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| Safari Circuits - National Parks |
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Serengeti National Park
Each year more than six million hooves pound
the legendary Serengeti’s endless plains.
Triggered by the seasonal rains, more than a
million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and
300,000 Thomson’s gazelle gather to
undertake their long trek to new grazing
lands. The wildebeest rutting season is a
frenzied three week long bout of territorial
conquests and mating, followed by survival
of the fittest as the 40 km long columns
plunge through crocodile infested waters on
the annual exodus north. Replenishing the
species is the brief population explosion
that produces more than 8,000 calves a day
before the 1,000 km pilgrimage begins again.
Tanzania’s first and most famous park, the
Serengeti, is renowned for its wealth of
leopard and lion. The vast reaches of the
park are a hiding place for the endangered
black rhino and provide a protected breeding
ground for the vulnerable cheetah, alongside
the Serengeti’s thousands of other diverse
species, from the 500 varieties of bird to
100 different types of dung beetle.
After the rains, the Serengeti’s magical
golden horizon is transformed into an
endless green carpet, flecked with
wildflowers. The famous plains are
interspersed with wooded hills, towering
termite mounds, monumental rocky kopjes, and
rivers lined with elegant acacia trees.
To search for the at-times elusive
wildebeest migration, visit the Serengeti
from December to July. To see predators,
June to October are the best months. For the
best chance of finding the migration, allow
a minimum of three days, longer if possible.
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Rubondo National Park
Rubondo Island is tucked into the corner of
Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest
lake, an inland sea sprawling between three
countries. Rubondo provides protection for
fish breeding grounds, while tilapia and the
rapacious Nile perch, some weighing more
than 100 kg, tempt recreational fishers with
challenging sports fishing and world record
catches. But Rubondo is more than a water
wonderland. Deserted sandy beaches nestle
against a cloak of virgin forest. Papyrus
swamps host the secretive sitatunga, a
shaggy aquatic antelope, and the dappled
bushbuck.
Rubondo is a birder’s paradise, with the
malachite kingfisher’s azure brilliance
competing with the paradise flycatcher’s
glamorous flowing tail. Rubondo is home to
fish eagles and is a global stopover for
hundreds of migratory birds, as well as a
sanctuary for sweet smelling wild jasmine
and 40 different species of orchid.
Ninety percent of the island is covered with
humid forest, the remainder ranges from
coastal grassland to lakeside papyrus beds.
A number of indigenous mammal species –
hippo, bushbuck, genet, and mongoose – share
their protected habitat with introduced
species such as chimpanzee, elephant, and
giraffe.
Rubondo’s wild flowers are at their best
from November to March. For migratory birds,
visit December to February. The island’s
climate is at its most pleasant from June to
August.
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Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream is the smallest of Tanzania’s
National Parks, a thin strip of ancient
forest set amidst mountains and steep
valleys on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Chimpanzees are Gombe Stream’s main
attraction; they are the stars of the
world’s most famous chimpanzee community,
made famous by the pioneering British
researcher Jane Goodall, whose years of
constant observation since 1960 have brought
to light startling new facts about mankind’s
closest cousins.
Chimps are as individually unique as humans
and no scientific expertise is needed to
distinguish the different characters in the
cast. The majority of the park mammals are
primates, most of them forest species and in
addition to the famous chimpanzees, visitors
could be lucky enough to see blue or
red-tail monkeys. Carnivores are rare in the
forest, making Gombe the ideal place for a
walking safari, or a swim in one of the
streams.
The best time to find chimpanzees at Gombe
is during the wet season from February to
June and November to December. The dry
months of July to October and December to
January are better for photo opportunities.
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Tarangire National Park
During Tarangire’s dry season, day after day
of cloudless skies seem to suck all moisture
from the landscape, turning the waving
grasses to platinum blonde, brittle as
straw. The Tarangire River is a mere shadow
of itself, just a trickle of water choked
with wildlife; thirsty antelope and elephant
have wandered hundreds of parched kilometres
to Tarangire’s permanent water source.
