Tanzania National Parks
Northern National Parks:
Tanzania’s Northern Circuit is a collection of National Parks, reserves, conservation areas and wildlife concessions across the region. These include the world-famous Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Highlands, and the lesser-known Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Park. All exist to preserve and protect an incredible abundance of seasonal and resident wildlife and their habitats, including the world’s largest annual mammal migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra. This area has become increasingly busy with tourists, but if you know where to go, you can get away from the crowds to enjoy the best of this impressive region.
Arusha National Park
Just 32 km away from the town of Arusha National park which was described by sir Julian Huxley as”a gem amongst parks.”it consist of three spectacular features, the Momela lakes, ,Mount Meru and the Ngurdoto crater.
On clear days magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen from almost any part of the park. The vegetation and wildlife varies with the topography which ranges from forest to swamp. The park is famous for it 575 species of birdlife both migrant and resident, and black and white colobus monkey –the only place they may be see on the Northern Circuit. Elephant are rare and lion absent altogether, but other animals frequently seen in the park are baboon, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, hyena, warthog, zebra and a wide range of antelope species including dikdik and waterbuck. Leopard are ever-present but, as always, difficult to find. An area of adjoining land was recently incorporated into the park increasing its size to 550 sq km. Tourist attractions include canoe safaris on the Momela lakes, walking safaris around the rim of the Ngurudoto crater, and three or four days climbs of Mount Meru –good acclimatization for Kilimanjaro.
Getting there: a short drive from Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport
Lake Manyara National Park
This part is famous for its tree climbing lions, which spend most of the day spread out along the branches of Africa trees six to seven metres above the ground. Nestling at the base of the great rift valley escarpment the park is noted for its incredible beauty. As visitors enter the gate they pass into the lush forest, home to troops of baboons and both blue and vervet monkeys; further along the forest opens up into woodlands, grassland, swamps and beyond these the soda lake itself, covering 200 sq km and sanctuary to over 400 species of bird including flamingo, pelican, strorks, sacred ibis, cormorants and Egyptian geese.
The park is particularly noted for its huge herds of buffalo and elephant. Also giraffe, hippo, reedbuck, warthog, wildebeest, zebra and a great variety of smaller animals.
Getting there: A half hour flight from Arusha 0r a 90 minutes drive enroute to the nearby Ngorongoro crater, the Olduvai Gorge and the Serengeti.
Tarangire National Park
Close to Arusha 118 km away, Tarangire National Park gets its name from the river that threads its way through the length of the reserve.
It is famous for its dense wildlife population which is most spectacular between june and September, the dry period.
During this time thousands of animals – elephant, buffalo, giraffe, eland, hartebeest, kudu, wildebeest and the rarely seen oryx and gerenuk – migrate from the dry Masai steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. Lion, leopard and other predators follow the herds. Tarangire has the largest population of elephant of any park in the northern circuit and is also home to 550 varieties of bird.
Getting there: A 90 Minute drive, or 30 minute flight, from Arusha evolution. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority was established in 1959, to pioneer this multiple land in which conservation, tourism and pastoral activities co- exist in carefully managed harmony.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater, at 2,286m. above sea level, is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 metres from the crater floor, this natural amphitheater measures 19.2 km in diameter and 304 sq km in area. It is home to up for 30,000 animals, almost half being wildebeest and zebra. Buffalo, elephant,hippo,hyena,jackal,lion,ostrich, serval,warthog,bushbuck, eland,hartebeest, reedbuck, waterbuck, and huge herds of both Thomson’s and grant’s gazelle are easily see on the crater floor.
Thanks to anti-poaching patrols, the crater is now one of the few places in East Africa where visitors can be certain of seeing black rhino, with the number now approaching 25.
Leopard my occasionally be seen in the trees of the forest surrounding the crater while cheetah are also present but rarely seen. Large herds of giraffe live on the rim of the crater and will be seen on the drive to Olduvai Gorge and the Serengeti.
Countless flamingo form a pink blanket over the soda lakes while more than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted.
