Tanzania
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Shirley travelled to southern Tanzania
Hi Mary & Bill, just a note to say thank you very much for organising my Tanzania safari. The safari was fantastic and both Beho Beho and Mwagusi were great. The transport all worked perfectly and everywhere (except Dar Airport!) I encountered politeness, charm and helpful people. I loved the adventure coupled with comfort! I fell in love with Beho Beho – such a beautiful place with a real houseparty feel, superb managers, amazing food and great guiding – I can’t fault it. I loved the walking safaris, did 3 there and went on to do another at Ruaha. I also liked the fact you hardly see any other vehicles at Beho Beho. At Mwagusi we had really great game viewing and saw cheetah and leopard cubs, lots of lion (including six suckling cubs) and plenty of elephant (my favourite as they are so interesting). There were a few more vehicles but not many – I am so glad I did not go to the North! Thanks for recommending Mwagusi – I was a bit unsure when I first saw it but it has a lovely peaceful ambience and the guiding was top class. It is nice to see local people trained so well there but also using their own instinctive knowledge and clearly well looked after. The country is very different in Selous and Ruaha so they make a good combination and the flights were also fun – I was able to sit in the ‘co-pilot’s’ seat a couple of times so had great views of the country. Overall a fantastic holiday.
Tanzania
Regions
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.