Parks & Destinations

The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word meaning “endless plains,” and the moment you arrive you understand why. This is one of the oldest and most celebrated ecosystems on Earth — 14,760 square kilometres of grassland, savannah, and riverine forest established as a national park in 1951. It is, without exaggeration, the finest wildlife theatre in Africa.

The headline act is the Great Migration. Each year, approximately 1.5 million wildebeest and between 300,000 and 400,000 zebra undertake an 800-kilometre circuit through the Serengeti ecosystem, driven by rainfall and the search for fresh grazing. From July through September, the herds mass in the northern Serengeti, making the treacherous crossing of the Mara River — one of the great spectacles of the natural world. By December they have drifted south to the short-grass plains near the Gol Mountains, and in January and February some quarter of a million calves are born within a few short weeks. By May the columns are moving again, resuming their ancient march northward.

The Serengeti contains four distinct habitat zones, each with its own character and wildlife. The northern sector is hilly and wooded, with the Mara River cutting through granite kopjes. The southeastern plains are open grassland stretching to the horizon — classic Serengeti, and the calving grounds of the migration. The western corridor is defined by black clay soil, dense woodlands, and the Grumeti River. The central region around Seronera is acacia savannah — prime year-round game viewing territory, where resident prides of lion and leopard are reliably seen.

Beyond the migration, the Serengeti supports an extraordinary diversity of resident wildlife. Thomson's and Grant's gazelles graze the open plains alongside cape buffalo, topi, and waterbuck. Giraffes and warthogs browse through the acacia woodland. The predator roster is formidable: large prides of lion, solitary cheetahs hunting the grasslands, elusive leopards draped in sausage trees, and along the rivers, hippo and Nile crocodile in good numbers.

Birders will find themselves as occupied as the big-game enthusiasts. Over 500 species have been recorded here, including secretary birds stalking through the grass, marabou storks, ostriches, kori bustards (Africa's heaviest flying bird), the jewel-bright lilac-breasted roller, bateleur eagles soaring on thermals, and several species of vulture patrolling the skies above every kill.

Tarangire is the park that safari connoisseurs return to again and again. Covering 2,600 square kilometres southeast of Lake Manyara, it retains a real air of undiscovered Africa — vast, unhurried, and mercifully free of the vehicle congestion that can sometimes affect its more famous neighbours. The landscape is defined by enormous baobab trees, some of them centuries old, rising from a carpet of golden grass and acacia woodland interspersed with palm groves along the Tarangire River.

The wildlife numbers are exceptional. A 1980 census recorded 32,000 zebra, 30,000 impala, 25,000 wildebeest, 6,000 buffalo, and approximately 3,000 elephant within the park boundaries. Elephants are the star attraction — you will see them in small family groups or in large herds numbering a hundred or more, particularly during the dry season when they congregate along the river. There is something deeply moving about watching an elephant herd moving slowly through a grove of ancient baobabs, a scene that has played out here for millennia.

The predator sightings are consistently good. Lions are resident and frequently seen, particularly along the river. Spotted hyenas are common. Cheetahs patrol the open grasslands. Leopards, as always, require patience and a sharp-eyed guide. Tarangire is also one of the best parks in the northern circuit for lesser kudu and the diminutive dik dik, both of which favour the denser bush.

With over 350 recorded bird species, Tarangire is a birding destination in its own right. The swamps and river attract a concentration of waterbirds, raptors are plentiful, and the park's varied habitats support an unusual diversity of species.

Tarangire offers something the Serengeti does not: night game drives ($120 per person) and guided bush walks with an armed ranger ($80 per person). Both are outstanding experiences. The night drive reveals a different cast of characters — bush babies, genets, civets, and the eyeshine of nocturnal predators. The bush walk brings you into intimate contact with the landscape in a way that no vehicle can match.

Arusha National Park is Tanzania's best-kept secret — and its most convenient. Just a 40-minute drive from Arusha town, and even closer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, it is the ideal half-day or full-day excursion for travellers arriving early or with a day to spare before or after a longer safari.

The park's chief distinction is the black-and-white Colobus monkey. This is the only place on the northern safari circuit where you can reliably see these striking primates, with their flowing white mantles and long tails. They inhabit the montane forest on the slopes of Mt Meru and around the Ngurdoto Crater, moving through the canopy in family troops. It is a genuinely special sighting, and one you will not replicate elsewhere on a standard northern circuit itinerary.

Ngurdoto Crater is a miniature Ngorongoro — a small, perfect volcanic caldera whose floor is a swampy grassland populated by buffalo, warthog, and a variety of monkeys. No vehicles are permitted on the crater floor, so it retains a pristine, untouched quality. You view it from the forested rim, binoculars in hand, which adds to the sense of discovery.

The Momella Lakes are another highlight — a series of shallow alkaline lakes, each a different hue of green or blue depending on its mineral content and the algae it supports. Flamingos wade in the shallows, and the reflections of Mt Meru in the still morning water are the stuff of postcards. On clear days, the snow-capped summit of Kilimanjaro is visible to the east, framed by the park's lush vegetation.

Mt Meru itself, at 4,566 metres, is Tanzania's second-highest peak and a serious mountaineering objective in its own right. Many climbers use it as acclimatisation for Kilimanjaro. The summit views — taking in both the Meru crater and Kilimanjaro floating above the clouds — are among the finest in East Africa.

What Arusha National Park lacks is also notable: there are no elephants and no lions. This makes it unique among northern circuit parks and means that walking safaris and canoeing on the Momella Lakes are possible without the safety constraints that apply elsewhere. It is a gentler, more contemplative park — and none the worse for it.