The crater, which has been declared a UNESCO world Heritage site, lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which covers more than 8,300 sq km. it is bounded by lake Eyasi in the southwest and the Gol Mountains in the north. Roughly in the centre is the Olbalal Swamp and the arid Olduvai Gorge.
Getting there: A three hour drive, or one hour flight, from Arusha. A two hour drive from Tarangire or Some 90 minutes from Manyara.
Olduvai Gorge
Located within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a short drive off the main road between Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, the name Olduvai derives from Oldupai, which is the Masai word for the type of wild sisal that grows in the gorge.
It was here that, in 1959, Dr Louis Leakey and his wife Mary discovered the skull of first Zinjanthropus Boisei, or “nutcracker man”, and then, a year later, the remains of Homo Hablis or “handy man” at that time regarded as mankind’s first step on the ladder of human evolution.
Many more fossils have since been discovered including those of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep and enormous ostriches. There is a small museum and an observation platform,overlookingthe gorge, where visitors can listen to an informative talk.
Getting there A four-hour drive, or one-hour flight, from Arusha. A two-hour drive from lake Manyara of Tarangire National Park.
Southern National Parks:
Often overlooked by many safari operators in favour of the northern parks, the southern parks of the Selous and Ruaha are worth serious consideration and are the preferred destination for most who are really keen on their safari. The benefits of heading to the south is that, where the very north of the Serengeti gives the numbers of game, along with some seclusion, the southern parks are still very much “frontier” parks and so are noticeably less busy (they also feature the same spread of species as the north, but more like a thousand, rather than 2 million). The second important point is that, where the average lodge cost in the north is around $700 per person per night, the lodges in the south, where they offer a similar experience, are around $2-300 less.
Mikumi National Park
Located north of the selousReseve, less than 300km. 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 itsopen 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. Getting there: A four-hour drive, or a one hour flight, from Dar es Salaam.
Ruaha National Park
Recently expanded to become the largest national park in East Africa and, after Kafue National Park in Zambia, the second largest in Africa, Ruaha is home to more than 10,000 elephant. Its name derives from the Great Ruaha River which flows along its eastern border, creating spectacular gorges. Flowing into the Rufiji River, the Great Ruaha is home to hippo and crocodile. Various antelope species, such as eland, grant’s gazelle, impala, greater and lesser kudu, reedbuck, waterbuck and the rare sable and roan antelope thrive in the grasslands bordering the river alongside buffalo, giraffe and zebra. Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, both striped and spotted hyena, and wild dog-or African hunting dog as they should correctly be called. Birdlife is prolific, over 370 species have been recorded, some of which are not found in northern Tanzania, Eurasian migrants flock to Ruaha twice a year – March to April and October to November – joiningthe resident kingfishers, hornbills, sunbirds, egrets and plovers.
Best months for game viewing are during the dry season from July to November, when the animals are concentrated around the shrinking water-courses. The park has anairstrip for light aircraft on the western bank of the river.
Getting there: Up to a ten-hour drive, or a one and a half hour flight, from Dar es Salaam.
Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is the largest wildlife area in Africa. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this pristine, uninhabited area is larger than Switzerland.
Selous boasts Tanzania’s largest population of elephant as well as large numbers of lion,leopard, African hunting dog, buffalo and hippo. Only in the Serengeti will visitors see a greater concentration of wildlife.
Once home to over 3,000 black rhino there are sadly now only a few hundred left. They tend to hide in the dense thickets but sightings arepossible. Species commonly seen are bushbuck, red and blue duikers, eland, hartebeest, hyena, klipspringer, impala, giraffe, oryx, reedbuck, waterbuck and zebra, yellow baboon and vervet and blue monkey are always a common sight while families of black and white colobus may sometimes be seen moving from free to free. Endangered red colobus inhabit only the west of the reserve but visits to observe this rare breed can be arranged.
The bird-life in the Selous is prolific and the 400 species recorded include the globally threatened wattled crane and the corncrake.
The topography of the park varies from rolling savannah woodland, grassland plains and rocky outcrops cut by the Rufiji River and its tributaries, the Kilombero and Luwegu, which together cover the greatest catchment area in East Africa. The Rufiji, which flows fromnorth to south, provides the life- blood of the Selous and sailing or rafting down the river is a superb method of seeing game, especially during the dry season between June and October. Crocodiles, hippo and a vast array of grazing antelope will be seen.