Herds of elephant three hundred strong dig
in the damp earth of the riverbed in search
of underground springs, while wildebeest,
zebra, buffalo, and gazelle mingle with rare
species such as eland and oryx around each
shrinking lagoon. Python climb into the
shade of the trees that line Tarangire’s
massive southern swamps and hang there like
giant malignant fruit, coils neatly arranged
over the branches in a perfect sphere.
Tarangire in the dry season enjoys the
greatest concentration of wildlife outside
the Serengeti ecosystem.
Tarangire’s huge herds of elephant rival the
park’s gigantic, squat baobab trees as its
most celebrated feature –ancient matriarchs,
feisty young bulls and tiny, stumbling
calves are ever present to fascinate
visitors with their grace, intelligence and
majesty.
The best time to visit Tarangire for
wildlife viewing or walking is the dry
season, from June to October.
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Ruaha National Park
Ruaha is a park where game viewing can begin the
moment the plane touches down. A pair of giraffe
may race beside the airstrip, with a line of
zebra parading across the runway in their wake
as nearby protective elephant mothers guard
their young under the shade of a baobab tree.
Wildlife in Ruaha is concentrated along the
great Ruaha River that is the park’s lifeblood.
The river is a flooded torrent after the rains,
dwindling to a few precious pools of water
surrounded by a sweep of sand in the dry season.
Waterbuck, impala and the world’s most southerly
Grant’s gazelle risk their lives for a sip of
water –the shores of the Ruaha are a permanent
hunting ground for lion, leopard, jackal, hyena
and the rare and endangered African Wild Dog.
Ruaha’s 8,000 elephants are recovering strongly
from ivory poaching during the 1980s and remain
the largest population in East Africa.
Ruaha is the only protected area in which the
flora and fauna of eastern and southern Africa
overlap, leading to fascinating combinations of
wildlife – both greater and lesser kudu live
here, as do sable and roan antelopes.
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Mahale Mountains National Park
Like its northerly neighbour Gombe, Mahale
Mountains National Park is home to some of the
last remaining wild chimpanzees in Africa.
Around 1,000 of these fascinating animals roam
the isolated rainforest of Mahale, a chain of
dramatic peaks draped in lush vegetation falling
to Lake Tanganyika’s beaches far below. Visitors
are led on guided walks in search of the
chimpanzees, following clues such as the
previous night’s nests, shadowy clumps high in
the trees, or scraps of half-eaten fruit and
fresh dung. Once found, the chimpanzees preen
each other’s glossy coats in concentrated
huddles, squabble noisily or bound effortlessly
into the trees, swinging nonchalantly through
the vines.
In addition to a hike on the trail of the
chimpanzees, visitors can trace the Tongwe
people’s ancient pilgrimage to the mountain
spirits, trekking through enclaves of rainforest
to grassy ridges chequered with alpine bamboo.
After a hot walk in the forest, the clear waters
of the lake, home to 250 species of fish, beckon
for a refreshing swim.
The best time for forest walks in Mahale is
during the dry season, from May to October. The
light rains of October and November present no
real obstacle to visitors.
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Lake Manyara National Park
Tucked below the majesty of the Rift Valley
wall, Lake Manyara National Park consists of a
thin green band of forest, flanked by the sheer
600 m high red and brown cliffs of the
escarpment on one side and by the white-hot
shores of an ancient soda lake on the other.
This wedge of surprisingly varied vegetation
supports a wealth of wildlife, nourished by the
streams flowing out of the escarpment base and
waterfalls spilling over the cliffs. Acacia
woodland shelters the park’s famous
tree-climbing lions, lying languidly among the
branches in the heat of the day. Feeding in the
undergrowth or dozing in the dry riverbeds are
the country’s densest populations of buffalo and
elephant.
