TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
The presence of vast open spaces, the Acacia savannas, the dramatic wildlife, the sandy river beds, the sausage trees, the changing seasons, the cool fresh mornings, the heat of mid-day, the day-long birdsong, the sound of crickets at night, the whooping call of hyena, the far distant roar of lion make Tarangire to be the best place to visit. From the wide-open plains in the north, south along the Acacia and baobab studded ridges and valleys of the Tarangire River, and across vast seasonal swamps, wildlife gathers in large numbers. This is the dry season refuge for an enormous swathe of southern Maasailand, and between July and November the wildlife here is extraordinary by any standards Africa-wide.
It has been estimated that at the height of the dry season in October the density of large animals -elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich, giraffe, eland etc. is second only to Ngorongoro Crater worldwide. This spectacle gathers around the scattered pools of permanent water along the Tarangire river bed, and also around Silale Swamp. Lion and leopard are frequently seen here as well. The huge baobab tree is characteristic of these savannas and have been described by naturalists as a complete ecosystem unto themselves; their nooks and crannies provide places for bee hives or are occupied by small mammals such as genet and civet cats, and their enormous flowers are pollinated by fruit bats. Many baobabs are hollow and have provided shelter for wandering bands of hunter-gatherers in the past.
Tarangire is one of the finest places in Tanzania to watch elephant and spending unhurried time in the presence of these intelligent giants, often from a vantage point at a waterhole or spring is one of the greatest pleasures of a wildlife safari- A favorite routine is to leave camp early with a picnic lunch and to select a spot overlooking the Tarangire River or a hinterland waterhole and watch wildlife come and go. It is also one of the few places in Tanzania, where one can find oryx, and more rarely gerenuk and both greater and lesser kudu, and even on occasions cape hunting Tarangire dogs. It is also a birder’s paradise with more resident breeding species than anywhere else in Tanzania.
Raptors are everywhere; from the masters of predation and soaring – the martial and bateleur eagles down to the tiny but vicious pygmy falcon
Activities
- Game driving,
- Walking safari by armed guard,
- Night game drive