Northern Tanzania - Serengeti and the rest
Northern Tanzania is all about game. At its most basic, its about the sheer numbers of elephant in Tarangire, the diversity and concentrations of game and birdlife in the Ngorongoro Crater and the wildebeest migration as it roams through the Serengeti and surrounding areas, shadowed by the attendant predators.
Traditionally these areas would be accessed from Arusha and linked by long road journeys between the honeypot sights within each of the main parks. As the whole area becomes more popular and more camps and lodges spring up to cater for the ever increasing demand, to deliver the quality of experience that we all expect requires more experience and more subtlety by the year.
Its not simply a question of which park but which specific area of each park, at what time of year, being accessed from what type of camp, with what sort of activities. Just as it's all too easy to get this wrong (interminable dusty & bumpy drives, hordes of vehicles congregating around a 'game event', huge characterless lodges and appalling standards of guiding) so it's also possible to get this right - very right indeed.
We are particular (some would say paranoid) about where people go, when, how and what they do when they get there. When it comes to sheer volume and variety of game, the Serengeti is extremely hard to beat. Host to the wildebeest migration it has much more besides with varied landscapes. It excels year round but to ensure the best possible experience you have to understand the dynamics of the broader area. Have a look at Serengeti and surrounding areas as well as our article on How the Serengeti works.
Ngorongoro Crater offers amazing landscapes and phenomenal concentrations and diversity of both game and birdlife within a fascinating mini ecosystem. Wonderful flowers in late April and May but cold in June and July. Hugely popular so worth timing your visit carefully and seriously considering the off season (mid March to late May) to best appreciate this area in some semblance of privacy.
Tarangire and surrounding areas are renowned for elephant herds and is particularly good through the dry season, between July and late October, when the Tarangire river is one of the few sources of permanent water in the area and attracts sizeable herds of zebra and wildebeest as well as buffalo.
The Piaya area of Serengeti Loliondo, the Gol Mountains and Salei Plain are at their very best from February through to early May. You can expect rain at this time, sporadic but sometimes heavy but this brings crystal clear air and when Angata Kiti and the Salei Plains are green and game rich its a very tough game experience to beat. Usually very few people around at this time and some great walking opportunities.
Manyara is small, can be busy in parts but with a wonderful diversity and great opportunities for up close game action. We often suggest Arusha National Park for a day or two at the start of a safari - wonderful for its forest species (including surprisingly relaxed colobus) as well as lots of giraffe and good birds around its many lakes.
More articles that you might find helpful
How Lions Hunt
Serengeti - what about the low Season?
How the Serengeti works
Do I want a private vehicle and guide?
Mobile Tented Safaris
For videos, articles, ideas and news from Africa:
Have a look at our blog at safarigeek.com
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