Tanzania is a vibrant and beautiful country with exceptional parks and reserves like Serengeti National Park. It’s blessed with the winning combination of unparalleled game viewing and dazzling tropical beaches. In this case, our top Tanzania National Parks happens to be the most popular Tanzania safari destination. If you’re a wildlife enthusiast, in your holidays 2022- 2023, you might want to head over to the following Tanzania National parks!
- The Great Serengeti National Park
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Tarangire National Park
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Selous Game reserve
1. THE GREAT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK TANZANIA
Serengeti National Park is one of Africa’s most popular tourist wildlife destinations and number one of Tanzania’s finest national parks. The majestic and famous Great Wildebeest Migration comes into action. Millions of wildebeests and thousands of zebras migrate in a clockwise manner every year. The most interesting parts of the movement include the river crossings whereby thousands of wildebeests attempt to cross a river. Some lose their lives as the gigantic Nile crocodiles splash out of the water and prey on the beautiful river-crossing animals. The birth of over half a million calves in about a week also gives exceptional and rewarding views.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
- Hot air balloon safari available
- The Great Migration
- Big 5
- Other wildlife like cheetahs, gazelles, hyenas, jackals, elands, hippos, and giraffes.
- Birdlife of over 500 species
BEST TIME TO VISIT THE SERENGETI
The best times to take a safari in Tanzania and visit Serengeti National Park are from January to February or from June through September; however, you should plan your trip around the movement of the wildebeest Migration for the best experiences. For instance, winter is the best time to see the herd in Southern Serengeti, while the Western and Northern Serengeti are the best places to spend the summer and autumn months.
2. UNESCO HERITAGE SITE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
Named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most extraordinary destinations on the continent. Located in the Crater Highlands of northern Tanzania, the conservation area is one of the country’s most famous wildlife safari spots, home to a remarkable abundance and diversity of wildlife. Named after the mighty Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient massive volcanic crater spanning 260 square kilometers, surrounded by 600-meter-high walls.
It’s the world’s largest intact and unfilled caldera, which alone is home to over 25,000 large game animals. It’s also one of the few places in Africa where you can see all of the Big Five in a single day. The conservation area protects Tanzania’s last remaining population of the endangered black rhino. The conservation area has been occupied by pastoralist tribes, including the Maasai, for the past 2,000 years.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN NGORONGORO
- Ngorongoro is one of the few places where you can see all of Africa’s Big Five in a single day
- Incredible wildlife sightings all year round.
- Discover the local Maasai culture
- The ancient hominid fossils of Olduvai Gorge.
- The Crater itself is just so wonderful to watch, you can literally do that all day. Kidding lol, but really it is the best place to be leaving aside the components (Animals) in it!
- The endangered black rhino
BEST TIME TO VISIT THE NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
The dry winter season (June to August) is the best time for wildlife viewing, while the rainy summer season (November to April) is the best time for bird watching. You’ll see greater populations of the famous pink flamingos when the water levels of the soda lakes are higher. If you’d like to witness the Great Migration in the Ngorongoro region, travel between December and March. However, if you are looking for Tanzania holidays 2022 destination, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is definitely the one, it can be visited all year round, with two distinct seasons offering significantly unique sceneries.
3. TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK TANZANIA
Speaking of a safari in Tanzania, Tarangire provides one of the best safari experiences. Tarangire National Park is known for its large population of elephants. You can spot herds containing up to 300 elephants here. Also famous for its hundred-year-old baobab trees that cover the park.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
- One of the biggest elephant populations in northern Tanzania
- Other wildlife: zebras, wildebeests, hyenas, fringe-eared oryx, hippos, buffaloes, and giraffes
- Different luxury lodges and Beautiful camps.
- Excellent birdwatching opportunities, over 500 species of birds can be spotted at Tarangire National Park
- Night safaris and walking safaris are available.
- Spectacular scenery famous for its ancient baobab trees
BEST TIME TO VISIT
During the wet season (November – December, and March-May) in Tarangire, animals are free to roam far and wide in the forested park. It makes for bad game-viewing. Conversely, in the dry season (June – October), the rapidly draining water forces the park’s animals to move close to the only reliable sources of water, the Tarangire River and the swamps of the river valley.
4. LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK TANZANIA
Located between Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park is an easy additional Tanzania National Park to a Northern Circuit safari in Tanzania. However, it’s well worth a visit in its own right, renowned for its unique ecosystems bursting with diverse wildlife. Lake Manyara is one of the Tanzania National Parks that hosts at least ten different ecosystems, with groundwater forests, floodplains, hot springs, and open savannahs. Two-thirds of this park is covered by Lake Manyara, a beautiful soda lake that often appears pink because of the reflection of the thousands of flamingoes that line it.
Lake Manyara is also home to unusual and rare tree-climbing lions! How often do you catch a lion chilling up in a tree? Well, you can witness it for yourself here at Lake Manyara National Park.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
- Tree-climbing lions
- Treetop walkway
- Hippos, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, impalas, and wildebeests.
- Birdlife of over 400 species including Flamingoes
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Visit Lake Manyara National park during the dry winter season from June to October, when wildlife viewing is at its best. If you’d like to see the park’s birdlife and pink flamingos, visit between November and April, when migrant species arrive, and resident birds display their colorful breeding plumage. The lake is also at its prime this season, with lush green foliage dotted with bright pink flamingos. However, Lake Manyara National Park can be visited all year round, with something special to see in every season.
5. SELOUS GAME RESERVE
Selous Game Reserve is an untouched game reserve that offers raw nature, beauty, and endless wildlife. The Reserve is never crowded, even during the peak season. Selous game reserve offers a high level of privacy, and you’ll see more wildlife than humans on your game drives. It is well known for its large population of African wild dogs, which are critically endangered.
It also has a high concentration of elephants compared to other southern Tanzania National Parks. The Selous Game Reserve is Africa’s largest game reserve, home to Africa’s Big Five and an extraordinary amount of wildlife. Take a game drive around the Reserve during the dry season, and you’re likely to spot some of the 120,000 buffaloes that inhabit the region, along with the 4,000 lions, one of the largest populations in the world; the park can also be explored on foot with an exhilarating walking safari. It is the most unpopular game reserve and yet worth taking a visit.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN SELOUS GAME RESERVE
- Africa’s Big Five and an extraordinary amount of wildlife
- One of the few destinations in Africa to see African wild dogs.
- Excellent lion population and sightings.
- Boat & Walking safaris
BEST TIME TO VISIT TANZANIA
The best time to visit the Selous Game Reserve is during the dry season of July to October. Even though this is peak season, you still won’t encounter the usual crowds of the more popular northern parks. With thinning vegetation and retreating water sources, you’ll have prime wildlife viewing opportunities. However, the heaviest rains fall from March to May, and many lodges and roads close during this period due to its remoteness which is contrary to most Northern Tanzania National Parks.
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