Tanzania
The most authentic of African nations.
Where will your Safari take you?
Our Tanzania safaris generally start from Kilimanjaro International Airport or Dar es Salaam international airport. More people go on Safari in what we call the “northern circuit” of Tanzania. There is a very good reason for this, and that is the location of the world renowned Serengeti National Park. However there is a very good case for Safari Tours in the south of Tanzania, especially for sole travellers who do not want to hire an entire safari vehicle to themselves. In addition to this, what few safari tour operators will tell you, is that the best safari in Tanzania may well be in a less famous southern circuit national park, depending upon the season.
See our Safari destinations in Tanzania below.
The Serengeti
There is no one Tanzania Safari Tour that defines Tanzania. Many people ask for our “best seller” or “classic Tanzania” – this simply does not exist, but the one name that catches everyone’s attention is the Serengeti National Park and our Serengeti Safari Tour.
Take in Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. You’ll get to see the hills of Tarangire, with the dry plains and the incredible vista of the Ngorongoro Crater, before entering the Serengeti National Park at Naabi Hill. With the Masai Mara to the north, the sheer majesty of the Serengeti is hard to explain.
Ruaha National Park
The Ruaha National Park is the largest National Park in East Africa, let alone Tanzania and is partly why we consider it one of Tanzania’s best safaris. It is made up of hills, the great Ruaha River, and the Usangu wetlands. With very few camps in the park, complete privacy is almost guaranteed. Ruaha’s true beauty is its rolling hills which give stunning views of the surrounding plains and the river.
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park is a birders’ paradise but it is also home to herds of Elephants. It is home to over 400 species by the lake area. It is famous for hippos, flamingos and the world-famous tree-climbing lions. Lake Manyara National Park is a small park but the backdrop is the Ngorongoro Crater, which makes for stunning views of the side of the mountain. Most people visit Lake Manyara for one day in combination with a tour of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Selous National Park
The Selous Game Reserve is Africa’s largest protected wildlife sanctuary and the world’s largest protected wet wilderness area. Those two facts alone make the Selous Game Reserve an absolute “must-see” on any Tanzanian Safari holiday. The Selous Reserve covers 54.000 square miles, which means your safari will be in an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland.
The Selous is also all about water, so the monsoons control when best to visit. There are two seasons we recommend, high water and dry season. Both are stunning.
Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park is one of the three major parks in what we call the Southern Safari Circuit of Tanzania (otherwise known as “the southern circuit”). Mikumi is blessed or cursed with being relatively close to Dar Es Salam, but it should not be discounted – it is a first-class safari park.
As an intrinsic part of the Selous-Mikumi Game Corridor which runs well into Mozambique, Mikumi falls into place as an add-on to the Selous and Ruaha National Parks should you want to experience the real Tanzania by overland travel from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha. Even if only as a short add-on to your scuba dive holiday on the beaches of Zanzibar, Mikumi is unique in that it has animals active all year round.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park covers approximately 2600 square kilometres, making it smaller than the Serengeti National Park or the Ngorongoro Conservation area, but there is no comparison to the density of animals, especially in the dry season. Tarangire National Park can either be an essential stopover on a Northern Tanzania Safari Holiday, or a 5-day safari in its own right.
Being quite close to Arusha, it is normally the first park for safari tours to stop, but most make it a day trip and cars most often carry on to Manyara and Ngorongoro for the evenings’ end. This makes Tarangire National Park a gem of a park. When your safari car goes deeper into the national park, you will hardly see another car or visitor.