Which are the best game areas of Tanzania?
Of all the safari countries in Africa, Tanzania has the greatest number of parks that offer virtually guaranteed sightings of most of the major mammal species. So the quick answer is that there are 8 major parks, all of which will deliver exceptional wildlife viewing. Again for simplicity, my own personal ranking (based on the overall quality of the game experience) would be
Approaching this geographically, the obvious place to begin is in Northern Tanzania, which is where you’ll find the Serengeti, home to the wildebeest migration and a quantity and quality of game viewing that is unrivalled across the continent.
Stay for 3 nights in the Serengeti (don’t be tempted to rush this) and you’d have to be very unlucky not to see most of the big five. Lion are numerous, cheetah are regularly sighted and leopard are plentiful if difficult to spot at the best of times. Elephant and buffalo are both present although Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire are probably better places to find them. The one missing animal is the Black Rhino and this can realistically only be seen at the Ngorongoro Crater. This is not to mention the vast array of plains game – gazelles, topi, giraffe, warthog, zebra and the like that form a virtually perpetual backdrop in the Serengeti.
Ngorongoro is a short distance from Serengeti and easily combined in a driving safari. The same goes for Lake Manyara and Tarangire. Together these parks form what is (unappealingly) known as the Northern Circuit. There are numerous ways to “do” the northern circuit, but beware of packages that simply traipse you, in a cloud of dust, through the main areas in a continual convoy of minibuses and four wheel drives. We spend a great deal of time making sure that you avoid the busiest areas wherever possible.
For those who are prepared to travel a little further afield, our own experience is that there are few places that provide such a complete and un-spoilt game experience as Katavi and Mahale in Western Tanzania. These are immensely remote and wild areas, with an entirely different balance of species (plant and animal) to the north of the country.
Selous and Ruaha likewise offer wonderful game viewing, Ruaha majoring on lion / buffalo interaction in the dry season, and Selous offering an opportunity to experience the game on foot as well as on the water.
More articles that you might find helpful
Tanzania visa requirements
How Tanzania Works
The best game areas in Tanzania
Tanzania's highlights
When's the best time to visit Tanzania?
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