Linked to the Rufiji is Lake Tagalala, where elephant, giraffe, waterbuck, reedbuck and bushbuck gather at the water’s edge. In the long grassland, safari enthusiasts may even get a chance to see rare sable antelope, greater kudu – or lion.
The park gets its name from the hunter-explorer Frederick Courtney Selous, whose books were best sellers in Victorian England.
Walking safaris, game drives and boat trips may be organised. The best time to visit is during the dry when game is forced from hiding places to the river to drink. season, The waters of the Kilombero
Game Controlled Area are home to the ferocious tiger fish and vandu catfish, the latter equipped with a primitive set of lungs which allows it to migrate from one landlocked poolto another.
Getting there: Between a five and six hour drive, but only in the dry season, or a one and a half hour flight from Dar es Salaam.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a conservation area of about 2,000 sq km. It lies in the Iringa and in Morogoro regions of south-central Tanzania where it is bordered by the Great Ruaha River to the north and by the road between Mikumi and Ifakara to the east.
The major attraction of the park is its bio-diversity and unique rainforest where many rare plants, not found anywhere else in the world, have been identified. These range from a tiny African violet to 30 metre high trees. It is for this reason that Udzungwa is being proposed as Tanzania’s eighth World Heritage Site.
The park is home to eleven types of primate. Five of these are unique to Udzungwa, including the endangered Iringa red colobus monkey and the Sanje crested mangabey. The plateau also supports populations of elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard. Visitors should not expect to necessarily see these larger species however as they tend to be found in the less accessible area of the park. Bush baby, or galago as they are sometimes called, bush pig, civet, duiker, honey badger and three types of mongoose are morelikely to be seen.
The park is also home to a number of rare forest birds many of which are only found in this area of Tanzania.
Getting there: A five hour drive from Dar es Salaam.
Katavi National Park
Recently extended southward to cover some 4500 sq km the main features of Tanzania’s third largest park, located about 40 km south- east of the town of Mpanda, are Lake Katavi, with its vast floodplains, the palm-fringed Lake Chala and the Katuma River.
Thepark is noted for its Miombo woodland and is home to buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and zebra. Antelope species include eland, impala, topi, roan, and sable. Water fowl are abundant with Lake Chala particularly rich in bird-life with over 400 species recorded. Katavi also boasts Tanzania’s greatest concentration of hippo and crocodile.
Getting there: By chater flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Or a day’s drive from Mbeya or, in the dry season, Kigoma.
Kitulo Plateau National Park
One of the two more recently gazetted national parks, Kitulo is the first park in tropical Africa to be recognised largely for its floristic significance. Known locally as ‘God’s Garden’ or the ‘Serengeti of Flowers’, Kitulo plateau has had over 350 species of plants documented to date. These include 45 species of orchids, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world.
Also only found in Kitulo, and the Nundulu Mountain Reserve adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains NP, the Kipunji – or Highlands Mangabey – is the rarest monkey in Africa. First discovered in 2003 it was the first new monkey genus established since 1923.
The plateau is is also some important bird s species, again many endemic to Tanzania, including the endangered blue swallow, Denham’s bustard, mountain marsh widow, Njombe cisticola, and Kipengere seedeater. Some of the world’s rarest butterflies also inhabit the area.
Getting there: By road from Dar es Salaam to Chimala, via Mbeya, and then only by a 4×4 vehicle.
Western National Park:
The Western circuit not well know by many provides a magificent glimpse of Tanzania’s incredible wildlife and great scenery of the rugged terrain, offshore of lake victoria making it an adventurous and breathing experince for safari circuit and hiking.
Gombe National Park
A mountainous strip bordering the shores of Lake Tanganyika, 16km north of Kigoma, Gombe is currently Tanzania’s smallest park. It covers just 52 sq km and is only reachable by boat from Kigoma. Gombe offers visitors the rare chance to observe the chimpanzeecommunities made famous by British explorer Jane Goodall. A number of monkey species can also be seen including red colobus, red-tail and blue monkeys. The area is heavily forested making it unsuitable for carnivores and safe for walking safaris. Birdwatcherswill be richly rewarded.
