Tanzania's Best Safari Destinations

This extinct volcano is home to the highest density of wild animals found in one area in Africa. The largest un-flooded Caldera in the world, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the top places for sighting predators, especially lions.

Ngorongoro Crater, extinct volcanic caldera in the Eastern (Great) Rift Valley, northern Tanzania. It lies 75 miles (120 km) west of the town of Arusha. The caldera measures between 10 and 12 miles (16 and 19 km) across and has an area of 102 square miles (264 square km). Its heavily forested rim rises 2,000 feet (610 metres) above the caldera’s floor to an elevation of 7,500 feet (2,286 metres).

Ngorongoro is thought to have formed about 2.5 million years ago from a large active volcano whose cone collapsed inward after a major eruption, leaving the present vast, unbroken caldera as its chief remnant.

The caldera’s floor is predominantly open grassland. It is home to a diverse array of animals including elephants, black rhinoceroses, leopards, buffalo, zebras, warthogs, gnu (wildebeests), Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, and the densest population of lions in the world.

The local Masai people also graze their livestock in the crater. Lake Magadi, a shallow soda lake ringed by extinct volcanoes, is renowned as a habitat for great flocks of pink flamingos. Large numbers of tourists began visiting the caldera in the 1930s, when a lodge was built on its rim. Since the region’s incorporation into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in 1959, additional lodges have been built. The caldera is included within a UNESCO World Heritage site designated in 1979.

An idyllic beach paradise where Arabic and African influences meet to create a fascinating cultural and historic journey. Zanzibar offers some of the world's finest scuba diving and snorkeling sites along the shores of its tropical islands. Known as the Spice Island, the beautiful island of Zanzibar on Africa’s east coast is bursting with culture and history, seemingly at odds with its idyllic geography of white-sand beaches with palms swaying lazily in the sea breeze. Together this makes Zanzibar a fabulous place to explore as well as a dream to relax and unwind.

Zanzibar is the semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic center is Stone Town, which is a World Heritage Site.

Portuguese invasion and control of the Swahili Coast in the late 16th century ended the golden age of the archipelago, although the Omani Arabs returned to power less than a century later. Today, many of the winding streets and high townhouses of old Stone Town remain unchanged and visitors can walk between the sultan’s palace, the House of Wonders, the Portuguese fort and gardens, the merchants’ houses, and the Turkish baths of the old city. Day-long spice tours to working plantations offer visitors the chance to observe the cultivation of cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices that have made the island famous.

Zanzibar’s coastline offers some of the best beaches in the world, but sand and surf vary depending on what side of the island you’re on. On the east coast, waves break over coral reefs and sand bars offshore, and low tide reveals small pools of starfish, small minnows, and anemones. Up north, ocean swimming is much less susceptible to the tides, and smooth beaches and white sand make for dazzling days in the sun.

The port city of Stone Town dominates the west coast, and although the beaches of Mangapwani, where slave caves are visible at low tide and nearby Bububu are less than half an hour’s drive away, a night or two spent on the east or north cost is well worth the extra hour it takes to drive there. That said, the Chole Island Marine Park just off Stone Town – and nearby Prison, Grave, and Snake Islands – make a refreshing day-trip and a good break from exploring the winding passageways of the old city.

On the south coast of Zanzibar lies the Menai Bay Conservation Area, a sea turtle protection area for the endangered species that come to breed on the island. Roads to the southeast coast take visitors through the Jozani Forest, home to Zanzibar’s rare Red Colobus monkeys and a number of other primate and small antelope species.

Tarangire National Park is a national park in Tanzania's Manyara Region. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire River that crosses the park. The Tarangire River is the primary source of fresh water for wild animals in the Tarangire Ecosystem during the annual dry season. The Tarangire Ecosystem is defined by the long-distance migration of wildebeest and zebras. During the dry season thousands of animals concentrate in Tarangire National Park from the surrounding wet-season dispersal and calving areas. It covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometres (1,100 square miles.) The landscape is composed of granitic ridges, river valley, and swamps. Vegetation is a mix of Acacia woodland, Combretum woodland, seasonally flooded grassland, and baobab trees.