Deep in the south of the park, hot springs
bubble to the surface as hippo wallow near the
lake’s sedge-lined borders. The park’s dazzling
variety of birds includes thousands of
red-billed quelea flitting over the water,
pelicans, cormorants and the pink streaks of
thousands of flamingos. Manyara is the perfect
location for an active safari – canoeing on the
lake or mountain biking and abseiling outside
the park’s borders.
The dry season (July to October) is best for
large mammals, while the wet season (November to
June) is best for bird watching, waterfalls and
canoeing.
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Mikumi National Park
Forming the northern borders of Africa’s biggest
game reserve – the vast Selous – Mikumi is one
of the most popular of Tanzania’s national
parks, the most accessible part of a 75,000
square kilometre (47,000 square mile) -
wilderness that stretches almost to the shores
of the Indian Ocean. The main feature of the
park is the Mikumi flood plain, along with the
mountain ranges that border the park on two
sides. Open grasslands dominate the flood plain,
eventually merging with the miombo woodland
covering the lower hills. The woodland is the
favourite haunt of the lion, sometimes perching
high in the trees to keep their feet dry from
the sticky black mud of the wet season.
Observation towers above the treeline allow
panoramic views of the plain laid out below,
home to formidable herds of buffalo. Mikumi’s
elephants are more compact than those in the
rest of the country, but still a formidable
sight when viewed close up. The rains swell the
park’s population of birds to more than 300
species as European migrants seek refuge in
Mikumi, joining resident stars like the
lilac-breasted roller.
Mikumi’s road network provides visitors with
easy game viewing drives and there are hippo,
zebra, giraffe, hartebeest and wildebeest in
abundance. The park is accessible all year
round.
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Saadani National Park
Saadani National Park is the perfect union of
beach and bush. Located just 70 km north of
Bagamoyo and immediately accessible by paved
road from Dar es Salaam, Saadani has recently
become a fully protected national park and is a
popular day-trip from beach resorts scattered
along Tanzania’s northern coast. The Wami River,
which passes through Saadani National Park and
empties into the Indian Ocean, hosts a large
population of hippos, crocodiles, flamingos, and
many large bird species. Elephants have been
rumoured to be seen bathing and playing on
Saadani’s beach, especially in the early hours
of the morning.
A good choice for visitors based in Dar es
Salaam or Zanzibar who don’t have time for
longer safaris to visit more remote parks around
the country, Saadani is easily visited for a day
trip or over a weekend.
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Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park, often overlooked, is in
fact a treasure, a rich tapestry of habitats,
teeming with animals and birds. From the lush
swamps of the Ngurdoto Crater to the tranquil
beauty of the Momela Lakes and the rocky alpine
heights of Mt Meru, the terrain of the park is
as varied as it is interesting. Zebras graze on
the park’s red grasslands, and leopards lurk
next to waterfalls in the shadowy forest. More
than 400 species of bird, both migrant and
resident, can be found in Arusha National Park
alongside rare primates such as the
black-and-white colobus monkey.
The rewarding climb up Mt Meru passes through
forests of dripping Spanish moss and rises to
open heath, spiked with giant lobelia plants.
Delicate klipspringer antelope watch the
progress of hikers from the top of huge
boulders, and everlasting flowers cling to the
alpine desert underfoot. Once astride the craggy
summit, the reward is a sight of Mt Kilimanjaro,
breathtaking in the sunrise.
The best time to visit Arusha National Park is
during the dry season from July to November, or
after the short rains from December to March.
The best months to climb Mt Meru are June to
February, with the best views of Mt Kilimanjaro
seen from December to February. The park lies
just 25 km east of Arusha and is a rewarding day
trip from Arusha or Moshi.
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Katavi National Park
Katavi National Park in western Tanzania is
remote and wild, a destination for the true
safari aficionado. The name of the park
immortalises a legendary hunter, Katabi, whose
spirit is believed to possess a tamarind tree
ringed with offerings from locals begging his
blessings.
