Parks

    Content Image

    Information about the parks.

     

    Arusha National Park

    The Arusha National Park is the closest park to Arusha Town, the Tanzanian safari capital.

    It’s a very small park in comparison with the others in Tanzania and there are fewer animals.

    But it’s the only place in the North where you can easily see the Black-and-White Colobus Monkey.

    There are 3 different parts of the Arusha National Park: the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater with rocky cliffs, the Momela Lakes with thousands of Flamingos and other kinds of birds, and the Mount Meru, the fifth highest in Africa at 4566 m.

    The common animals that you can see are: Masaai Giraffes, few Elephants, Hippotamuses, Buffalos, Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys, Baboons, Blue or Green Vervet Monkeys and around 40 different kinds of birds. There is no Lion, neither Rhinoceros nor Wildebeests.

    The best moment to go to this park is from December to February.

    Arusha Town is the step city of the North where most of the travelers pass before going on safari.

    It’s located 55 km from the International Kilimanjaro Airport and situated at the foot of the Mount Meru, the fifth highest in Africa at 4566 m and the second summit in Tanzania after the Mount Kilimanjaro at 5895 m.

    In the past it was a quiet and friendly town with young trees on the roadside. Today it’s a regional capital with a growing population.

    Arusha has no great historical or architectural interest.

    Best moment to come: November to February.

    Source : http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/arusha.html

     

    Lake Manyara National Park

    “Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I have seen in Africa”.” This lake is a part of the great fault of Rift Valley.

    “The compact game-viewing circuit through Manyara offers a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience. “

    This alkaline lake is situated in a big valley with a big rainforest.

    Many different kinds of animals can be seen like hundreds of Baboon troops, Blue Monkeys, Buffalos, Wildebeests, Zebras, Elephants, Dik-Diks and the legendary tree-climbing Lions.

    “Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day.”

    To see the large mammals, the best moment is to go there from July to October. For birds the best moment is from November to June.

    Best moment to come: lots of birds in November to June. For the large mammals is from July to October.

    Souce: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/manyara.html

     

    Mahale Mountains National Park

    The Mahale Mountains National Park is also a sanctuary of Chimpanzees but with five times more than in the Gombe Stream National Park.

    It houses also 6 other Primate varieties.

    The Mahale Mountains National Park has a special situation with its mountain range and its tropical forest. It overlooks Lake Tanganyika; the World’s longest, second-deepest and least-polluted freshwater Lake.

    The best moment to see the Chimpanzees is from May to October during the dry season.

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/mahale.html

     

    Mikumi National Park

    Mikumi National Park abuts the Northern border of the Selous Game Reserve, the biggest reserve of Africa.

    The popular centerpiece of the reserve is Mkata River.

    The Mkata Floodplain is the most reliable place in Tanzania to see Elands, the World’s largest Antelope.

    Hippopotamuses are the star attraction of the Mikumi National Park.

    Other animals can be seen : Elephants, Buffalos, Leopards, Lions, Cheetahs, around 400 bird varieties, as uncommon other animals like Kudus or Lycaons.

    The Northern part of the park is visited all the year.

    Best moment to come: all the year

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/mikumi.html

     

    Mkomazi National Park

    Mkomazi National Park is the vital refuge of the Black Rhino and the African Wild Dog, two highly endangered species reintroduced in the 1990s.

    “Mkomazi is a virgin breathtaking beauty exhibiting unique nature treasures and immense sense of space.”

    It’s also the bridge between Northern circuit and coastal attractions.

    You can see large herds of Giraffes, Elands, Hartebeests, Zebras, Buffalos and Elephants.

    Mkomazi National Park is also a fantastic destination for birdwatchers with more than 450 bird varieties.

    The best moment to go there is from late June to early September to spot the large mammals and the birds.

    The best moment for scenic beauty is from March to June and June to September for the large mammals and birds

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/mkomazi.html

     

    Mount Kilimanjaro

    It’s the roof of Africa, at 5895 m.

