Tarangire National Park

Elephant above all. During the dry season the Tarangire River is the only permanent water across an enormous area of the Maasai Steppe, and herds of several hundred converge on it, which is a concentration few places in Africa can match. The park is also defined by its baobabs, many over a thousand years old, and it holds dry-country species such as fringe-eared oryx and gerenuk that occur almost nowhere else on the northern circuit.

June to October without much argument, and September and October in particular. As the surrounding steppe dries out, animals converge on the Tarangire River in numbers that rival the Serengeti, and the predator activity follows them. From November to May the rains disperse the herds well beyond the park boundary, and while the landscape is greener and the birding far stronger, general game viewing drops off noticeably. Many operators run Tarangire only as a day stop en route, so an overnight here puts you in the park at dawn when the crowds are still on the road.

Most itineraries allow a single day on the drive between Arusha and Ngorongoro, which is enough to see the northern circuits but misses much of the park. Two nights lets you reach the Silale swamp and the southern sectors, where visitor numbers fall away sharply and the game viewing is often better. If elephant are a priority, the extra night is well worth building into the schedule. If elephant are a priority, the extra night is well worth building into the schedule rather than treating the park as a stopover.

It is one of the strongest birding parks in Tanzania, with around 550 recorded species, among the highest counts in the country. The mix of river, seasonal swamp, acacia woodland and open steppe supports an unusual range, and the wet season from November to April brings migrants in force. Yellow-collared lovebird and ashy starling are both near-endemic to this part of Tanzania and are seen regularly. Yellow-collared lovebird and ashy starling are both near-endemic to this part of Tanzania and are seen regularly along the river.

The park lies about 120 kilometres south-west of Arusha, roughly two hours by road on good tarmac, and sits directly on the route toward Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. That position is why it appears on almost every northern circuit itinerary. Light aircraft also serve the Kuro airstrip inside the park, with connections from Arusha, the Serengeti and Zanzibar for those on shorter trips. Light aircraft also serve the Kuro airstrip inside the park, with connections from Arusha, the Serengeti and Zanzibar for those on shorter trips.

Not inside the national park itself, where walking is prohibited, but the private concessions bordering the park offer both walking safaris and night game drives. Several camps sit on those concessions specifically to provide activities the park does not permit. If either matters to you, choose your accommodation on that basis, because it cannot be arranged after arrival. Several camps sit on those concessions specifically to provide activities the park does not permit, so if walking or night drives matter to you, choose your accommodation on that basis before arrival rather than hoping to arrange it later.

It is a large seasonal wetland in the southern part of the park, several hours from the main gate, which holds water long after the surrounding country has dried. Buffalo gather there in very large herds, and lion follow them, so the game viewing can be exceptional. Because of the distance from the entrance, few day visitors reach it, which is precisely why an overnight stay in the south is worthwhile.

Extremely well, and it is usually the first stop on a northern circuit. Lake Manyara is about an hour away, Ngorongoro two to three hours further, and the Serengeti beyond that, so the four form a natural sequence. Many operators run Tarangire as a day en route, though giving it a night of its own significantly improves what you see, particularly in the dry season. Giving it a night of its own rather than a passing morning significantly improves what you see, particularly between June and October.