Despite being Tanzania’s third-largest park,
Katavi sees relatively few visitors, meaning
that those guests who arrive here can look
forward to having this huge untouched wilderness
to themselves. The park’s main features are the
watery grass plains to the north, the
palm-fringed Lake Chada in the south-east, and
the Katuma River. Katavi boasts Tanzania’s
greatest populations of both crocodile and
hippopotamus. Lion and leopard find prey among
the huge populations of herbivores at Katavi –
impala, eland, topi, zebra and herds of up to
1,600 buffalo wander the short grass plains. The
rare, honey-coloured puku antelope is one of the
park’s richest wildlife viewing rewards. A
kaleidoscope of birds flit across the
riverbanks, swamps and palm groves while
flotillas of pelican cruise the lakes and
elephant graze waist-deep in the marshlands.
Katavi is best visited in the dry season between
May and October, December and February.
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Kitulo National Park
Kitulo, which has recently become a fully
protected national park, is situated on the
Kitulo Plateau, which forms part of Tanzania’s
southern highlands. The area, which is known
locally as the “Garden of God,” provides a home
for a wide variety of wildflowers such as
balsams, bellflowers, honey-peas, irises, lilies
and orchids.
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Kilimanjaro National Park
The great mountain of Kilimanjaro is a metaphor
for the compelling beauty of East Africa. Rising
in absolute isolation, at 5,895 m (19,336 ft),
Kilimanjaro is one of the highest walkable
summits on the planet, a beacon for visitors
from around the world. Just three degrees south
of the equator, Kilimanjaro’s great peaks of
Kibo and Mawenzi are nonetheless covered all
year round with snow and ice. Most reasonably
fit and properly guided climbers can experience
the triumph of reaching the crater rim with
little more than a walking stick, warm clothing
and determination. Those who reach Uhuru Point,
the actual summit, or Gillman’s point on the lip
of the crater (Kilimanjaro is a dormant, but not
extinct, volcano), will have earned their
climbing certificates and their memories.
There is, however, so much more to Kilimanjaro
than the summit. A journey up the slopes takes
visitors on a climatic world tour, from the
tropics to the arctic. The grassy and cultivated
lower slopes turn into lush rainforest,
inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo
and antelope. Higher still, heath and moorland,
covered with giant heather, becomes a surreal
alpine desert and, finally, there is ice, snow
and the biggest view on the continent.
December to February are the warmest and
clearest months to visit, with July to September
being colder but also dry. It is wet in the
rainforest from April to June and during
November.
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Udzungwa Mountains National Park
The Udzungwa Mountains are almost unearthly. An
enchanted forest of leafy glades, freckled with
sunshine, where fungus, lichen, moss and ferns
ingratiate themselves into every damp crevice,
it is at once both vivid detail and larger than
life. A new variety of African violet was
discovered in the shelter of a 30 m high tree.
It is a hothouse, nurturing species found
nowhere else on earth, a secret bank account of
precious genetic stock. Of its six types of
primate, two are endemic – the Iringa red
colobus monkey and the sanje-crested Mangabey,
not discovered until 1979. Four previously
unknown birds, including the rufous-winged
sunbird and a new species of the partridge-like
francolin, make this Tanzania’s richest forest
bird habitat and among the three most important
bird conservation areas on the continent. One of
East Africa’s great forests, this undisturbed
habitat undoubtedly has new treasures yet to
reveal.
A link in the chain of Africa’s eastern arc
mountains, Udzungwa is made for hiking and
climbing on trails through the rainforests and
along the escarpments. The plateau is a natural
tower top, with views of sugar plantations
against a patchwork of grassland and mountain
forest extending over 100 km. But the
centrepiece is the Sanje River, which reinvents
itself into a spectacular waterfall, plunging
170 m through the forest to land in a mist in
the valley below.
Visit the Udzungwa Mountains year round, but be
prepared for rain any time.
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