National Parks - The Northern Circuit
Arusha National Park
This is the closest Park to Tanzania’s safari capital, Arusha.
The park has three distinct zones: Ngurdoto Crater (commonly known
as Ngorongoro’s little sister), the Momella Lakes, a group of shallow
alkaline lakes fed by underground streams, and Mount Meru, one of the
most rewarding mountains to climb in Africa.
Animals here include buffalo, elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope,
blue monkey and black and white colobus monkey, leopard and hyena.
The 1962 movie block buster, Hatari, starring John Wayn was also filmed in the area.
Mount Meru is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro.
It is 4,566 metres (14,980 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to a blast about 8,000 years ago.
Mount Meru most recently had an eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and
craters seen are probably the effect of many episodes of volcanic activity.
Activities: Walking and driving safaris. Mt Meru climb.
Kilimanjaro National Park
Also known as the everyman's Everest has three three inactive volcanic cones, Kibo,
Mawensi, and Shira. Although it does not have the highest elevation,
Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world,rising 4,600
m (15,100 ft) from its base, and includes the highest peak in Africa at 5,895
meters (19,340 ft), providing a dramatic view from the surrounding plains. Excellent
game viewing of lion and elephant with Kilimanjaro as the backdrop.
Lake Manyara
Hemingway describes Lake Manyara as magnificent hunting country in "The Green Hills of Africa".
Mahogany and sausage trees are alive with blue monkeys and vervets.
Elephants feed off fallen fruit while bushbuck, waterbuck, baboons, aardvark, civet, the pangolin and
leopard as well as the black rhino, all make their home in the forest.
Manyara is sanctuary to buffalo and hippo, giraffe, impala, zebra and the famous
residents - tree climbing lions.
Lake Manyara itself is a magnet for birdlife and a
kaleidoscope of different species can be found around its shores, including huge flocks of flamingoes.
The park is ideal for a day trip. A four-wheel drive is recommended during the rains.
The dry season is from June to September and January to February.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a huge area containing active volcanoes,
mountains, archeological sites, rolling plains, forests, lakes, dunes and of course,
the Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge.
The views at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater are sensational with scenes of the crater floor,
grasslands , swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and mountains - all a natural haven for wildlife,
including the densest predator population in Africa. The crater is home to up to 25,000 large mammals,
such as gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and warthog. You will not find giraffe as there is not
much to eat at tree level, or topi, because the competition with wildebeest is far too fierce.
The crater elephants are mainly bulls and there are also black rhinos.
The birdlife is largely seasonal and is also affected by the ratio of soda to fresh water in
Lake Magadi on the crater floor.
In the northern part of the Ngorongoro Area, you will find Olmoti and Empakaai Craters,
Lake Natron and Oldoinyo Lengai, Mountain of God, as named by the Maasai. Lake Natron
is the only known breeding ground for East Africa's flamingoes.
The ruins of a terraced stone city and complex irrigation system lie on the eastern side of
Empakaai - the Engakura Ruins. Their origins are a mystery as there is no tradition of stone
building in this part of Africa.
Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai, more accurately called Oldupai after the wild sisal in the area, is the site of some
of the most important fossil hominid finds of all time - "Nutcracker Man" or Australopithecus
boisei who lived 1.75 million years ago.
There is a small museum located at the visitor center. The gorge is a treasure trove of archeological
sites filled with fossils, settlement remains and stone artifacts. Lecture tours are offered.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti plains are home to the greatest remaining concentration of game in Africa,
on a scale unparalleled anywhere else in the world. The name comes from the Maasai 'Siringet',
meaning endless plains. Equal in size to Northern Ireland, the Park contains an estimated three
million large animals, most of which take part in a seasonal migration.
The annual migration of more than 1.5 million wildebeests as well as hundreds of thousands
of zebras and gazelles is triggered by the rains. The wet season starts in November and lasts
until about May. Generally the herds congregate and move out at the end of May. Their movement
is a continual search for grass and water.
Tarangire National Park
The abundant water supply here means that during the summer, the animal population here is teeming
with wildebeest, zebra, eland, elephant, hartebeest, buffalo, gerenuk, fringe eared oryx and flocks
of birds of many different species. Game viewing months are between September and December.
Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe, located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika is one of the remotest and smallest of
Tanzania's national parks, but thanks to Dr. Jane Goodall, one of the best known. Since 1960,
Goodall and her research team have lived among the chimpanzees studying their behaviour.
The forests are alive with chimpanzee, red colobus and red-tail and blue monkeys.
You can also spot bushbuck and bush pig and grey duiker.
The lake shore is home to a variety of bird-life from the pied and giant kingfishers,
the crowned eagle, the African broadbill, Ross's turaco to the trumpeter hornbill.
Activities: Hiking and swimming are other popular activities;
a trail leads in to the forest to a waterfall in the valley.
Rubondo Island National Park
Rubondo Island lies in the southwest of Lake Victoria.
Animals seen here include hippo and chimpanzees but it is renowned for being a bird lovers paradise
with over 400 species documented on the island.
Rubondo is the ideal destination after Serengeti and Ngoronogoro to fly into.
Katavi National Park
Katavi National Park lies south of the Mahale Mountains on a high flood plain surrounding Lake Katavi.
It is one of the most difficult Parks to reach but one of the most rewarding in Tanzania.
It has superb game viewing which is probably unmatched with any other park in Africa.
July to October is the best time to visit the Park.
Lake Chada is home to crocodile, hippo and large flocks of pelicans.
The diverse woodland, acacia bush, lakes and swamps have attracted over 400 species of birds.
Leopard, lion, elephant, eland, roan and sable antelopes, southern reedbuck and topi inhabit
the short grasses. Katavi is also home to one of the largest herds of buffalo,
with as many as 1,600 animals.
The parks can be accessed by 4WD vehicle but is most easily accessible by
private charter aircraft. This park is for the true African adventurer.
Mahale Mountains Park
Mahale Mountains, like Gombe, are home to some of the last remaining wild chimpanzees in Africa.
The Park is reached by boat or plane, both of which are available for charter.
May to October is the best time to visit. There are no roads and all game viewing is done on foot.
Mahale is a unique ecological zone with lowland forest, moist and dry savannah, miombo and open woodlands.
Animals range from elephant, buffalo, leopard and primates to roan and sable antelopes, giraffe, kudu,
eland, leopard and lion.
Tanzania would not be a holiday without going on safari. Safaris in Tanzania include some of the best known National Parks in Tanzania. Who could forget Richard Attenborough as he walks through the endless plains of the Serengeti National Park. A Tanzanian safari that took him through the habitats of lion, zebra and giraffe. When going on safari in Tanzania, look at the choice of National Parks thoroughly as each National Park has something quite unique to offer when on safari. Africa-beat.com lists all the National Parks and gives a brief description of each. Kilimanjaro is, of course, famous for being the roof of Africa, the snow topped crown which many climbers aspire to. There are also National Parks in Tanzania that are famous for its elephants, such as Tarangire National Park and Udzungwa National Park, famous for its rain forest and monkeys. Wherever you choose to go on safari in Tanzania, there is a National Park to suit everyone, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Tarangire, Gombe and Mikumi, the little gem that is closest in distance to Dar es Salaam.