ON SAFARI
- Tanzania
Mahale Mountains National Park (and Gombe Stream)
Mahale Mountains National Park (and Gombe Stream)
The Mahale Mountains rise to some 8000 ft above sea-level on the western edge of Tanzania along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The predominant habitat in one of sub-tropical forest, which tumbles down the mountains to meet the lake. The forests are home to around 1000 chimpanzees – the main reason to visit – and nine other species of primate, including red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys. A family of around 60 chimpanzees have now been habituated by Japanese scientists who have researched the area for some 30 years. Walking through the forest (sometimes this can be difficult), you should get the opportunity to view these great apes as they go about their daily routine. Mahale is arguably the best place in Africa to view chimpanzees in the wild.
The lake provides an inland sea of tropical delight with over a fifth of the 1000 or so species of cyclid fish endemic. Snorkelling and swimming (though limited for safety reasons), fishing or simply relaxing on the beach are all part of a day in Mahale.
Access to the park is by boat (1 hour) from a small airstrip just outside the northern edge of the park, with scheduled air transfers from Arusha and Ruaha flying in twice a week.
Much further north on the lakeshore, north of the town of Kigoma, Gombe Stream also offers chimpanzee viewing in a similar, if a little less dramatic, setting. Gombe is reached by boat from Kigoma, which is serviced by scheduled flights. Gombe Stream has been made famous by researcher Jane Goodall, whose research centre continues today.
- Tanzania
Katavi National Park
Katavi National Park
Located in the south-western part of the country and part of the Lake Rukwa ecosystem, Katavi is an extremely difficult park to get to and is thus seldom visited. The park covers some 4470 sq. kms and is the third largest park in Tanzania. Dominated by the seasonal floodplains of the Kapapa and Katuma rivers, and the seasonal lakes of Chada and Katavi, the dry season of June to October is when this park comes into its own. At this time, the receding waters force herds of buffalo a thousand strong to gather, and hippo pods of over 200 to cram into diminishing pools. Crocodile pack themselves into river banks as if on a supermarket shelf, and large numbers of elephant roam with herds of zebra and impala in search of water. In the woodland areas, roan and sable antelope, kudu, and eland are found. Lion, wild dog and leopard ensure that only the fittest survive.
During the wet season, the park transforms itself into a flowering wetland paradise, attracting vast numbers of migratory birds. There is a limited road network and lots of tsetse fly – Katavi is really a park for the hardened safari traveller.
- Tanzania
Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park
Mount Kilimanjaro rises dramatically from the dry plains to a height of 5895 metres (19,370 ft) and has three major volcanic centres, ‘Shira’, ‘Mawenzi’, and ‘Kibo’. The first sighting of Africa’s highest mountain by a European is attributed to a German missionary, Johann Rebmann, in 1848.
Most travellers visiting Kilimanjaro do so with the aim of making an attempt on the ‘Kibo’ summit, Uhuru Peak, first conquered in 1889. There are a number of routes up the mountain, the ‘standard’ being the Marangu which requires a minimum 4 nights on the mountain (3 up, 1 down). You’ll also need nights either side at the base. Other climbs, notably the Machame and Shira/Londorossi routes, are more exclusive and invariably involve a night or two longer on the mountain. Please ask us for more specific information if you are interested in climbing Kilimanjaro!
With an area of 756 sq kms, the Kilimanjaro National Park includes all the area above the upper tree limit of the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve. Significant numbers of birds and animals inhabit the park, and you might possibly catch sightings of elephant, buffalo, eland, leopard, bushbuck, suni, red duiker, Abbot’s duiker, baboon, and black colobus monkey, but do not consider this as a ‘game-viewing’ park.
- Tanzania
Arusha National Park (and Mount Meru)
Arusha National Park (and Mount Meru)
Arusha National Park lies on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, just outside Arusha, and stretches towards Kilimanjaro. Covering some 550 sq. kms, the diversity of habitat is bewildering – alpine desert on the summit of Meru descending through open heathland dotted with lobelia and montane forest to savannah woodland, rolling hills of grassland and the Momella lakes. In the heart of the park lies the Ngurdoto Crater, like the Ngorongoro, a collapsed caldera.