    The name Kilimanjaro might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans.

    The summit peak is called Kipoo, now Kibo by the Wachagga, the local people from the region.

    It’s an old volcano with a flat top and always snowy.

    In fact, the Mount Kilimanjaro is comprises 3 sleeping volcanoes : the Kibo or Uhuru Peak, 5895 m, the Mawezi, 5149 m, the Shira, 3962 m.

    In the Kilimanjaro National Park, you will see animals like Elephants, Leopards, Buffalos, the endangered Abbot’s Duiker, other small Antelopes and Primates.

    Above 4000 m, there is no more fauna and flora but a winter wonderland of ice and snow only.

    The best moment to climb it is from December to February and from May to October.

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/kili.html

     

    Mount Meru

    Mount Meru is the fifth highest in Africa at 4566 m and the second summit in Tanzania after the Mount Kilimanjaro at 5895 m.

    Mount Meru is a sleeping volcano. The last eruption was in 1910 therefore it can be classified as an active volcano.

    The common animals that you can see are: Masaai Giraffes, few Elephants, Hippotamuses, Buffalos, White-and-black Colobus Monkeys, Baboons, Blue or Green Vervet Monkeys and around 40 different kinds of birds. There is no Lion, nor Rhinoceros or Wildebeest.

    The best moment to go: from June to February.

    Source : http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/arusha.html

     

    Ngorongoro Conservation Area

    The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa and the eighth Wonder of the World.

    The Ngorongoro is a volcanic crater and the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the World.

    The Conservation Area is recorded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

    It’s a peaceful co-existence of Human and Wildlife in a natural and traditional setting.

    In addition to seeing many animals like the Black Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Wildebeests, Lions, Zebras, Gazelles, Crocodiles, Cheetahs, Leopards, Buffalos, you also can meet Masaai people who arrived around 200 years ago in the area.

    The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is more than a crater: you can discover 3 spectacular craters, the Olduvai Gorge; one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the World, huge expanses of savannah, forest and bush land.

    The Crater is the only place in Tanzania where you can see the Big Five; the 5 largest mammals in the World: the Elephant, the Rhino, the Lion, the Leopard and the Buffalo.

    The best moment to come: from May to November and the best month is June because everything is green with flowers all around.

    Source : http://www.ngorongorocrater.org/

     

    Ruaha National Park

    The Ruaha National Park is the second Tanzania’s largest national park after the Serengeti National Park.

    It’s «one of the few of Tanzania’s famous wilderness area where you can have a rare experience of game-viewing spiced up by the fascinating landscapes. The park is rich of plants and animals such as Greater Kudu which cannot be found in any other national park”. The Ruaha National Park is a birds’ paradise with more than 571 varieties, coming from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and Madagascar.

    You can see a high concentration of Elephants and it’s another place to see magnificent mammals like Kudus, Antelopes, endangered Wild Dogs, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Giraffes, Zebras, Elands, Impalas, Jackals, and also many reptiles and amphibians such as crocodiles, snakes, lizards, frogs, …

    The park is the transitional point of 2 vegetation zones; the Zambezian and the Sudanian.

    The Great Rift Valley crosses the park; the plate boundary, which is in the process splitting the African Plate into 2 new separate plates; the Nubian Plate and the Somali Plate.

    It’s considered that the Great Ruaha River is an extension of the Great Rift Valley.

    The best moment to see the predators and the large mammals is from May to December.

    The best moment to watch birds is from January to April.

    The best moment to spot the Greater Kudu is in June.

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/ruaha.html

     

    Saadani National Park

    Saadani National Park is located in the historic triangle of Bagamoyo, Pangani and Zanzibar.

    It’s the only national park in Tanzania bordering the sea.

    This wildlife sanctuary offers a unique combination of both marin and mainland flora and fauna.

    You can see 30 species of large mammals, many reptiles, birds and fishes. Humpback whale and dolphins also come in the ocean nearby.

