TANZANIA NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania was established in 1952. It is home to the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth – the great migration of wildebeest and zebra. The resident population of lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, and birds is also impressive. There’s a wide variety of accommodation available, from luxury lodges to mobile camps. The park covers 5,700 sq miles, (14,763 sq km).
The Park can be divided into 3 sections. The popular southern/central part (Seronera Valley), is what the Maasai called the “serengit”, the land of endless plains. It’s classic savannah, dotted with acacias and filled with wildlife. The western corridor is marked by the Grumeti River and has more forests and dense bushes. The north, Lobo area, meets up with Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve and is the least visited section.
Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region. Its unique ecosystem has inspired writers from Ernest Hemingway to Peter Mattheissen, filmmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root as well as numerous photographers and scientists.
The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation, and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Early man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation, and migration are as old as the hills themselves.
It is the migration for which Serengeti is perhaps most famous. Over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May, and June. So strong is the ancient instinct to move that no drought, gorge, or crocodile-infested river can hold them back.
The Wildebeest travel through a variety of parks, reserves, and protected areas and through a variety of habitats. Join us to explore the different forms of vegetation and landscapes of the Serengeti ecosystem and meet some of their most fascinating inhabitants.
Ngorongoro Crater
The encompasses the volcanic area around the Ngorongoro Crater, including the still active volcano of Ol’doinyo Lenkai (Lengai) and the famous Oldupai Gorge. Ngorongoro has an area of 8600 square km. Its centerpiece, the Ngorongoro crater, is the largest intact, unfolded caldera in the world and is considered as one of the eight wonders of the world. Home of the largest permanent concentration of wildlife in Africa. It is one of the areas on the continent for viewing the endangered black rhino.
Shifting sand: This extraordinary black dune which is composed of volcanic ash from Ol’doinyo Lenkai is blown slowly westwards across the plains at the rate of approximately 100 meters in six years.
Lake Natron: Is located outside NCA to the northeast, and is the biggest breeding ground in East Africa for flamingos. The lake is typically alkaline and it is the main source of food for flamingos.
Lake Manyara
Lies in a shallow depression at the base of the eastern branch of the Rift Valley, backed by the red and brown cliffs of the escarpment to the west. This park is dominated by the Lake and the beautiful cool lushness of the mature groundwater forest. Primates including baboons, blue and vervet monkeys are among the most dominant mammalian species in the park. Other animal species found here are elephants, buffaloes, impalas, wildebeests, hippos, giraffes, and zebras. Also, lions can be seen, sometimes stretching in the branches of the Acacias.
Accommodation: Lodges and a campsite are available inside the park.
Activities: Game drive, cultural tours, mountain bike tours, abseiling and forest walks on the escarpment outside the park.
The Best Time: Dry season(July-October) for large mammals. Wet season((November-June) for bird watching, the waterfalls, and canoeing.
MOUNTAIN TREKS
Kilimanjaro Mountain
Mt. Kilimanjaro 5895 meters above sea level is the highest mountain in Africa. It is one of the world’s largest free-standing mountains. M.t Kilimanjaro ecosystem comprises of five major ecological zones as follows, lower slopes, mountainous forests, heath and moorland, alpine desert, and the summit.
The Park can be reached by flying into KIA and driving through Moshi, although there are various options to climb to the snow-peaked dome of Mt. Kilimanjaro, most hikers use Marangu Trail, which is climbable without special equipment. Other routes include Machame, Umbwe, Mweka, Rongai, Shira Plateau (Londorosi Gate), Great Western Breach, Mawenzi Peak and Summit circuits. Tents are used for accommodation on all these routes. Any physically fit person from a 13-year-old to an 80-year elderly can climb this world’s heritage mountain site to the top. The minimum number of days to reach the summit is 5 days spending 4 nights.
Accommodation: Huts & Campsites on the mountain. Several hotels and campsites outside the park
Best Time: Warmest conditions from December-February & Colder conditions from July-September.
Mount Meru
The second highest mountain in Tanzania with less snow. Since it is an active volcanic mountain, it is composed of both lava flows and pyroclastic materials. . Most alpines climb this mountain for acclimatization purposes before their Kilimanjaro bid. It takes three days to climb Mount Meru, but one extra day for acclimatization is recommended before climbing. The beautiful flora and fauna can be viewed on the way top. Animals like buffalos, klipspringers antelopes, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, leopards, waterbucks, hyenas, including black and white colobus, vervets, and blue monkeys are among other common animals in the park. Several species of birds (more than 400 species) inhabit Ngurdoto Crater and Momela Lakes. Birds include pink & black
Mount Oldonyo Lengai
Rises about 2,100 meters above the East African Rift Valley floor to a height of approximately 2,880 m. The name Ol’doinyo Lenkai which means Mountain of God originates from the Ngorongoro Maasai language. Many tourists visit and climb this mountain which is located in Northern Tanzania every year. It needs much determination to climb because of the steep walking. However, climbing Ol’doinyo Lenkai doesn’t require technical skills to get to the peak.