The scenic splendour of Arusha is matched by the variation in wildlife species. Of the Big 5, you’re only likely to see buffalo, but giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, dik dik, warthog and bushbuck are common, and some special species include the black & white colobus and blue monkey. The birdlife is spectacular with over 650 species recorded. Flamingo and waterfowl dominate some of the Momela lakes, and the forest is home to such splendours as the Narina trogon, scarlet-tufted sunbird, Kenrick’s and Abbott’s starling, rufous sparrow, red-throated tit and bat hawk.
Walks and canoe excursions are part of the Arusha experience and can be enjoyed alongside traditional game-viewing drives. Alternatively, undertake a 3 or 4 day climb of Mount Meru.
- Tanzania
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire lies to the south-east of Lake Manyara just two hours drive from Arusha. It is one of the more recently established wildlife sanctuaries in Tanzania, covering some 4,160 sq. km and is often (unfairly) overlooked.
During the dry season (July to October), the Tarangire River is the main water source in the region and it attracts large concentrations of animals from the surrounding Masai Steppes. This is an excellent time to visit.
The nine distinct vegetational zones within the park include savannah, woodland, riverine grasslands and swamps. Huge baobab trees dot the landscape and the area supports a diversity of animals including huge elephant herds, buffalo, giraffe, lesser kudu, lion, leopard, wild dog, Grant’s gazelle, zebra, impala, wildebeest and klipspringer. Tarangire is also one of the few places in Tanzania where oryx can be seen. More than 500 species of bird have been recorded.
Most game-viewing takes place by vehicle, although some of the better safari camps have walking rights and overnight fly-camping is possible. Tarangire has remained a wildlife refuge due to the presence of tsetse fly.
- Tanzania
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park lies in the Great Rift Valley at the foot of the Ngorongoro Highlands. The small 325 sq. km park has a charm which is completely different from the other wildlife areas in the north. The terrain consists of five distinct vegetational zones: groundwater forest with towering mahogany and fig trees, grassy glades, extensive marshland reeds, parkland scattered with acacia trees and the scrubland of the 305m high Rift Valley wall, plus the 230 sq. km lake itself.
Manyara has a high-density population of elephant, particularly young calves. The lions are known for their ‘tree-climbing’ habits, but they are not always easy to locate.
Other animals to be found include buffalo, giraffe, leopard, zebra, bushbuck, reedbuck, waterbuck, impala, gazelle, baboon and both vervet and blue monkey. Near the hot springs, klipspringer can be observed on the rocky outcrops. Vast numbers of (migratory) water birds can be seen, particularly flamingo, pelican, stork, sacred ibis, grebe and cormorant, when the lake is full. In recent years however, this has only occurred during the rains and for a short time thereafter. The total number of bird species is in excess of 350.
- Tanzania
Ngorongoro Crater (and Highlands)
Ngorongoro Crater (and Highlands)
The Ngorongoro Crater itself lies within the 8,000 sq. km Ngorongoro Conservation Area and it is one of the natural scenic wonders of the world. The magnificent crater is a ‘caldera’ or collapsed crater which is 16-19 km in diameter with an unbroken rim and has a floor area of 168 sq. kms. The altitude of the crater rim is around 7,000ft, the floor some 2000ft below. It forms part of a chain of volcanoes stretching along the western side of the Great Rift Valley which creates the Ngorongoro Highlands. The only active volcano now is Oldonyo L’Engai, at the southern end of Lake Natron which lies to the north of the highlands.
The Crater contains a large animal population throughout the year, with many impressive black-maned lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, black rhino, buffalo, hippo, hyaena, eland, zebra, gazelle, ostrich and wildebeest (wildebeest calving occurs around January). The birdlife is prolific too, with flocks of flamingos on the crater lake. Maasai people are encountered here too – some 12,000 pastoralists with 100,000 head of cattle co-existing with the resident game, some of which will descend into the Crater each morning to graze.
Although the Crater should be visited at least once in ones life, game-viewing on the crater floor is no longer an exclusive experience. Whilst there are several commercial lodges on the crater rim, which afford excellent views of the crater, it is not necessary to stay on the rim and there are some lovely accommodation options in the nearby highlands. The market town of Karatu, some 30 minutes drive from the Crater rim, offers a wider range of lodges and an insight into rural life in Tanzania. Cultural interaction with the Hadza hunter gatherers, walking (including fairly tough trails between the Crater and Lake Natron), and horse riding are available in the region too.
