The Northern Circuit

(Sample Itinerary) The northern parks of Tanzania are among the most famous in the world. Home to the most dense concentration of wildlife of its kind in the world, destinations such as Ngorongoro and the Serengeti have unparalleled reputations for game viewing. The Serengeti alone attracts thousands of tourists and researchers per year. Each of the parks caters to specific interests: Tarangire is best to catch a glimpse of browsing elephants, Lake Manyara for its tree-climbing lions and acacia trees, Ngorongoro for its breath-taking scenery and incredible biodiversity, Olduvai Gorge for its birds and the Serengeti for its migrating wildebeests. Whatever your interest, we can help you choose a safari that best suits your desires. Below is a short briefing concerning the location and attractions of each of the northern game parks.

Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is located only 100km southwest of Moshi, making it a viable day-trip. With a total area of 137km2, there are over 50km of game viewing roads/tracks in the Ngurdoto and Momella sections of the park. To protect the Ngurdoto crater from the wear and tear of heavy traffic, the 3km crater is void of roads but several viewing spots on the rim offer spectacular game-viewing perches.

Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is located 180km from Moshi and covers 2600km2, making it the sixth largest park in Tanzania. Visitors to Tarangire are frequently entertained by encounters with browsing elephants which inhabit Tarangire in large herds. In the park you will also find other game such as buffalo, eland, warthog, the fringe-eared oryx and a large number of impala. Enormous baobab trees whose roots have drawn from the soil for thousands of years add to the scenic splendor of this unique national park.

Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park's closest town is Karatu, located about 200km west of Moshi. This 325km2 park is located below the massive escarpment of the Great Rift Valley and consists of five distinct vegetation zones hosting a large range of flora. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions that laze on the branches of acacia trees during the day. Lake Manyara is home to over 350 species of birds, the most abundant of which being the flamingo; during certain seasons, flamingoes cover the surface of Lake Manyara with a pink blanket for kilometers. Finally, the national park is home to great numbers of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, hippo, impala and baboons.

Ngorongoro National Park
The Ngorongoro Crater, at 2286 meters above sea level, is the largest, unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by steep walls rising 610 meters from the crater flooe, this natural amphitheater has a total area of 259km2. In drier times, thousands of animals descend the crater wall to drink from the lakes at the crater floor. It is not rare to get a rhinocerous, zebra, hippo, buffalo and impala all in the same picture. Ngorongoro Crater is located about 250km west of Moshi.

Olduvai Gorge
Between the great wildlife sanctuaries of Ngorongoro and the Serengeti lies Olduvai Gorge. The 'cradle of man,' as this stone-age site is popularly known, is where the skull of zinjathropus bisei was unearthed by Professor Louis Leakey in 1959; archaeological work continues there today. To the north of the gorge is Oldonyo Lengai, a living volcano. Around these sites of man's origin teem millions of wild animals. Elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, rhino, cheetah, hyenas and the black-maned lions can be observed at close quarters in their natural habitats. More than a hundred species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted at Olduvai Gorge.

Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the most well known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequaled in its natural beauty and scientific value. Within its boundaries are more than 3 million large mammals living in undisturbed freedom on the 'endless plains,' as 'Serengeti' means in the Maasai language. About 35 species of plain animals can be observed, including the 'big five': elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo. Large herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra begin their spectacular migration from the central plains to the permanent water in the northwest of the park around the beginning of June. Migrating wildebeest form lines up to 40km long; at the tail end of the procession come the crippled and the old. Lion, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs follow, making sure that only the fittest survive while vultures patiently circling overhead wait to scavenge. Other species commonly found in the Serengeti include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala, waterbuck, klipsringer, baboon, monkey, warthog, kongoni and topi. Nearly 500 species of birds have been observed in the park, some of which are Eurasian migrants present from October to April. Crocodiles can also be observed in the rivers traversing the park.

The Southern Circuit

(Sample Itinerary) Although less publicized, the southern safari circuit of Tanzania is no less spectacular than its northern counterpart. In fact, the solitude that the southern parks offer often enhance the majesty of an elephant ripping the thorns from an acacia plant or a hippo wallowing in the murky waters. Among the southern parks is the Selous Game Reserve, the second largest unexploited game reserve in the world. In addition, Ruaha National Park is the largest elephant sanctuary in Tanzania. If you are interested in seeing wildlife off the beaten path, the southern circuit is for you.

Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is Tanzania''s third largest park, providing 13,000km2 of undisturbed wildlife habitat for the largest African animal, the elephant; Ruaha is the largest elephant sanctuary in Tanzania. The park''s name derives from the Great Ruaha River which flows along its entire boarder. The Great Ruaha River is home to numerous hippos, crocodiles and fish. If photography is your interest, special photographic blinds have been placed at calculated wildlife viewing areas throughout the park. The park is located 130km west of Iringa. The best months for game viewing are July and November.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park
This newly established park covers Mwanihana Forest Reserve in Morogoro region and West Kilombero Scarp Forest Reserve in Iringa region. The Udzungwa Forest provides a habitat for many rare plant species which, to date, have not been found elsewhere in the world. In addition to the vegetation, Udzungwa National Park contains a large number of game including elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, sable antelope and primates, two species of which are endemic. The park is located about 10km from Mikumi National Park.

Mikumi National Park
The park''s 3230km2 are rich in a variety of wildlife. Buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, elephant, impala, hippo, warthog, lion, sable antelope, wild dogs and eland can be seen in all seasons. Among the 300 observed species of birds observed in the park, Eurasian migrant birds are present from October to April.

Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve occupies 55,000km2 in southern Tanzania, making it the second largest unexploited wildlife area in the world. The commonly seen species of animals are lion, wild dog, buffalo, bushbuck, impala, warthog, leopard, hartebeest, sable antelope, reedbuck, waterbuck, giraffe, eland, baboon, zebra and countless hippos and crocodiles in the Rufiji River. It is only in the Selous Game Reserve that one can combine game drives, boat tours and walking safaris. Selous, inaccessible during the rainy season from March to May due to floods, is best visited between June and October