SOUTHERN CIRCUIT
Mikumi National Park
Lying astride the main highway from Dar es Salaam through Morogoro is the third largest park in Tanzania. The park is rich in wildlife and animals like buffaloes, lions, wildebeests, zebras, impalas, warthogs and elephants can easily be seen all year round. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded, some of which are Eurasian migrants. Some reptiles such as crocodiles, monitor lizards, and pythons are also residents in the park.
Accommodation: Mikumi Wildlife Lodge and Mikumi Tented Camp offer good accommodation and food.
Activities: Game drives and guided walks.
Best Time: Accessible year around.
Selous Game Reserve
Is 490 km. south-west of Dar es salaam and it takes about 40 minutes to fly to the reserve from Dar es Salaam or 4 hours by TAZARA. It contains some of Africa’s largest and most important populations of elephants, buffaloes, and hunting dogs. Other large mammals that are found there include Roosevelt’s sable (rarely seen), rhinos, hippos, giraffes, elands, sable antelopes, white-faced wildebeest, waterbucks, warthogs, leopards, and lions (which are darker in color than their cousins in the northern circuits). The Selous male lions also have short, almost punk-like manes, very different from other lions in Africa.
Ruaha National Park
Lies in the central part of Tanzania just west of Iringa town is also the second largest elephant sanctuary in the country, next to Selous Game Reserve. The area also contains a wide variety of animals that includes the Ruaha special – Greater and Lesser Kudu, Roan, and Sable antelopes. Other game animals found here are large herds of buffaloes and elephants. The exciting Great Ruaha River harbors/contains a large number of hippos and crocodiles. During the dry season, the river attracts great numbers of wildlife species; giraffes, warthogs, elands, zebras, wildebeests, impala, water-bucks, roan, antelopes, and elands. In the plains, ostriches, cheetahs, and grants gazelles can be seen.
Accommodation: Riverside lodge; tented camps; bandas & campsite.
Activities: Day walks or hiking safaris through the untouched bush.
Best Time: Mid-May-December for predators and large mammals while January-April for lush scenery and wildflowers. The male greater kudu is most visible in June.
WESTERN CIRCUIT
Mahale National Park
It Lies South of Kigoma town on a peninsula that cuts out into Lake Tanganyika. The park vegetation is mainly Miombo woodland with narrow strips of river forests. It forms a suitable habitat for a variety of animal species e.g. elephants, warthogs, giraffes, zebra roan antelopes, buffaloes, hyenas, wild dogs, and lions in the eastern woodland. There is a small guesthouse near Kasiha village and a luxury tented camp, which only operates during the dry season (May-October).
Accommodation: Seasonal guesthouses, campsites, and luxury tented camps operate during the dry season(May to October).
Activities: Chimp tracking; hiking; camping safaris.
Best Time: May-October(the dry season).
Gombe National Park
Gombe Stream National Park is located outside Kigoma town about 16 kilometers north in the western part of Tanzania. The park is a narrow strip of mountainous country bordered by the crest of the African Rift Valley walls to the east and Lake Tanganyika to the west the deepest lake in Africa. The Park accommodates varieties of primates the major ones are the Chimpanzee (more than 150 are recorded), others include bushbucks, vervet monkeys, baboons, colobus, and bushpigs.
Accommodation: luxury tented lodge, guest house, and campsites available on the shore.
Activities: chimpanzee trekking; hiking, swimming/snorkeling; visiting the site of Henry Stanley’s famous.
Best Time: July-October and late December as it gives the opportunity to view the chimps.
Katavi National Park
The biggest National Park in Tanzania in terms of its Biomass is the second after Serengeti. The park offers a game view of wild animals like elephants, hippopotamus, topi, crocodiles, giraffes, hartebeest, sable, roan, water-buck, reed-buck, and herds of African Buffalo. It also has a large number of mice at the edge of the Chada flood plain. The park displays a pleasant scenario as you land at Katavi aerodrome. You can see animals at the Katisunga flood plain. Apart from its beautiful flora, Katavi has a large number of predators such as hyenas, lions, and leopards and it is home to flocks of birds (400 species approx).
Accommodation: Bandas and campsites are available in the park.
Activities: Walking, driving, and camping safaris.
Best Time: May-October(the dry season).