Getting there: By air from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Or by road or train to Kigoma and then a one hour boat trip.
Mahale Mountains National Park
The other sanctuary of the chimpanzee, Mahale Mountains National park,is only reached by charter flight or by boat from kigoma. Covering an area of approximately 1,600 sq km, the park’s western boundary is the shore of lake Tanganyika.
The chimpanzee population is estimated at around 1,000 and they may be observed in their natural habitat in groups of up to 30. Yellow baboons, red colobus, red-tailed nad vervet monkeys also live in the park and are commonly seen as are bush-babies, bush-pigs, bushbuck, blue duiker, civet, hyrax and white-tailed mongoose. Buffalo, elephant giraffe, leopard, lion, porcupine and other various types of antelope are also present but will prove more difficult to find. Lake Tanganyika is home to more than 250 species of fish.
Getting there: between a four and a nine hour boat trip,depending on the boat, from kigoma. Or a two hour flight from Arusha or Dar es salaam.
Rubondo National Park
A water wonderland comprising Rubondo island and nine smaller islands tucked into a corner of lake Victoria north-west of Mwanza.
The park provides a variety of habitats ranging from savannah to open woodland , dense forest , papyrus swamps and sandy beaches.
There is also a wide variety of animals including bushbuck , crocodile ,elephant ,genet ,giraffe ,hippo, mongoose, vervet monkey and the reclusive sitatunga –a shaggy coated aquatic antelope .The birdlife is unique with bee-eaters, fish eeagle , heron,ibis ,malachite kingfishgers, paradise flycatchers, spoon –billed and saddle-billed stork flocking to bird island to breed
Getting there :by air from Arusha or Mwanza or by road from Mwanza and then a boat transfer.
Saanane Island National Park
Saananeisland ,in lake Victoria, is shortly to be elevated to national park status increasing the number of Tanzanian National parks, it will be one of the smallest national parks in East Africa covering an area of only 0.7 sq km. Saanane is currently home to agama lizard ,clawless otter ,crocodile ,impala ,monitor lizard ,python ,rock hyrax, tortoise ,vervet and de brazza monkey , and wild cat but theare plans to introduce new species such as dik-dik ,grant’s gazelle klipspringer and zebra; over 40 type of resident and migratory birds may be seen.
Getting there : by air to Mwanza and then by boat.
Eastern National Park:
The eastern portion of Tanzania contains Mkomazi and Sadaani National Parks. These are the newest national parks in Tanzania and so are less visited than the parks in the rest of the country. They are more private and secluded than other parks and are rife with specialties that can be found nowhere else. They are well worth a visit!
Saadani National Park
Tanzania’s first coastal wildlife sanctuary is located on the Indian Ocean coast some 45 km north of Bagamoyo and directly west of Zanzibar.
The park contains many indigenous species indudingliechtensteinshartebeest and rare Roosevelt sable . A good population of elephant live in Saadani as do several herds of buffalo while numerous large groups of hippo and crocodile inhabit the nearby Wami river. Lion,leopard , spotted hyena, and black –backed jackal are present as are eland , giraffe, greater ,kudu ,red duiker, reedbuck ,warthog, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra .yellow baboon and vervet monkey.
The bird life is extensive and indudes fish eagle ,flamingo and the mangrove kingfisher Dolphin are common off the coast : whales pass through the Zanzibar channel , and green turtle breed on the beach.
Saadanivillage , one of the oldest communities on the East African coast ,theKaole ruins and historic Bagamoyo are nearby.
Getting there : About a three hour driver from Dar es salaam or by charter flight from Dar es salaam or Zanzibar.
The Swahili Coast
Remnants of a spectacular history give Tanzania’s mainland coast an appeal far greater than just sun, sand and sea. More than 800 kms of coastline, from Tanga in the north to Mtwara in the south, consist of palm-fringed, white sandy beaches looking out over the warm, sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean. These offer unlimited scope for big game fishing, scuba-diving, snorkeling and other varieties of water sports.
