Recognised as one of Africa’s primary safari destinations, Tanzania is famous around the world for annual Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra in the Serengeti. Yet, there’s more to the country’s wild places than the Serengeti’s great grass plains.
Search for endemic birds in the Tarangire swamps, or step off the beaten track to visit the forest-dwelling chimpanzees of Gombe National Park. When you’ve had your fill of safari experiences, Tanzania also offers one of Africa’s most beautiful coastlines. The islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia are renowned for watersports that range from scuba diving to deep-sea fishing, while Dar es Salaam is a bustling metropolis rich in local culture. These are ten of the things tI recommend you include on your visit to Tanzania.
1. Catch the Great Migration in the Serengeti
For many, Tanzania is synonymous with the Great Migration. Every year, approximately two million wildebeest, zebra, and other antelope make the cyclical journey between the plains of the southern Serengeti ecosystem and those of the Maasai Mara in neighbouring Kenya. Timings are determined by the rains and the availability of good grazing, and the route is fraught with danger – especially during river crossings. January and February are the best months for witnessing the wildebeest calving season and the big cat predations that come with it in Ngorongoro’s Ndutu Plains. June and July constitute peak season for catching the herds in the Western Corridor and Grumeti Game Reserve. During this time, the herds cross the Grumeti and then the Mara River, giving you the chance to witness tragedy and triumph as the animals attempt to navigate cliffs, strong currents, and lurking crocodiles.
2. Explore the World’s Largest Intact Caldera
To the southeast of Serengeti National Park lies another jewel of Tanzania’s northern safari circuit: the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The highlight of this region is the Ngorongoro Crater, a superlative natural phenomenon that qualifies as the largest intact and unfilled caldera in the world. Its steeply sloping sides create a natural amphitheatre, home to more than 25,000 big game animals – making for some of the best and most concentrated game-viewing in the country. Ngorongoro Crater is home to safari royalty, i.e., the elephants, rhinos, buffalo, lions, and leopards that make up the Big Five. The elephants that live in the caldera are famous for their incredibly long tusks, and the black rhino population is one of the healthiest in the country. In addition to the Big Five, keep an eye out for sought-after species including the graceful cheetah and the wild dog, the second-rarest canid in all of Africa.
3. See the Tree-Climbing Lions of Lake Manyara
For a unique perspective on the King of Beasts, continue your northern circuit adventure with a visit to Lake Manyara National Park. Spanning just 325 square kilometres, it is much smaller in size than its more famous neighbours but makes up for it with no fewer than 11 different ecosystems and an incredible concentration of game. The stars of the show are undoubtedly the park’s tree-climbing lions. This unusual behaviour is exhibited in only one other reserve in Africa (Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park), and the reasons behind it are uncertain. Scientists theorize that the lions have learned to use the trees as vantage points for spotting game or to escape from the flies and heat of ground level. Either way, Manyara’s special tree-climbing lions provide an unmissable photo opportunity. In between sightings, enjoy the rich birdlife of the reserve’s eponymous soda lake – including seasonal flocks of pink flamingos.
4. Go Birding in Tarangire National Park
If birding is your passion, make space on your itinerary for a few days in Tarangire National Park. Located just south of Lake Manyara, Tarangire is renowned as one of the best birding destinations in Tanzania, with over 550 recorded species and a diverse range of habitats including the perennially green Silale Swamps. Incredibly, the swamps support more breeding bird species than any other single habitat on the planet. From November to April, wet and warm conditions result in an abundance of insect life which in turn attracts migrant bird species from across Africa, Asia, and Europe. This is the best time to travel for keen birders (although the dry season is best for game viewing, and malaria prophylactics are essential in summer). Specials to look out for include the yellow-collared lovebird, the rufous-tailed weaver, and the ashy starling, all of which are Tanzanian endemics.
5. Discover Our Prehistoric Ancestors at Olduvai Gorge
The road between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro takes you past Olduvai Gorge, one of the world’s most important paleoanthropological sites. Here, famed archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered a series of hominid fossils throughout the 20th century – fossils that would redefine our understanding of how modern humans, or Homo sapiens, evolved from our prehistoric ancestors. Some of their most important discoveries include the remains of a Paranthropus boisei male named the Nutcracker Man, estimated to be some 1.75 million years old; and a set of fossilized footprints that prove hominids have walked on two legs for at least 3.7 million years. You can see casts of these footprints at the Olduvai Gorge Museum, along with prehistoric tools and examples of other hominid and animal fossils found at the site. Some dogs are still operational and can be explored on a guided tour.
6. Make it to the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Located close to the Kenyan border in northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is the proud holder of several records. It is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and the highest peak on the African continent. It is also the tallest mountain that one can walk up without the need for special climbing or technical gear – making summiting Kilimanjaro a possibility for anyone with a relatively good level of fitness. Altitude sickness is the greatest obstacle for would-be summiters, so although you can climb the mountain in just five days, it is recommended to choose a longer route with a profile that allows time to acclimatize gradually. Two of the routes with the highest success rates are Lemosho (six to nine days) and the Northern Circuit (nine days). On your journey up Kilimanjaro, you’ll pass through five climate zones ending with snow and glaciers at the summit.
7. Walk With Chimps in Gombe National Park
For a completely different wildlife experience to those offered by Tanzania’s northern circuit parks, venture into the extreme west of the country. Here, you’ll find Gombe National Park, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika near the Burundi border. Defined by dense, mountainous rainforest, Gombe is most famous for its chimpanzee troops – some of which have been habituated to allow contact with human visitors by iconic primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. Since the 1960s, Dr. Goodall has conducted her pioneering research from the Gombe Stream Research Centre, and much of what we know about chimps today is based on her findings. Visitors can take part in a guided chimpanzee trek and come face-to-face with these intelligent primates, with whom we share over 98 per cent of our genetic code. Other animals to look out for in the forests of Gombe include endangered ashy red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and red-tailed, blue, and vervet monkeys.
8. Head South to Remote Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is another excellent destination for travellers who like to step off the beaten track. Located in Tanzania’s remote and untamed central region, the reserve spans some 20,220 square kilometres and is the largest national park in all of East Africa. Because it is so large, it incorporates an impressive variety of habitats in addition to the Great Ruaha River, the life source upon which its abundant wildlife depends. Here you’ll find roan and sable antelope, one of the largest elephant populations in Tanzania, and more than 570 different bird species. Above all, Ruaha stands out for its high concentration of predators. If you want to see lions, 10 per cent of all the lions in Africa call Ruaha home. There are more than 200 cheetahs of breeding age (constituting one of only four populations in East Africa), and the park remains one of the continent’s best destinations for spotting wild dogs.
9. Uncover Spice Island History on Zanzibar
After a week or two spent exploring the game reserves of the Tanzanian interior, add another dimension to your holiday with a visit to the coast. Unguja Island, more commonly known as Zanzibar, conjures up images of white sand beaches and clear, turquoise waters perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving. It’s also steeped in history, thanks in large part to its role as a major port on the medieval trade route between Arabia, Persia, and the African Swahili Coast. Ivory, gold, and slaves all exchanged hands here, but Zanzibar was most famous for its spices.
For assistance with planning your Southern and East Africa safari, please reach out to me on dawn@theincidentaltourist.com and I will happily assist, putting my two decades of working in the industry towards ensuring your African travel expectations are met.
** Feature image is Chem Chem, a wonderful option in the Tarangire.
