During an African safari there is one exact moment in time when the contemporary world disappears. It could occur at 06:00 when the gold sun cuts through the morning mist above the Serengeti, casting a shadow of a family of giraffes on the golden sky. Or maybe it happens at night, when you’re lying in bed at midnight while the low bass roll of a distant lion’s roar shakes the floorboards of your luxury tented suite.
Tanzania is not just a place to check off a bucket list, it’s a sensory experience. This enormous country is the key to the ultimate wild escape for travellers looking for raw adventure with sublime comfort. Whether you’re planning a trip from the volcanic amphitheatre of the Ngorongoro Crater, the elephant-tracked riverbeds of Tarangire and the watery, untamed stretches of Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous), this comprehensive tanzania safari guide will reveal the secrets of planning a life-changing journey at your own pace.
1. The Crown Jewels: Uncovering Tanzania’s Top Parks
Tanzania’s wild areas span more than a third of the country’s land. The country is divided into regional travel “circuits” for maximum experience. The world famous icons are at the legendary Northern Circuit and the southern circuit is wild and free from crowds.
Serengeti National Park: The Endless Stage
A Serengeti safari would not be complete without discussing its size. The park is located in the heart of a nearly 15,000 km² unfenced wilderness area, which is derived from the Maasai word Siringet, meaning “the land of endless plains”. It is a place of noncontaminated and noncorrupted freedom, where nature is left to do as it pleases.
The park is renowned for the Great Migration but offers unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities all year round. The Seronera Valley in the middle is a haven for big cats with large prides of lions lounging lazily on the smooth granite kopjes and elegant leopards draping themselves across the branches of sausage trees.
Ngorongoro Crater: The Volcanic Eden
The Serengeti is all about space, the Ngorongoro Crater safari guide is all about compressed perfection. A million years and more ago the world’s largest intact, unflooded volcanic caldera was formed when a massive volcano collapsed in on itself around two to three million years ago.
The steep emerald-forested walls plunge down 2,000 feet, like a scene from a prehistoric age. The ground on the 100-square mile crater is the perfect environment for a totally self-contained ecosystem. Thousands of pink flamingos are seen in alkaline soda lakes, pods of hippos push and shove in fresh springs, and ancient bull elephants with tusks roam across the plains. What is most important, is that the crater is where you can most reliably see the critically endangered black rhino, bringing the ‘Big Five’ to your afternoon in East Africa in one fell swoop.
Tarangire National Park: The Land of Elephants and Giants
Tarangire is the ultimate insider’s secret and is often overlooked by the hurried traveller who heads toward the Serengeti. Tarangire offers what feels like a classic old Africa canvas painting, featuring an atmosphere, a red landscape and majestic, old baobab trees.
In dry seasons the Tarangire River becomes the only permanent water source for miles around making the park into a wildlife corridor in this season. It’s a place where giants dwell – and it’s not unusual to be able to sit in your open 4X4 vehicle as hundreds of elephants can pass by in peace, making the low rumbles of their communication audible.
Nyerere National Park (Selous): The Untamed South
If you’ve had your fill of the best of the north, or if you just want a little solitude, then the Southern Circuit is calling your name. Today, Selous is a mainly protected area as Nyerere National Park, one of the world’s largest faunal reserves.
The landscape here is very different, featuring the expansive waters of the Rufiji River, the intermingled sandbanks and the thick terminalia woodland. For being so far away, Nyerere allows more special activities that aren’t allowed in the northern parks, such as boat safaris that drift through huge hippo pods and walking safaris conducted by expert trackers. It also forms part of the last outpost for the very elusive African wild dog.
2. Timing the Spectacle: Calving Season & River Crossings
If you want to enjoy the best of the African safari holiday package then you have to realize that along with it, the game viewing is all about water and rainfall in East Africa. The safari experience in Tanzania is wonderful throughout the year, yet the many advantages of this charming travel period can certainly not be overlooked.
The Calving Season (January-March)
In the first three months of the year, the migratory herds make their home in the high-quality nutrition of the short-grass plains in the Southern Serengeti as well as the Ndutu area (bordering the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area).
It is the amazing calving season. This is a highly synchronised two week period, usually in February, when some 500,000 wildebeest calves are born – nearly 8,000 new calves each day. But the plains turn into a giant emerald green nursery! This is where there are too many weak individuals to go around who attract predators. Lions, cheetahs, leopards and spotted hyenas line the edge; some of the most spectacular and fast-paced predatory moments in the natural world can be seen.
The Treacherous River Crossings (July – October)
In May and June, the southern plains get dry and the herds set off on what is often a long and hard journey towards the water of the northern border. The leading edge of the migration arrives at the river banks of the Grumeti and Mara Rivers by July.
The river crossings are the most critical, exciting part of the migration. Thousands of wildebeest crowd on the rockier ridges above the swirling waters, uncertain for days, until tension builds. Then one courageous beast jumps down the hill, unleashing a frenzied mass of thousands of bodies tumbling down into the river. The visitors are onlookers in anticipation as the herds cross the braided Nile, high banks, and the world’s largest Nile crocodiles which lie in the shallow water and are waiting quietly.
