Tanzania is one of the leading destinations in East Africa, situated in the African Great Lakes Region. Not only is Tanzania famous for the Great Migration and Big 5 game viewing, but it is also renowned for its unique cultures, characterized by delicious cuisines, among other attractions. While in Tanzania, visitor holidays aren’t only confined to wilderness safaris but also to honeymoon experiences. Tanzania offers wildlife safaris and also honeymoon vacations in its tropical Zanzibar Island, Pemba, Unguja, Mafia, Mnemba Atoll, and other islands.
Tanzania is an excellent African safari destination and features varied ecosystems. It is most famous for its abundant wildlife, including all the Big 5 game, wildebeests, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, and over 1100 species of birds. A large concentration of Tanzania’s wildlife and birds reside in the National Parks.
Where to visit in Tanzania
Compared to most East African countries, Tanzania holds the highest number of National Parks where most of the safari experiences are enjoyed. The popular National Parks to visit on a Tanzania safari include the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Ngorongoro Crater), Nyerere National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Tarangire, and Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park. Tanzania is also known for its amazing chimpanzee safari parks, including Gombe National Park & Mahale Mountains National Park.
Serengeti National Park
Known for its endless plains, the scenic Serengeti National Park is an iconic destination to experience the Big 5 and Great Migration. Wildlife safaris in Serengeti offer unforgettable encounters of Big 5 –cheetahs, lions, buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants. The park also supports abundant predator species, and you can easily observe them as they prey.
Over 500 bird species live in the scenic Serengeti habitats. As an avid lover, expect to identify birds such as long-crested eagles, secretary birds, gray-crowned crane, ostriches, black-chested snake-eagle, lilac-breasted rollers, helmeted guineafowl, Kori bustards, & others. Serengeti National Park offers mainly game drives, bush walks, hot air balloon safaris, and others.
Ngorongoro Crater/Conservation Area
Located in the Northern safari circuit, Ngorongoro is home to diverse wildlife and also the world’s natural wonder –Ngorongoro Crater. This is one of Tanzania’s exceptional destinations with diverse ecosystems, including herbivores and predators. At the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), expect to witness a range of wildlife, including spotted hyenas, cheetahs, wild dogs, jackals, lions, leopards, and antelope families.
A total of about 500 species of birds, including migratory and resident species, live in Ngorongoro. They include secretary birds, Kori bustards, Augur buzzards, lappet-faced birds, rufous-napped lark, and grey crowned cranes.
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park lies in the Northern circuit, and is an iconic spot for tree-climbing lions. Its ecosystem ranges from forest to the Lake shore. The Park is home to diverse animals, including zebras, hippos, monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, bush bucks, dik-dik, and giraffes. About 400 bird species live in Lake Manyara National Park and comprise of the forest, raptors, water birds, etc.
Bird watchers have a chance to explore birds such as the African fish eagles, African spoonbills, yellow-billed storks, martial eagle, black heron, Great white pelicans, black-winged stilts, silvery-cheeked hornbills, Ayres’s hawk eagle, Schalow’s turacos, and pied avocets.
Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park
Mount. Kilimanjaro National Park is Tanzania’s leading mountaineering destination. It is a rich destination with exceptional ecological zones. Not only is it famous for the mountaineering experiences, but it is also a game viewing destination. Game viewing safaris in the Kilimanjaro National Park offer you incredible sightings ranging from leopards, cape buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, and antelopes. This park also supports diverse monkey species (bush babies, olive baboons, blue monkeys, & colobus monkeys), zebras, mongoose, hyraxes, and aardvarks. The notable antelopes to explore include klipspringers, bushbucks, dik-diks, elands, and duikers.
Birds to identify in the lush Mount. Kilimanjaro National Park include crowned eagles, rose turacos, white-necked raven, Kilimanjaro white-eye, Augur buzzard, lammergeyer, tambourine dove, Egyptian goose, and ostriches. The diverse wildlife and birdlife in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park reside at the base area.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is one of the renowned destinations in the Northern circuit of Tanzania. It is a big game destination with diverse wildlife such as giraffes, zebras, leopards, lions, and buffalo. Tarangire also protects oryx, gerenuks, elands, waterbucks, wildebeest, monkeys, warthogs, hyenas, and African wild dogs.
The Tarangire National Park is also a birder’s haven, with over 550 bird species. The birds to be identified include cordon bleus, lilac-breasted rollers, white-bellied go-away-bird, hammerkops, striped swallows, von der Decken’s hornbill, red-bellied parrot, red & yellow barbets, to mention but a few.
Tanzania’s Southern & Western Parks are also available for exploration, and offer more intimate experiences. The popular parks in Tanzania’s Southern & Western National Parks include Nyerere National Park, Ruaha, Gombe & Mahale National Park. The Mahale and Gombe National Park offer captivating chimpanzee tracking and other primate encounters.
What to do in Tanzania
The unique experiences that await you on a Tanzania safari include mountaineering, Zanzibar beach holidays, big game drives, the Great migration, bush walks, hot air balloons, and cultural experiences. Tanzania also offers captivating birding or bird watching excursions in the diverse sites.
Tanzania Visa & Passport
A visa and passport remain essential for travelers to Tanzania. Obtaining Tanzania visas is possible online –visit https://visa.immigration.go.tz/. You can still use the same link to secure your passport. You can complete the application form online and submit details of essential documents for booking your passport or visas.
When to visit Tanzania for a vacation
Tanzania is open to visitors all year round, although the dry season is the best for nature enthusiasts. This can be from June to October –the ideal month for game viewing and the Great Migration –river crossings. The calving season is best experienced from January to February. If you prefer exploring Tanzania without crowds, then consider booking the tours during the off-peak period (March to May & November).
Getting around Tanzania
Hire a car with Rivo Safaris to ease your connectivity to your dream destination. A 4×4 safari car offers excellent navigation along the rugged terrain routes to your destinations and other paths. Visitors can also take domestic flights that serve the available airstrips in some of the parks like Serengeti.