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In Lake Manyara National Park, the hauntingly beautiful soda lake sprawls on the Rift Valley floor, below the sheer red cliffs of the escarpment. Sometimes pink-tinged with the wings of migratory flamingos, Lake Manyara is home to pelicans and many other bird species. Elephant, hippo, monkey, leopard and bushbuck are found in the unique groundwater forest. Closer to the vast lake, flat-topped acacia trees and open grassland are host to plains species and the famous tree-climbing Manyara lions.
• Accommodation in Lake Manyara
• Safari tours in Lake Manyara
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On the trade routes of Persian dhows for centuries, the clear protected waters of this island retreat offer wonderful diving, snorkelling, sailing and swimming.
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| Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha |
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and, at 5895 metres, the highest walkable summit, in the world. Tantalising glimpses of the magnificent snow-capped summit from the plains below belie the unique combination of eco-climatic zones which hikers will experience; rainforest, montane forest, heath and moorland, alpine desert and then, finally, snow and ice. The one-way Machame Route climbs up the southwest of the mountain. This is a more challenging, but less frequented trail than the busier Marangu Route and offers more of a wilderness experience. Kilimanjaro climbers should be fit and well exercised. The best months for the climb are July to September (cold but dry) and January to mid-March (clearer and warmer).
• Accommodation in Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha
• Safari tours in Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha
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The Ngorongoro Crater is a wildlife haven and, as such, well visited but it is virtually a ‘must’ on any first visit to Tanzania. A breathtaking sight, and an extraordinary place, the unique appeal of the Ngorongoro Crater is the sheer abundance of wildlife permanently resident on the crater floor. Lions stalk the grasslands in search of vulnerable game; flamingos grace the shallow lakes, and yet the Masai still bring their cattle down into the crater to graze alongside huge herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo as they always have done.
• Accommodation in Ngorongoro Crater
• Safari tours in Ngorongoro Crater
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Ruaha, in the south of Tanzania, is the second largest national park and possesses a rich variety of wildlife, including lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, giraffe, zebra, the rare greater kudu and huge herds of buffalo and elephant. Yet, despite its haunting beauty and abundance of game, the remoteness and comparative inaccessibility of Ruaha, have meant that until recent improvements in scheduled flight connections, it has been one of the wildest and least visited parks. It appeals to the seasoned safari enthusiast or those who value unspoilt wilderness.
• Accommodation in Ruaha National Park
• Safari tours in Ruaha National Park
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The Selous, at 30,500 sq. km, is the largest reserve in Africa - larger than Denmark. Despite its size, it hosts few visitors. Nevertheless, the Selous is home to the continent's greatest populations of elephant, buffalo and wild dog and the landscape is largely untouched by man. The northern Selous offers river trips and unhurried walking safaris for those looking for a more rounded wildlife experience. The terrain is predominantly miombo woodland but there are also lakes and swamps, hot springs, sulphurous pools and the spectacular Steigler's Gorge. Huge numbers of hippo wallow in the cooling waters along the shores of the lakes and Rufujii river and crocodiles abound.
• Accommodation in Selous Game Reserve
• Safari tours in Selous Game Reserve
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The Serengeti is home to an estimated 3 million plains game, the largest concentration of such wildlife in the world. Life on the Serengeti is a complex cycle defined by the rains. The short rains begin in November to mid-December, prompting the migration back to the south-western part of the Serengeti. From mid December to March, the short grass plains are alive with migrant herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles. When the long rains begin in April, the plains are at their most beautiful, vivid with wildflowers and teeming game. From April to June, the Serengeti is the theatre for one of the most impressive wildlife shows on earth. Hundreds of thousands of plains game begin moving north-westwards to the Seronera, then the Grumeti River. By the end of June or July, as the rains dwindle, huge columns of wildebeest and zebra cross the crocodile-infested Grumeti river into the Masai Mara, where there is permanent water. This spectacular moving feast is trailed by predators; lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena.
• Accommodation in Serengeti
• Safari tours in Serengeti
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In Tarangire, the Tarangire River provides a vital life source for the huge amount of game, particularly wildebeest, zebra and buffalo, that migrate here during the dry season, from June to October. In fact, the migration here is rivalled only by the Serengeti migration. Often referred to as ‘the land of the giants’, the reserve is dominated by huge, somewhat surreal, baobab trees, many rubbed raw from the large herds of resident elephant. Oryx, kudu, eland and the elusive leopard can often be seen and beautiful birds include some Tanzania endemics.
• Accommodation in Tarangire
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Mahale Mountains National Park is 1,613 sq km of wilderness and rainforest on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It's reached by light aircraft charter flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. The dry season (May-October) is best for forest walks which allow you to track 70-strong the chimpanzee population.
Also on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, is Tanzania's smallest park, the 52 sq km Gombe Stream National Park. Enjoy chimpanzee trekking, hiking, swimming and snorkelling and visit the site of Henry Stanley's famous ?Dr Livingstone I presume? at Ujiji near Kigoma.
• Accommodation in Western National Parks
• Safari tours in Western National Parks
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| Zanzibar and the Indian Ocean |
Zanzibar, 25 miles off the coast of Tanzania, is an alluring combination of rich slave-trade history and beautiful beaches; interspersed with villages, palm groves and orange gardens. It is a bewitching place; the rich green valleys are filled with the aroma of spices whilst historic Stone Town, once the capital of a vast Arabic empire, is an atmospheric maze of narrow streets, street markets and coral stone steps. The astoundingly white beaches of Zanzibar’s east coast lead out to turquoise coral waters. There is excellent diving to the north of the island and the opportunity to swim with dolphins. The climate is tropical with a hot rainy season from November to April.
• Accommodation in Zanzibar and the Indian Ocean
• Safari tours in Zanzibar and the Indian Ocean
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