    « Saadani was an important harbor-town and slave trading center in East Africa. Now it’s a small Swahili fishing village. »

    Saadani National Park is a humid savannah divided in 3 distinguishable types: tall grass savannah, short grass and black cotton plains.

    3 species of animals are common in Saadani National Park: waterbucks, reedbucks and warthogs. Other animals can be seen such as buffalos, inhabitants of the tall grass savannah, hartebeests, giraffes, the World’s tallest animal and the National symbol of Tanzania, zebras, elands, few lions, hyenas, genets …

    The typical tree in Saadani National Park is the Acacia Zanzibarica which covers large areas of the park.

    « From East to West, the open ocean with coral reefs changes to brackish water ecosystem characterized by mangrove forest, salt pans and bare saline areas. »

    It’s the only place where the Green Turtles still comes to lay their eggs on the beaches.

    Accessible all the year but the best moment is in January & February and from June to August.

    Saadani National Park faces many threats to its survival like poaching because of the situation on the coastal part of Tanzania and many conflicting interests in the development of this region.

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/saadani.html

     

    Selous Game Reserve

    The Selous Game Reserve is the second largest faunal reserve in the World and the biggest one in Africa.

    You can find 350 animal species as Hippopotamuses, Buffalos, Crocodiles, African Wild Dogs, Giraffes, etc. and the largest population of Elephants and Black Rhinoceros in the World.

    But this reserve is less visited than the Northern National Parks because of the hunting practices in the South of the country.

    The Selous Game Reserve is crossed by the Rufiji River and has a variety of vegetation zones.

    The best moment to come: from June to December.

    Source: http://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/199

     

    Serengeti National Park

    The Serengeti National Park is the Tanzanian’s oldest and most popular National Park. It’s also the biggest.

    It’s also a World Heritage and the seventh World Wide Wonder. It’s one of the biggest and most magnificent parks in Africa.

    The Serengeti National Park is well-known for its annual migration of Zebras, Thomson’s Gazelles, and Wildebeests. It offers the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa with herds of Buffalos, Elephants, Giraffes, Impalas, Grant’s Gazelles and many more. The world’s largest herd of wildebeest lives in the Serengeti National Park.

    It’s the greatest park to observe the predators: Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, all 3 African Jackal species and Hyenas.

    There are around 500 bird varieties like Ostriches, Secretary Birds, Black Eagles, etc.

    There are fewer animals during the wet season except in the South where there are all the big migrations, especially for Wildebeests (December to July). To see the predators is from June to October.

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/serengeti.html

     

    Tarangire National Park

    The Tarangire National Park was initially the territory of Masaai people for generations before to being chased by the government, in 1970 at its creation, to protect wildlife.

    Well known for Baobab and Acacia Trees, Zebras, Buffalos, many Elephants, Giraffes, Warthogs, Impalas, Dik-Diks, Gazelles, Hartebeests, Wildebeests ; you also can find some of the big predators like Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs.

    It’s the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem.

    There are also around 550 bird varieties; you can see the heaviest flying bird, the Kori Bustard or the world’s largest bird, the Stocking-thighed Ostrich.

    The best moment to come: from June to November.

    Source: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/tarangire.html

     

    Zanzibar Island

    It’s the majestic spice island of the Indian Ocean. Over the centuries, different cultures have influenced Zanzibar Island.

    The old heart of Zanzibar is called Stonetown and is the most beautiful part of the island.

    Stonetown is so beautiful and unique that it has been registered as one of the 100 World Historic Site to be protected by UNESCO in 1985.

    Stonetown is a city maze with many narrow alleys, mosques, multicolored Hindu temple and churches.

    The beautiful view of the Indian Ocean and the port has to be seen.

    You also have to discover the magnificent carved doors of the Zanzibar’s houses, the pride of Stonetown. In the Zanzibarian tradition, the door is considered as a key element of the Arabic house. The richer one is, the more the door should be big and beautiful.

    For those who want to relax, Zanzibar also offers so many beautiful beaches with white sand and blue sea.