Tarangire Lokisale

Lokisale game controlled area runs along the eastern boundary of Tarangire National Park and hosts decent quantities of game through many months of the year. Most particularly during the the green months (October to May) as animals move east across the Maasai Steppe, free from dependence on the permanent water of the Tarangire river as soon as the rains bring grass and water to these eastern plains. However, even through the dry season this area allows the combination of easy access to the National Park, through the eastern Boundary Hill gate, with freedom from the rigid rules that prevail within the park itself.

It can get very dry between July & October, tsetse fly can be bad but the chance for some night driving and short walks in amazing scenery make it a strong alternative to being within the Park. The northern area can get quite frantic with numerous small camps now emerging so, as a rule, the farther south you go the better it gets. It can be a slight battleground, thankfully not (yet) literally, between the photographic camps and hunting operators, who in theory at least shouldn't be operating too close to the park boundaries.

The Maasai landlords sit rather on the edge of the debate, hoping to attract both parties and as much revenue to their communities as they can extract. Constantly tempted by the short term profits from occasionally successful cultivation schemes, it remains to be seen how smart they will appear as land managers of this very fragile but attractive area.