To the north-east of Ngorongoro is the beautiful but rarely visited Empakai Crater, with flamingos and other birdlife but little big game, and beyond that the a huge escarpment leads down to the harsh Rift Valley floor around Lake Natron, a major breeding site for lesser flamingo.
- Tanzania
Serengeti National Park (and surrounding ecosystem)
Serengeti National Park (and surrounding ecosystem)
With an area of some 14,000 sq. km, Serengeti is one of the best-known wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Lying in north-west of the country between the Ngorongoro highlands and Lake Victoria, the Serengeti ecosystem includes the National Park itself, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, Loliondo Game Controlled Area, and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, together forming one of the most complex and least disturbed ecosystems on earth. This is the home to the famous wildebeest migration, the movement of some 2 million wildebeest, 500 000 Thompson gazelles and 250 000 zebra.
The landscape was originally formed by volcanic activity in the Ngorongoro highlands and it varies from the open short grass plains in the south, to savannah and scattered acacia woodlands in the centre, to extensive woodland and black clay plains in the west and hilly wooded grassland in the north. Most of the permanent water is found towards the northern and western areas, the lack of permanent water and food in the south being the main reason for the annual migration.
The hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra congregate on the southern short grass plains around Ndutu during the intermittent rainy months from late November to March/April, calving around the end of January when the nutritious grass is at its best. The rut follows. Depending on grass/water supply, the start of the Serengeti annual migration begins at the end of this period, and the herds begin to march north/westwards, ‘lowing’ incessantly so that the air hums like a dynamo (zebra first, then the wildebeest and gazelles). Lion, cheetah and hyaena watch on with interest, ensuring that only the fittest survive, while jackals trail behind and vultures circle overhead. The herds initially head west to reach the Grumeti River from late May onwards, before continuing further north to the Mara River region (a large proportion of the herds crossing the border into Kenya’s Masai Mara). They remain in the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara during the dry season (late June to October) where they have access to the permanent waters of the Mara River, and it is during this time that the most dramatic ‘river crossings’ take place over the Mara River. Around October/November, as the rain clouds gather, the herds head south once more to calve on those nutritious short grass plains before starting the cycle again. Apart from the decline of black rhino (from poaching) and wild dog, the wildlife in the Serengeti safari region is thriving. But is a delicate ecosystem, easily affected by drought, overgrazing and disease. More than 30 species of herbivores are found here, plus nearly 500 species of birds. Other animals likely to be seen include giraffe, elephant, buffalo, impala, hippo, and leopard, aside from the aforementioned predators.
Most of the Serengeti is subject to National Park restrictions – no off road driving, night drives or walking. There are very limited places where these rules have been relaxed, and in particular there is a wilderness area within the central section of the park which is set aside for fully supported walking trails.
The Loliondo Game Controlled Area is a vast wilderness area bordering the eastern edge of the Serengeti National Park and the northern boundary of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The region is home to traditional Maasai who move nomadically according to the seasons. Although game concentrations are not as high as inside the Serengeti National Park itself, regulations are less restrictive and activities are therefore more varied. Night drives, off road driving, walking, bush meals, spending nights out in light-weight fly camps and cultural visits are all permitted and give diversity to a northern Tanzania safari. A further feature of time spent in Loliondo is escaping the crowds that can be found in certain areas of the Serengeti National Park. This makes Loliondo a different and complementary experience to the Serengeti, even though the general ecosystem is similar.
In the south-east, the short grass plains, dotted with granite outcrops and containing Olduvai Gorge, fall into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for which additional conservation fees are payable (an important factor to remember when visiting the region from December to March/April). This region is fantastic during migration season, but becomes very dry from July to October. Masai villages are found throughout the NCA (and into the highlands), and off-road driving and walking is permitted. Some of the scenery is spectacular, especially around the Gol Mountains in the north-east of the region, where remote cultural experiences can also be enjoyed.
Although there is no doubting the spectacular scenery and wildlife of the Serengeti, it is important to travel to the correct areas of the region at the right time of year. Broadly speaking, one needs to follow the migration! From late December to March/April, safaris should be based in the southern Serengeti, from late April to early July, the central and western sectors of the park, and from mid July to early November the north of the park. From mid-November to mid-December, perhaps the least predictable part of the migration, the central Serengeti makes most sense.
