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Northern Circuit Safari
Serengeti
The Serengeti covers 14,763 sq km, is flourishing with magnificent wildlife. It lies between the shores of Lake Victoria in the west, Lake Eyasi in the south, and the Great Rift Valley to the east. As such, it offers the most complex and least disturbed ecosystem on earth.
The park features endless rolling plains and is contiguous with Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya.
Serengeti is known as one of the best wildlife sanctuary in the world and an estimated 3 million large animals roam the plains.
On it its vast, treeless plains are tens of thousands of hoofed animals, constantly on the move in search of fresh grassland.
Wildlife Attractions in Serengeti
A unique combination of diverse habitats enables it to support more than 30 species of large herbivores and nearly 500 species of birds. Its landscape, originally formed by volcanic activity, has been sculptured by the concerted action of wind, rain and sun. It now varies from open grass plains in the south, savannah with scattered acacia trees in the centre, hilly, wooded grassland in the north, to extensive woodland and black clay plains to the west.
Small rivers, lakes and swamps are scattered throughout. In the south-east rise the great volcanic massifs and craters of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Each area has its own particular atmosphere and wildlife. Kopjes which provide habitats to different animals. The Serengeti boasts large herds of antelope including Patterson’s eland, zebra, gazelles, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, impala, and large herds of giraffes. Nearly 500 species of birds have been recorded in the park. The Serengeti is an opportunity for one of the best game viewing in Africa.
Ngorongoro
Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) was established in 1959. It is located 156 kilometers west of Arusha. Ngorongoro and it coves an area of 8300sq/km. Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) it boasts of the finest blend of mountain landscapes shaped by rifts and volcanoes, wildlife, people and archaeological sites in Africa. The concept of multiple land use in a conservation perspective is a deviation from a traditional approach (National Parks & Game Reserves) of regarding conservation as complete absenteeism of human Interference. The NCA becomes one of the first program in the world to pioneering experiment in multiple land use for the benefits of both Maasai people and wildlife in a natural traditional setting. NCA is often called ˜African Eden™ and the ˜Eight Wonder of the Natural World”. Traditional African pastoralists co-operate with Tanzania`s government bodies to help preserve the natural resources of the area and to ensure a fantastic experience for Tourists. Ngorongoro is the World Heritage Site and has also been declared an International Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, due to its outstanding wildlife and cultural value.
Tarangire
Located 120km from Arusha, Tarangire is the sixth largest park in Tanzania. This beautiful park stretches southeast of Lake Manyara around the Tarangire River. Just a few hours drive from the city of Arusha or Moshi, Tarangire is a popular stop for safaris travelling through the northern circuit on their way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. It is the vast number of Baobabs trees that first capture the eye as you enter the park. The gently rolling countryside is dotted with these majestic trees, which seem to dwarf the animals that feed beneath them.
The park owes its name to Tarangire River which flows across the area. Its banks are characterized by dense vegetation of acacia and mixed woodland. The surrounding area however, is dominated by huge baobab trees and to a lesser prominence,old doum palm trees and black cotton grass. Tarangire also has regions of quite dense bush, but with high grasses and huge old baobab trees instead of the green forests of Manyara. The land is hilly and dominated by the impressive valley of the Tarangire River, which attracts good numbers of migrant animals during the dry months, especially between July and September
Wildlife Attractions In Tarangire:
The unique aspect of this Park is the annual animal immigration that takes place during the dry season. Tarangire National Park has some of the highest population density of elephants anywhere in Tanzania, and its sparse vegetation, makes it a beautiful and special location. The park extends into two game controlled areas and the animals are allowed to move freely throughout. From the dryness of July, large herds of zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest and in particular, elephants can be found here in high densities until October when the short wet season allows them to move to new grasslands. Breathtaking views of the Maasai Steppe and the mountains to the south make a stop at Tarangire a memorable experience.
