Tanzania Safari Tour Attractions – The Big 5 National Parks

by Karl-Heinz Straus

The country of Tanzania has many great attractions that can be included in any travel plans for the visitors of Tanzania. Some of the activities that one can indulge in include climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, go on a deep sea diving, scuba, and visit archeological sites like Olduvai Gorge among other activities.

For the sake of brevity, this article will highlight the attraction sites that are in the Northern Tanzania. The parks in this part are the Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and Serengeti National Park.

1. Tarangire National Park

The highest numbers of elephant in Tanzania are found in Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is a popular place to stop for those that are gong on safari in the Northern circuit. The park is located a few hrs drive from the town of Arusha and some of the animals found here include gazelles, zebras, elephants and giraffes.

2. The Mighty Lake Manyara National Park

The park of Lake Manyara is comprised of grasslands, woodlands and swamps. The lake itself is alkaline in nature and is home to thousands of flamingoes as well as different kinds of birds. These bird species include the egrets, storks, ostriches and pelicans. Other bird species include the rare pygmy goose and species of ibis. Baboons are also found in large numbers in this park. Animals found in this park include the lions, warthogs, elephants, wildebeests and hippos

3. The Mighty Kilimanjaro – The park boasts of the highest mountain park in Africa and it has been one of the most popular destinations since 1977 when it was first opened. The highest peak is the Uhuru Peak on Kibo. Mount Kilimanjaro was formed over 1,000,000 years ago and it has one of the Seven Summits of the world. Summits are a list of mountains that are the highest in each continent on the face of the earth. Mountain climbers’ flock to this park and those that manage to reach the summit is a great feat for them

4. Ngorongoro

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is part of the Serengeti ecosystem, and to the north-west, it adjoins the Serengeti National Park and is contiguous with the southern Serengeti plains, these plains also extend to the north into unprotected Loliondo division and are kept open to wildlife through trans-human pastoralism practiced by Maasai. The southern and eastern boundaries are approximately defined by the rim of the Great Rift Valley wall, which also prevents animal migration in these directions.

Home to the famous volcanic Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located between the Serengeti and Lake Manyara, 180 km (112 miles) west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage site as the largest intact caldera in the world. The crater floor has all the necessities for the thousands of animals that inhabit the area to thrive. The crater is the most popular area allowing for bird watching, photography, walking safaris, and game viewing from a vehicle. Olduvai Gorge, an archeological site is in this area.

5. The Serengeti

Serengeti National Park borders Kenyas Masai Mara Game Park. Its far-reaching plains of endless grass, tinged with the twisted shadows of acacia trees, have made it the quintessential image of a wild and untarnished Africa. Its large stone kopjes are home to rich ecosystems, and the sheer magnitude and scale of life that the plains support is staggering. Large prides of lions laze easily in the long grasses, plentiful families of elephants feed on acacia bark and trump to each other across the plains, and giraffes, gazelles, monkeys, eland, and the whole range of African wildlife is in awe-inspiring numbers

Serengeti National Park is renowned for the Great Wildebeest Migration when more than a million animals make the seasonal journey to fresh pasture to the north, then the south, after the biannual rains. Apart from the traditional game safaris, hot-air ballooning is a popular activity for visitors in the park.

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