We’ll always take the migration into account when designing your itinerary, though the migration is, by its nature, very unpredictable and each year a different schedule is followed, depending on the timings and locality of rainfall. However, it is also worth mentioning that a Serengeti safari does not have to be entirely based around only the migration. Even without the great herds, certain regions (mainly central, western and northern) offer excellent game-viewing all year round, and can offer a much more exclusive game-viewing experience outside of the migration period. As highlighted above, a few days in Loliondo is always well worth considering in combination with a few days inside the park.
For further information on Serengeti safari options please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to speak to one of our specialists.
Read our Serengeti National Park safari trip reports:
The Serengeti Great Wildebeest Migration Trip Report
Northern Serengeti Safari Trip Report
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Pricing
Traditionally, Tanzania is one of the better value safari destinations in Africa, offering a wide variety of products and safari options to consider. However, where exclusivity and/or comfort are preferred, prices are expensive.
Typically, a tailor-made two week ‘safari and beach’ holiday with economy flights from the UK will start at around £3500.00 per person, though £4500 – £5500 per person is more usual, especially if a week or more is spent on safari. For longer or very upmarket holidays, a price range of £6000 – £10,000 per person is more realistic.
In the north of the country (Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater etc.), the better value options tend to include either adventure camping, or staying in mainstream safari hotels and lodges which offer reasonable accommodation but less exclusivity and safari ‘atmosphere’.
In the south (Selous and Ruaha), there are some ‘down to earth’ safari camps that offer a great ‘close to nature’ experience at very reasonable prices.
We appreciate that going on safari in Africa is an expensive holiday, but we are always conscious of providing ‘value for money’. Our selection of safari properties for any itinerary is based entirely upon those which we feel will most closely match your requirements, whether that be budget driven or experience driven. It is sometimes very difficult to differentiate between a top-quality safari property, and one which offers a lesser experience. Accordingly, a safari which offers value for money should not necessarily be confused with a ‘cheap’ safari.
If you are planning your first safari, we suggest you look at our Planning a Safari section.
- Tanzania
When to Travel & Seasons
Tanzania & Zanzibar weather and Serengeti migration seasons
The dry seasons in Tanzania vary according to geographical location. The north of the country, which includes the key regions of Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire, is generally dry from June to October, and from late-December to mid-March, and game-viewing is best at these times. November is when the ‘short rains’ fall, and April/May is traditionally when the main rains fall. However, there is a good chance of experiencing significant rain any time from November through to June. If you are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, then the drier months from July to September are best.
In the south (Selous and Ruaha) and west (Katavi and Mahale) of the country, there is a more prolonged rainy season which begins in early November and continues through to late May. There will be times when the rains abate, perhaps even for several weeks, but these periods are not predictable or long enough to allow good game-viewing conditions to return. June to October are comfortably the driest months and the best for game-viewing. Chimpanzee tracking (Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream) is easiest in the second half of the dry season (August onwards) when the chimps are found lower down in the montane forests.
Day time temperatures and humidity are affected by altitude but it is generally warm to hot throughout the year (averaging around 28C but slightly higher from October to March). There are certain places that get extremely hot, with temperatures over 40C. Altitude greatly affects night time temperatures. In the Ngorongoro Highlands and on Mount Kilimanjaro, it is quite likely that temperatures will fall to low single figures, or even below freezing, whereas elsewhere the lower teens are more likely, especially during the winter period from June to August. In the low-lying Selous, temperatures are significantly warmer, and humidity higher, all year round.
On the coast, temperatures are high year round (averaging around 30C). The best sea conditions are found from October/November to March/April when the Kaskazi wind blows gently from the north-east. This is also the most humid time. From April/May to September/October, when the Kuzi ‘monsoon’ wind blows more strongly from the south-east, sea conditions can be choppy. During this time, snorkelling and diving options could be restricted, especially June to August (except on protected Chumbe Island).
The wildebeest and zebra migration moves seasonally around the Serengeti eco-system, according to local weather conditions. Generally, the herds spend December to April in the southern Serengeti, May to mid-July travelling up through the western Serengeti, and then from late-July to early November in the northern Serengeti (and into Kenya’s Masai Mara), before returning south again. Please see our ‘wildlife highlights’ page for more information.