Mount Kilimanjaro the acclaimed ice-capped mountain lies just 3° south of the equator. As Tanzania's milestone, Kilimanjaro towers over the encompassing African fields. Actually, it is the most noteworthy free-standing mountain on the planet. It is additionally the highest mountain that can be climbed without specialized Kilimanjaro Gear and Outdoor skills.

Generally, all that's needed is putting one foot before the other. Despite the fact that this sounds simple, it is in all probability the hardest test you will ever confront. The greatest snag is the absence of oxygen at such a high elevation. Without expert guidance, the Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro trip can be extremely hazardous. Utilizing just quality equipment and simply the best-experienced guides and cooks. Guides are trained to monitor your physical condition and expertise to pace the group accordingly; offering you the best possibility of a fruitful summit. 

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is one of a kind in that within the span of a couple of days, you go through a wide assortment of atmospheres and vegetation zones; from tropical rain forest to near arctic conditions. The mountain is managed by Kilimanjaro National Park which has strict guidelines concerning routes permitted and climber's safety.

When it comes to deciding which route to take, the Marangu Route has sleeping huts for night. The huts are basic yet have solar lighting. On other routes, tents are utilized for overnights. As a result of altitude acclimatization being a major challenge, adding an additional day to the climbing itinerary can improve the opportunity of success substantially.

The southern safari circuit of Tanzania includes the Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, Selous Game Reserve and the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Mikumi National Park is the closest national park to Dar es Salaam, covering 3230 km² of open savannahs resembling the Serengeti Plains.

Mikumi is home to over 400 bird species, predators including leopards and lions, and populations of elephants, giraffes buffaloes, zebras, greater Kudu and wildebeest, as well as antelopes.

Ruaha National Park, a relatively wild and less explored wilderness area, is Tanzania's second largest National Park. The park is set within a transitional zone between southern and east African flora and fauna species incorporating a unique variety of animals, birds and vegetation. Ruaha is known for its large elephant and buffalo herds and is home to an abundance of lion, leopard and cheetah. 

The remote and less touristy Selous Reserve is considered the largest game reserve in Africa, and is home to one of the greatest concentrations of big game in the world. This untamed wilderness area is a World Heritage Site, hosting one of Africa's largest populations of endangered African Wild Dogs, as well as critically endangered black rhinos.

The Udzungwa Mountains National Park is not a conventional game viewing destination, but it is a World Biodiversity Hotspot, hosting numerous endemic plant and animal species.

This pristine and unique park covers a mountainous region of rich rain-forests, and is exceptionally scenic. The Udzungwa Mountains are sometimes called the Galapagos Islands of Africa, given the high biodiversity and species endemism.

Lake Manyara National Park offers a wilderness experience in diverse habitats, from its Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and steep mountainsides. Apart from a spectacular setting, the park is famous for its unusual tree-climbing lions and the vast elephant herds it was established to protect.

The shores of the lake, encrusted with pink flamingo, attract more than 400 species of birds, many of them waterfowl or migrants. Large herds of buffalo, cheetah, Masai giraffe and impala roam the lake shores and the forested valley slopes. Located southwest of Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park is in a distance of 126 kilometers (also 78 miles.) and can easily be reached by car. You can also flexibly get there from Bahati, the capital of Manyara region.

By car, one can also take a trip (road safari) to the newly tarred road from Arusha which only takes 1 ½ to 2 hours to reach the entrance gate. Considering that Manyara Park is on the way to Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti which are the other parks of the northern circuit, most people prefer to take a circuit by a safari vehicle. You would need to rent a vehicle to enter the park via the gateway village Mto Wa Mbu which is accessible by bus.

All year through, there is a good access to this park, note: the best time for large mammals is the dry season that comes between July to October while November to June the wet season which is best for birds.

Lake Manyara stretches over 330 square kilometers of the Northern Rift valley floor, in the south west of Arusha. This park was established in 1960 and has its main point of focus as Manyara Lake. In the whole of the East African Rift, Ernest Hemingway identified lake Manyara as the most luxurious place, its impressive setting that he once extolled with the documentary maker, Collin Willock. Passionate safari tourists like to get to the world famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro getting there more often through the Manyara National park. Within a considerably small location, Lake Manyara Park hosts a range of important microcosm of the safari experience in Tanzania.