The wonders of Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is one of the more seasonal parks in northern Tanzania, with a lot of migratory movement within the greater Tarangire ecosystem. In the Dry season, between June and October, large herds of animals are attracted to the Tarangire River-the only permanent source of water in the dry sea. At this time, the elephant numbers are spectacular and the park should be part of any safari in northern Tanzania.

Tarangire National Park Highlights

The best time to go on safari in Tarangire is towards the end of the dry season (September to November), when animals from the surrounding ecosystem concentrate in large numbers near the Tarangire River, which is the only permanent water source in the area.

Although many visitors are anxious about the rains this can be a great time to visit the park. Dramatic skies and fabulous sunsets are not uncommon. Rain showers are usually heavy, but short, allowing plenty of time to get out and see animals indulging on the flush of verdant grass.

Lion are common throughout Tarangire, as are leopard, while cheetah seem to favour the more open areas of the south. Spotted hyena are always around, and while wild dog do sometimes pass through, sightings of them are rare.

Tarangire National Park Game Viewing and Activities

Tarangire National Park is noted as a safari destination for its elephant population and spectacular baobabs of every shape and colour. The parks name is derived from the Tarangire River, the parks only source of permanent water. In the dry season this river is the lifeline, attracting much of the game. Huge herds of elephant, Zebra, buffalo, wildebeest and rhino and lion enjoy this terrain and are frequently seen.

The Tarangire Park is also synonymous with two of the rarer game species; the greater kudu and the Fringe-eared oryx. In addition, leopard and tree-climbing pythons often inhabit the trees. Due to the low volume of traffic in the park, the game is wild, being unaccustomed to vehicles, this offers a truly unique experience

For guests on the Full Game Package, two game viewing drives in open-topped 4WD vehicles are included in the package. Large herds of antelope of all sorts including: eland, lesser kudu, Kongoni, impala, Zebra, gazelles, buffalo, wildebeest, leopard, elephant, rhino and lots of smaller mammals.

Python up in a tree

Gerenuk

Fringe-eared oryx

Mystery Gorilla Safaris Says

Tarangire is typically combined in an itinerary with Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, forming the 'northern circuit'. These 3 reserves are close enough to each other, allowing visitors to drive all or part of the circuit.

Tarangire is an excellent reserve for elephant viewing and the famous baobab trees. The landscape and vegetation is incredibly diverse with a mix that is not found anywhere else in the northern safari circuit.

Walking is allowed at a number of camps allowing guests to experience something other than game drives. This is especially true if guests have transferred from Arusha the previous day and have just got off an international flight the evening before.

From around June to October, it's dry and the game returns to Tarangire's swamps, and especially, its river system. This is the best season for a game-viewing safari in Tarangire, which can be excellent.