However insufficient attention is often paid to the coast’s vast array of other natural and cultural resources as, in addition to the beach resorts to both the north and south of Dar es Salaam, there are a number of other major tourist attractions. Ancient Bagamoyo, aformer capital city, and the nearby Kaole Ruins; historical Mafia Island; the natural beauty of Pangani; Saadani National Park; and the history and culture of the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Kilwa Kisiwani and SongoMnara.
Areas scheduled for development include the Mnazi Bay area of Mtwara and the Rufiji River delta.
BAGAMOYO Once the penultimate stop for slave and ivory caravans travelling from Lake Tanganyika on their way to Zanzibar, the name Bagamoyo means ‘Bury my Heart’ in Swahili. Missionaries, intent on abolishing the slave trade, made it the centre of their activities. The museum has a wonderful collection of photographs and mementos relating to David Livingstone while a house where Henry Morton Stanley once lived can be seen near the beach. Saadani National Park lies 45 km to the north and the Kaole ruins five km to the south.
DAR ES SALAAM The largest city and the economic capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam also has much to interest tourists staying in the city before, or after, their safari to the parks and game reserves in the south.
The Nyerere Cultural Centre, a self-supporting handicraft scheme, is well worth a visit. Here over 100 young artists can be seen at work producing various works including paintings, carvings, batiks, pottery and weavings.
Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Kariakoo Market were fish, fruit, vegetables, traditionaedicines, herbs and livestock are traded. The maze of stalls and shops in the bazaar that surrounds the market, are also worth exploring.
Nearby beaches include Armani, Bahari, Jangwani, Kunduchi and Oyster Bay. Jangwani and Kunduchi also feature water amusement parks.
KAOLE About five kilometres to the south of Bagamayo, at Kaole, are the ruins of a once prosperous Arab town,which was forced into decline by the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century. The ruins, doing back to the 13th century, include two corol mosques, one the oldest in Tanzania and one of the oldest in East Africa, and numerous Shirazi-style pillared tombs.
KILWA A group of three former settlements – Kilwa Kivinje and Kilwa Masoko on the mainland and the offshore island of Kilwa Kisiwani – Kilwa was originally established as a centre forthe gold trade. Now a World Heritage site, it is home to some of the most spectacular ruins on the East African coast. Kilwa Kisiwani and the nearby SongoMnara Islands contain numerous ruins many dating back to the 13th century.
MAFIA ISLAND A 20 minute flight south of Dar es Salaam, Mafia Island was Tanzania’s first Marine Park. It is one of the most exciting diving and fishing areas in the world and is home to some four hundred species of fish and five species of turtle.
Sports fisherman flock here for the superb catches, many of them great fighters, which include barracuda, marlin, sailfish and tuna. The main season is from September to March, although fishing is possible all year round within the reef and channel.
Divers will see a veritable kaleidoscope of reef dwellers among the fifty types of coral. These include butterfly fish, clown fish, lion fish and rainbow fish while, in deeper waters, they will come across groupers, rays and sharks. The rare dugong breeds in the Mafia Channel while the green and hawksbill turtle nest on the smaller islands.
MIKANDANI The starting point for Livingstone’s final journey, Mikandani is a town, close to Mtwara, on Tanzania’s southernmost coast. The Mnazi Bay Marine Reserve is nearby as is the Ruvuma River, the border with Mozambique and home to hippos, crocodile and a myriad of bird-life.
PANGANI Situated on the coast two hours north of Saadani National Park, and a further two hours from Amani Nature Reserve, this is a delightful village with its mosque, ancient Arab buildings and a six km palm-fringed sandy bay.
The birthplace of Tanzania’s sisal industry, and once the major port for the export of slaves and ivory, visitors can snorkel at Maziwe Island Marine Reserve, try deep-sea fishing, or visit Ushongo Beach some 16 km south of the village. v Bay, forms one of the country’s new marine sanctuaries.
SAADANI Now a national park, and enlarged to over 1,000 sq km, Tanzania’s only coastal park is situated on the shores of the Indian Ocean north of Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo and south of Tanga