3. Design Your Journey: The Ultimate “Bush to Beach” 10 Day Trip
If you want an all-round experience, we highly recommend the raw and untamed energy of the savannah with the historic, sultry relaxation of the spice islands. The trip is a seamless and curated experience that brings you up close and personal with the wildlife but then has a tranquil ending along the coast.
1.Days 1–2: Tarangire’s Wilderness Sanctuary: Prerequisite: Arrive via Kilimanjaro (JRO).
Land in Tanzania and relax after your flights in a peaceful boutique hotel surrounded by a rich Arusha Coffee Estate! On the next morning, set forth on your journey with a dash to Tarangire National Park. After strolling through the trails of the great elephants amongst historic baobab trees, end your afternoon with a classic sundowner cocktail at the end.
2.Days 3 – 4: Exploring the Highlands: Descending into Ngorongoro.
Wind up to the Ngorongoro Highlands enjoying cool misty conditions. Take a full day in the Ngorongoro Crater to explore the bottom of the crater. Packed by your lodge staff, enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch while watching local hippos “wallow” in the central soda lake in the shade of the yellow-fever acacias.
3.Days 5-7: The Great Serengeti Immersion: Fly-in Luxury Safari.
Fly in a light aircraft charter directly above the Great Rift Valley into a rustic dirt runway in the middle of the Serengeti. Stay for three nights at an ultra luxury, low impact mobile canvas camp that follows the migration. Grab an un-forgettable morning to quietly soar above the plains with a hot air balloon at dawn!
4.Days 8-10: The Spice Island of Zanzibar-Coastal Relaxation.
Say goodbye to dust on savannahs and board a scheduled aircraft direct to Zanzibar Archipelago. Discover the labyrinthine, clove-scented limestone corridors of historic Stone Town and then unwind in a secluded beach resort on the white-sand coast with the local dhow sailboat drifting on the turquoise Indian Ocean.
4. Intentional packing and planning
The key to a successful safari is preparation, and the less you can do, the better. Due to the small size of the aircrafts used by regional charter flights, luggage will only be permitted in soft-sided duffel bags, with no rigid frames, and will be strictly limited to 15kg per person.
The Safari Wardrobe
Choose natural breathable and lightweight fabrics such as linen, organic cotton and fine merino wool when deciding on your clothing. Use a neutral color scheme (earth color):
The colours include khaki, tan, olive and sand which will easily blend in with the savannah, won’t be a threat to the animals on close contact and won’t startle them.
Colours to Avoid: Bright white clothes catch the red dust, dark blue and pitch black are magnetic for biting tsetse flies and camouflage is only for military men and women and is banned all over East Africa.
Essential Gear
Don’t just take the magic on your own mobile phone camera. A good, compact pair of binoculars (8×42 or 10×42) will come in handy for seeing the fine details of how wildlife behave, like the flick of a leopard’s tail or the amber in a lion’s eye. Also, be sure to bring a wide-brimmed sun hat, a reef-safe high SPF sun tan lotion, and a warm fleece jacket — early morning game drives can be quite cold. For verifying up-to-date park rules or checking park entry conditions directly ahead of your travel, consulting the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) Official Website is highly recommended before you head out.
Conclusion: Your Next Step Toward the Wild
A Tanzania safari is not just a holiday, it’s a journey that changes your relationship with nature. Everywhere in East Africa, from the soul-stirring rhythm of the Great Migration described in our Serengeti Safari Guide to the volcanic majesty within our Ngorongoro Crater Safari Guide, you will find East Africa unmatched in terms of a wildlife show, offering ultimate world holiday vibes. You can make your way through the old north or into the wild south, but either way you’ll take with you a memory that stays with you long after you’ve removed all the African dust from your boots.
Take your adventure beyond the boundaries of Tanzania to seamlessly combine your trip with a Kenya Safari with our complete Kenya Safari Guide. To see everything about travel in the region, national park rules, and when to travel, make sure to save our Ultimate African Safari Holidays Guide and our Master East Africa safari guide. The savannah calls out to you, and you must respond.
FAQ
In the southern Serengeti, the calving season is between January and March and the dramatic river crossings are July – October in the north.
A soft-sided duffel bag (no rigid frame) and restricted to a maximum of 15kg per person.
Stay clear of dark blue and black (bricky fly magnets), bright white (soiled by red dust) and camouflage (illegal).
The Ngorongoro Crater is the safest place in Tanzania to catch sight of the black rhino, which is on the brink of extinction.
Bring a warm fleece jacket, wide-brimmed sun hat and high SPF sun cream — mornings on the savannah are surprisingly cold.
Source
E- book:
Youtube
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YavMmHK0XUI
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X72kPJ4XTU&list=PLNUm9YypsEQCLTnmAoQijeNXfxSgKZFaB
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F9NWbShnrU
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-67Ujy_ga4
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzkT8hf0EC8
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZE2ipDg7LQ
Facebook:
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/2022445845326016
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/1507201421153719
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/1532669025175724
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/4159963504228590
useful links:
- https://www.worldholidayvibes.com/destinations/africa
- https://www.worldholidayvibes.com/destinations/africa/madagascar
- https://www.worldholidayvibes.com/holiday-deals/madagascar-northern-highlights-madagascar-whv2308
- https://www.worldholidayvibes.com/holiday-deals/escape-to-madagascar-your-wild-paradise-madagascar-whv3198
