North and south Tanzania safari circuit
The northern safari circuit of Tanzania is popular for wildlife viewing in Tanzania where some of the most visited wildlife viewing destinations are located and where wildlife species such as the big 5 can be spotted.
Serengeti national park, Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area make up the northern safari circuit of Tanzania.
- Serengeti national park
Serengeti national park is the oldest national park of Tanzania which is also a popular safari destination among tourists.
The national park is famous for many reasons such as the wildebeest migration which is one of the 8 natural wonders of Africa, the big 5, vast savannah plains as well as numerous wildlife species.
Serengeti national park is made up of western Serengeti, northern Serengeti, Serengeti plains which include the Seronera area which is in the central part of Serengeti national park. safari activities include game drives, guided nature walks, bird watching, community visits, hot air balloon safaris.
This national park can be accessed by flights from Arusha to Serengeti national park as well as driving from Arusha to the national park.
- Tarangire national park
Among the safari destinations in the northern safari circuit of Tanzania is Tarangire national park which is known for having one of the largest concentrations of elephants in the northern part of Tanzania.
During a safari around Tarangire national park, wildlife species can be spotted and tourists also enjoy seeing baobab trees, open savannah grasslands and swamps. The national park is also made up of Tarangire river after which the park is named.
Tarangire national park is famous for its large herds of elephants and the national park is also a good bird watching location with over 600 bird species. Wildlife species around Tarangire national park include buffalos, lions, zebras, giraffes, generuks, gazelles and many others.
Safari activities around Tarangire national park include game drives, guided nature walks and bird watching. Tarangire national park can be accessed by driving from Arusha and also through flights to Kuro airstrip.
- Lake Manyara national park
Lake Manyara national park is another safari destination which is found in the northern part of Tanzania.
The national park which is found in the Great Rift Valley is famous for being home to tree climbing lions as well as elephants, black and white colobus monkeys, impalas, gazelles, buffalos, waterbucks, giraffes, baboons among others.
Lake Manyara national park is the smallest in size compared to other national parks in the northern tourist circuit and a big part of the national park is covered by a soda lake where flamingos and other bird species can be spotted during a safari.
The activities which tourists engage in during safaris to lake Manyara national park include game drives in the morning, afternoon and also in the night, guided nature walks such as along the treetop walkway, community visits to the Maasai villages in Mto wa mbu town as well as bird watching.
Tourists visiting lake Manyara national park can access the destination by flights from Arusha to Lake Manyara airstrip as well as by driving from Arusha.
- Ngorongoro conservation area
The Ngorongoro conservation area which is also part of the northern tourist circuit is another destination where the big 5 can be spotted during a safari.
Ngorongoro is also a UNESCO world heritage site and the Ngorongoro crater which has beautiful views is also the world’s largest caldera and tourists explore the crater floor during safaris as they look out for different wildlife and bird species.
Wildlife species spotted around the Ngorongoro conservation areas include wildebeests, zebras, impalas, gazelles, waterbucks, hippos, lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, hartebeests among others.
The Maasai people can also be seen around Ngorongoro during the safari as they graze their livestock in the grasslands. Interactions with the Maasai are among activities carried out around Ngorongoro conservation area and other activities include game drives, bird watching and guided nature walks.
The wildebeest migration is another attraction in the northern tourist circuit and this annual movement of over 2 million wildebeests takes place in Serengeti national park and attracts many tourists who enjoy seeing the herds of wildebeests which are accompanied by zebras and gazelles.
Ngorongoro conservation area is accessed by flights to Lake Manyara airstrip followed by driving to Ngorongoro and alternatively, tourists can get to the destination by driving from Arusha.
Southern safari circuit of Tanzania
The southern safari circuit of Tanzania is not as popular as compared to the northern safari circuit.
A variety of activities are also carried out during safaris in the southern safari circuit of Tanzania which attracts fewer crowds of tourists and tourists can access the destinations in the southern circuit of Tanzania by flights from Dar es salaam.
Selous game reserve and Ruaha national park are the major destinations in the southern tourist circuit of Tanzania.
Selous game reserve
Selous game reserve is a wildlife viewing destination in the southern part of Tanzania which is also the largest game reserve in Africa.
The game reserve is also a UNESCO world heritage site which covers about 54,600 square kilometers which is made up of grassy plains, forests, mountain as well as open woodlands and a vast wilderness.
Selous game reserve is about 4 hours drive from Dar es Salaam and consists of 2 major sectors which include the northern Selous and southern Selous. The 2 parts of Selous game reserve are separated by River Rufiji which flows through the reserve.
Wildlife species which can be seen during a safari around Selous game reserve include buffalos, lions, giraffes, waterbucks, elands, bushbucks, hyenas, crocodiles, antelopes, hippos, warthogs, impalas, African wild dogs among others as well as over 450 bird species.
Activities which tourists enjoy engaging in during their safaris to Selous game reserve include walking safaris, game drives in the morning and in the afternoon, bird watching, boat rides, cultural tours as well as hot air balloon safaris.
Getting to Selous game reserve can also be by flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Zanzibar and also by using the railway from Dar es Salaam.
Ruaha national park
Ruaha national park is a remote wildlife viewing destination which is located in the southern part of Tanzania and is also the largest national park of Tanzania.
The national park is named after the Ruaha river which flows through it and Ruaha national park is also made up of baobab trees, forests, misty hills and also open grassland.
Wildlife species which can be seen during a safari round Ruaha national park include hippos, kudu, lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, impalas, elands, buffalos, elephants, gazelles, waterbucks, hartebeests among others. The national park also has about 570 bird species which can be spotted during a safari experience at the destination.
Activities which tourists engage in during safaris as they explore the various attractions around Ruaha national park include guided walking safaris; game drives in the day and at night as well as bird watching.
Bothe the northern and southern safari circuits of Tanzania offer amazing wildlife viewing experiences and various safari activities which tourists can engage in as they explore the different destinations.
