Tarangire National Park Safaris
Tarangire is the lesser known, quiet gem of the northern safari circuit. It is a favourite amongst Tanzania’s guides due to a migration of approximately 3,000 elephant that peaks from July to November.
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Tanzania’s Hidden Safari Gem
Offering a completely different habitat from its more famous neighbours at Ngorongoro and Serengeti, Tarangire’s habitat is much more similar to that of the parks in southern Tanzania, especially Ruaha. Tarangire’s most appealing charm is its lack of visitors and its sheer size.
Tarangire dwarfs Lake Manyara, and takes fewer visitors! Those that do travel this far tend to visit for a short period of time, and see only the northern sectors of the park before they rush off elsewhere. This leaves the south of the park feeling truly remote and free of tourists.
Tarangire Trips
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12 Days Tanzania Safari, Stone Town and Zanzibar Beach Holiday
14 Days Young Adults Northern Tanzania Adventure Safari
12 Days Ultimate Northern Tanzania Discovery Safari
10 Days Tanzania Safari and Zanzibar Beach Holiday
10 Days Tanzania Safari and Cultural Experience
8 Days Tanzania Wildlife and Cultural Safari
Activities & Wildlife
A seasonal safari destination with a famous annual elephant migration, Tarangire has a broader range of activities than any other northern park, set within a stunning landscape of baobab forests and the Tarangire River.
Game Drives
Tarangire is very seasonal. But when it is in season, it can offer some of the finest wildlife experiences in Tanzania. It is only in the dry season (July–Oct) that you want to visit this park. This is when it welcomes thousands of elephant herds from miles around. The elephant migration takes over the park and brings it to life. As the hot, dry months start to hit, the smaller water sources disappear and wildlife congregates at the Tarangire River.
Each lodge in Tarangire National Park offers slightly different activities, but the majority still focus on classic game drives, taking in the impressive species and beautiful landscapes found in the park.
Night drives and Walking safari
The main activity inside the park has always been standard game drives, but over the last few years TANAPA (the National Park Authority) has introduced several activities that are the envy of other national parks. Tarangire is the only national park in Tanzania where it is possible to do night safaris, as well as walking safaris and fly camping. This makes it the northern park with the greatest diversity of safari activities – a real gem of the Northern Circuit!
You can head out into the bush with your guide and enjoy learning more about the wildlife, flora, insects, and dung. Or stay out beyond sundown and see what nocturnal creatures you can spot in the dark. Most big cats do their hunting at night, so sometimes you can come across a predator with its prey.
Wildlife
Tarangire’s most impressive feature is the park’s elephant migration (July–Oct), when huge herds push through to Tarangire’s river system and swamps during the dry season. At this time, Tarangire contains the greatest number of elephant in northern Tanzania. There are plenty of lion and leopard present throughout the year. While cheetah are relatively rare, hyena, jackal, and wild dog are often found in Tarangire.
It is the herbivores that contribute most to the overall wildlife count in Tarangire. In addition to the enormous numbers of elephant, you’ll find wildebeest, zebra, eland, impala, greater and lesser kudus, dik-dik, Coke’s hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelle, giraffe, buffalo, reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog, hippopotamus, mongoose, rock hyrax, and even the fringe-eared oryx and the gerenuk!
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