Northern Circuit – Tanzania
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park, the Serengeti safari is famed for its annual wildebeest migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the Serengeti migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
Ngorongo Conservation
Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, designated to promote the conservation of natural resources, safeguard the interests of Ngorongoro Conservation Area indigenous residents and promote tourism. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), measuring 8,300 square kilometers, is also the only place on earth where mankind and wild animals co-exist in harmony, The Ngorongoro crater sinks to a depth of 610 meters, with a base area covering 260 square kilometers. The height of the original volcano must have ranged between 4,500 to 5,800 meters high. Apart from the main caldera, Ngorongoro also has two other volcanic craters: Olmoti and Empakai, the former famous for its stunning waterfalls, and the latter holding a deep lake and lush, green walls.
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara was made a National Park in 1960 and covers an area of 330 square kilometers, of which some 230 square kilometers are lake. It lies at the foot of the western wall of the Rift Valley escarpment, and is particularly famous for its elephant and tree climbing lions. It is also well known for its rich variety of birdlife in both the forest and along the lake shore. The name Manyara comes from the Masaai word for the plant euphorbia tirucalli which they use to build their livestock stockades. Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.
Tarangire National Park
Named after the river that flows through the park, Tarangire National Park is one of the lesser known Tanzanian National Parks, giving it a real air of undiscovered Africa. Famous for its tree climbing pythons, massive baobabs and large herds of elephant, Tarangire National Park is small but still home to a significant wildlife population, with a density of wildlife matched only by Ngorongoro. Birding is particularly good here; the swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. Tarangire works well as part of a northern circuit and can be visited en route to Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, or on the way back. Tarangire walking safaris are a wonderful alternative to driven safaris.
Arusha National Park
The closest national park to Arusha town – northern Tanzania’s safari capital – Arusha National Park is a multi-faceted jewel, often overlooked by safari goers, despite offering the opportunity to explore a beguiling diversity of habitats within a few hours.
The small national park includes the slopes, summit, and ash cone of Mt. Meru, the Momella Lakes, Ngurdoto Crater, and the lush highland forests that blanket its lower slopes. Game viewing around the Momella Lakes is at a laid-back and quiet pace, and while passing through the forest many visitors stop to search for troupes of colobus monkeys playing in the canopy.