Tanzania
The Tanzanian National Parks
- Arusha National Park
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Mikumi National Park
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Selous Game Reserve
- Serengeti National Park
- Tarangire National Park
The Tanzanian National Parks
More than 25% of Tanzania has been marked as National Park, Game Reserve, Game Controlled Area or Wildlife Management Area. These have been set up to protect the diverse flora and fauna found in Tanzania. Due to an increasing population in Tanzania, there is a real threat that people will move into areas with a high concentration of wildlife. However, this is prohibited in National Parks, with the exception of Lodges. These lodges attract many tourists; tourism is one of the main sources of income for Tanzania. In Game Reserves, the Masai people are allowed to let their cattle drink.
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is a small park, but offers fantastic scenery with the impressive peaks of the fifth highest mountain of Africa which dominates the horizon: Mount Meru. The slopes of Mount Meru are covered with mountain woods. Near the alkaloid Momela lakes you can see both Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day. The area is rich in bird species - 570 different bird varieties are found in the Arusha National Park - large numbers of butterflies are also found here. At observation points at the edge of the Ngurdoto crater, you can watch buffalos grazing, giraffes and wart hogs at the crater surface. It is possible to walk around and even picnic at special locations. The Arusha National Park is often overlooked because most people try to get to the Serengeti as quickly as possible. That is unfortunate as Arusha is surely worth a visit.
Lake Manyara National Park
According to Ernest Hemmingway, Lake Manyara is one of the most beautiful parks he visited in Africa. Despite the fact that the Lake Manyara National Park is not one of the biggest in the country, it still offers an unprecedented beauty. There are dense forests with tall trees, plain fields with Baobab trees and offers rough mountain tops in the east. Because the area is so wooded, spotting animals is difficult. However, when an animal suddenly pops up from behind the bushes, it certainly adds another dimension of being in nature. Various areas can be identified, each with its own vegetation and wildlife. The park thanks its name to the Manyara Lake, a shallow soda lake with steaming hot springs. This lake is a habitat for many water birds like flamingos and pelicans. The park boasts over 400 bird species. Manyara National Park is also known for being one of the first areas where tree climbing lions were discovered.
Mikumi National Park
Mikumi National Park borders Tanzanian’s biggest reserve, the Selous Game Reserve. It is one of the few African parks with a main road straight through the wilderness. It is possible that you will see a herd of Buffalo resting by the roadside. The extended wetlands of the Mkata River are like a small replica of the Serengeti. When the grass fields are covered with water, the area is occupied by large herds of gnus, buffalos, zebras, impalas and elk antelopes. The park is yet to be discovered by major tourism, and is a great place to stay.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation area is the remains of a volcano which, before it blew up, was as big as Mount Kilimanjaro three million years ago. Together with the bordering Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro forms a huge and rich eco-system. The nineteen kilometre wide, dry crater surface has about the same climatic circumstances as the Serengeti National Park. This is a huge crowd puller. Tourists can picnic on several designated areas on the crater surface. The crater wall is up to 600 metres high and using binoculars, it offers fantastic views. Other craters in the Ngorongoro area can be visited too. The whole area has the status of a National Park. An agreement with the Masai allows them to water their cattle inside the crater. The Olduvai Gorge is situated not far from the crater, towards the Serengeti National Park. This gorge is regarded by many as one of the cradles of mankind. This area has been of huge importance for prehistoric examinations and the discovery of rudiments of several hominoids. The thought of our early forefathers once walking around here is worth some consideration.
Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is the biggest reserve on the African continent. The area equals the surface of Switzerland. Huge herds of buffalos, elephants, hippos and antelopes are found here. The park accommodates 20% of the total African population of canines. It is almost certain that you will see various primates in the woodlands near the riverbank: baboons and other monkey species. Lions are present in large prides. Although a large part of the park is not accessible, the areas that are accessible are spacious enough for phenomenal explorations. An additional advantage is that most tour operators focus on the well known northern parks in Tanzania, so the Selous remains quiet with few tourists. Less than 1% of tourists visit the Selous Game Reserve! For people who are aiming for a ‘genuine’ Africa-experience, this is the place to go. The amount of wildlife you can observe is depends on the season; so we suggest the period from July to October, when the grass is short and there is not too much humid heat.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is probably the world’s best known reserve. Together with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Masai Mara in Kenya it forms a joint eco-system where animals can move freely. One third of the park consists of grass plains, where the annual migration of nearly two million animals takes place. The Serengeti migration is an annual 3000 kilometres march of Gnus, Zebras, and Thomson Grant Gazelles. The cycle starts when the grass in the southern areas is finished then the animals move on northwards.
At the end of June, the migrating animals reach the Masai Mara. The journey back to the Serengeti takes place in September. Many animals give birth between February and March, so that the young can gain enough strength before the long migration. The exact route and time of departure is unpredictable! During the ‘off-season’ there is plenty of wildlife to observe in the Serengeti, making your stay worth while whenever you visit.
The Seronera Valley is situated in the heart of the Serengeti. It is an area that accommodates a large variety of species like monkeys, elks and water and reed goats. The valley is not just a source of water, but also marks the boundary between the plain fields and the wooded hills to the north.
Tarangire National Park
The Tarangire National Park is long and narrow. Despite its size it holds a large concentration of wildlife and bird species - about 550 different kinds of bird. This beautiful park is located on the edge of a habitat that stretches out to the Amboselli National Park in Kenya. Animals are able to migrate freely, because the Tarangire Conservation Area is connected to other areas and parks. That is why the animal concentration here, is comparable with that of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Parks. In arid times, big herds of elephants rumple the sandy riverbeds in search of water. The area around the river is a meeting place for all kinds of animals. It is one of the few places where giraffe-antelopes and elk-antelopes are found. Tarangire National Park also hosts the phenomenon of tree climbing lions. The Tarangire National Park has also not yet been discovered by mass tourism.