situated along the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. The remote park—which mainly comprises semitropical rainforest, deciduous woodlands, and forests—is famed for its population of largely habituated chimpanzees. Once found, trekkers can watch the chimpanzees go about their daily activities at a close range. The park is also home to other primate species, including Angolan black-and-white colobus monkey and red colobus monkey, as well as wildlife that includes bushbuck, otters, and blue duiker. The best time to visit is during the two dry seasons, which typically run from mid-May to mid-October, and mid-December to mid-February.

At the heart of Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park sits Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,896m). The mountain is also one of the highest freestanding mountains in the world, as well as one of the highest volcanoes. But beyond its records, Mt. Kilimanjaro is beloved for its sheer magnificence, rising from farmlands to rainforests and meadows before reaching a lunar landscape and the twin peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. The lower-level rainforests are home to many animals, including leopard, monkeys, buffaloes, and elephant. While climbing to the peaks of Kili can typically be done year-round and without technical climbing experience, the trek is strenuous and adequate preparation is highly recommended.

Located 25 kilometers north of Zanzibar Island near the Kenyan border, Pemba has earned its reputation as one of the best scuba-diving and deep-sea fishing destinations across Sub-Saharan Africa.  The lush, hilly island is lined with mangroves and lagoons along the coast, and the lesser-developed infrastructure make it a largely undiscovered, off-the-beaten-path destination compared to neighboring Zanzibar Island. 

Stretching along the Tarangire River, this national park is studded with baobob trees and covers 2850 sq km of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit. Tarangire makes an excellent day visit as part of a longer Northern Circuit safari, but longer visits—particularly during the dry season—can be rewarding as well. The park is home to wildebeest, zebra, elephant, buffalo, Grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle, oryx, giraffe, lesser kudu, and waterbuck, many of whom gather along the river’s edge before dispersing across the park for the short wet season. Lion (including tree-climbing lions), cheetah, and leopard are present here as well.

Often called the eighth Wonder of the World, the Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unflooded, intact caldera—the term commonly used for the collapsed cone of a volcano.  Often estimated to contain over 30,000 large mammals on average, the area is thought to have one of the largest permanent concentrations of wildlife on the planet.   

Visitors are likely to see hippo, elephant, reedbuck, lion, gazelle, zebra, wildebeest, jackal, and ostrich, among many others.  Whether exploring the Mandusi Swamp (known for its reedbuck and hippo), the Lerai Forest (a particularly good place for sightings of waterbuck and elephant), circling the Hippo Pool, or taking in the view from Round Top Hill, Ngorongoro Crater offers some of the best wildlife viewing across the country. 

Despite its size and spectacular scenery, Ruaha is one of the least visited parks in Tanzania due to its remote location.  First gazetted as a national park in 1964, Ruaha has since been expanded and now rivals the size of a small country.  Large numbers of greater and lesser kudu, wildebeest, and elephant can be seen here, along with buffalo, Defassa waterbuck, ostrich, giraffe, lion, leopard, and spotted and striped hyena, among many others. While game drives are often concentrated in the early morning and late afternoon, midday drives in the park offer the chance to spot wildlife crossing to and from the Great Ruaha River. 

The best time to visit Ruaha is during the dry season from June to November.  Between February and June, the tall grasses can make game viewing a challenge.

The largest national park in Tanzania, Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) is over 55,000 sq km in size and offers a largely unexplored home to over one million animals. Its low-lying borders hold large populations of elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hartebeest, greater kudu, hippo, crocodile, and numerous other species. Giraffe, zebra, and African wild dog can also be found in the reserve. Nyerere has a limited number of tourist facilities, and walking safaris in the company of a ranger is a beloved experience within the reserve. Exploring the Rufiji River by boat is another highlight.

The best time to visit Nyerere National Park is during the dry season from June to November.

The vastness of the Serengeti is awe-inspiring—covering over 15,000 sq km of grasslands (and the occasional rocky outcrop), the sheer size of this beloved national park is countered only by its abundance of wildlife.  Estimates suggest that nearly one million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of Thomson’s gazelle and zebra, and tens of thousands of impala, hartebeest, eland, and more live here.  And, of course, visitors are likely to spot elephants, lions, giraffes, cheetah, and leopards—and even the occasional black rhino.   The park is comprised of several different regions, each with its enticing populations of wildlife and scenic views, making it a popular draw for visitors the world over.