Lake Manyara
The concentrations of game here is not nearly as high as in surrounding parks, but there are a number of unique species that give reason enough to safari here. The park's main attraction are Lake Manyara's famous tree climbing lions - why these lions habitually climb trees is still up for debate, but viewing a pride relaxing in an acacia tree is a remarkable sight!
The park is also famous for its elephant and huge number of baboons, and its varied landscape supports an impressive range of other game including wildebeest, buffalo, hippo, flamingo, zebra, warthog, waterbuck, dik-dik and impala. The birding here is also very good, especially raptors.
Southern Circuit Safari
Mikumi
Located north of the Selous Reserve, less than 300 km. from Dar es Salaam, is the Mikumi National Park. Because of its accessibility it is one of the most popular parks in Tanzania and is an important centre for education where students go to study ecology and conservation.
The Mikumi flood plain, with its open grasslands, dominates the park together with the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides. A wide range of wildlife inhabits its 3,230 sq km area. Lion is commonly seen as are packs of wild dog, rare elsewhere in Africa. Elephant may be encountered and other animals frequently observed are buffalo, civet, eland, giraffe, impala, kudu, reedbuck, warthog, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. Near the southern boundary of the park it is possible to see groups of female and young bachelor sable with their one dominant male. Crocodiles, monitor lizard and giant python are among the park’s many other residents.
At the southern end of the flood plain, in the Kikoboga area, families of yellow baboon live while wallowing hippos are frequently joined in their pools by flocks of open-billed storks, hunting for molluscs.
Over 400 species of birds have been observed in the park, many of which are Eurasian migrants who stay between October and April.
Ruaha
Located in the heart of the country, Ruaha is the 'other park' on the Southern circuit. Ruaha's relative inaccessibility has resulted in a park that takes far fewer tourists than the Selous and far fewer than any park in the Northern circuit. The rewards of travelling this far are a wild landscape with baobab
studded hills and rocky escarpments, playing host to excellent levels of game including superb predator concentrations, huge elephant and buffalo herds and across over of game from southern and Eastern Africa.
A huge plus of Ruaha is that there are very few lodges and yet the park is Tanzania's largestNational Park. Overall an incredibly rewarding place to be on safari. Ruaha has all the predators on show, with very good lion, leopard and cheetah as well as wild dog and hyena. Buffalo and elephant herds are found throughout the park but it is the park's ability to throw up species from east and southern Africa together that excites wildlife enthusiasts. It is not uncommon to see Grant's gazelle, greater and lesser kudu in the same area as east Africa's common species such as zebra, defassa waterbuck, impala and giraffe. Put in the hours and travel across the park to find sable, roan, hartebeest and over 500 species of bird!
Ruaha is certainly a more affordable contender and an amazing addition to any Tanzania safari holiday.
The game viewing here is some of the best you will find in the country with very few tourists and offers superb value. The park is a superb contrast to the Selous and gives visitors a much wilder experience to what they would have experienced elsewhere.
What you can guarantee from Ruaha is great game in a truly wild and authentic environment; Ruaha is absolutely huge and yet still so very untouched.
The main activity in Ruaha is daytime game driving. Night safaris are not permitted. Due to the high numbers of elephant in Ruaha some camps have chosen not to operate walking safaris
Kitulo
Locals refer to the Kitulo Plateau as Bustani ya Mungu – The Garden of God – whereas botanists have dubbed it the Serengeti of Flowers, host to ‘one of the great floral spectacles of the world’.
Kitulo is indeed a rare botanical marvel, home to a full 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchids, which erupt into a riotous wildflower display of breathtaking scale and diversity during the main rainy season of late November to April.
Perched at around 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) between the rugged peaks of the Kipengere, Poroto and Livingstone Mountains, the well-watered volcanic soils of Kitulo support the largest and the most important montane grassland community in Tanzania.
Having its unique flower species remained wild, with birds singing and migrating to the highland forests, Kitulo Plateau National Park is latest and a new comer to Tanzania’s tourist attractive sites.
