Tarangire National Park

Named after the ever-flowing Tarangire River which winds its way through this Park, Tarangire is famous for its large elephant population. Recorded birds number 550 varieties. Watch lionesses teach their young to hunt zebra along the river banks and look out for tell-tale leopard tails hanging from the thick branches of roadside trees. During the dry season (June to September), thousands of animals migrate from the dry Masai Steppe into Tarangire Park, knowing that here, always, they will find water.

We are forever enchanted by the luxury of “soft velvet” nights that Elspeth Huxley remembered at Tarangire, and its sky a warm conservancy whose great dome was encrusted with all the diamonds in the world, and all the scents in the world were there too, changing like currents in the sea.

Best Time to Visit

This Dry season from June to October is the best time for wildlife viewing. Large herds of animals migrate to the park from the surrounding areas. Animals are easier to spot because the vegetation is thinner and wildlife congregates around the Tarangire River when other water sources dry up. During the Wet season, November to May many animals migrate out of the park again, and wildlife viewing is not as good.

Wildlife

Herds of up to 300 elephants can be found, looking for underground streams in the dry riverbeds, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest, and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. Abandoned termite mounds often house mongoose colonies. Additionally, all the main predators are present, but because of thick vegetation, not spotted as often as in some of the other parks in northern Tanzania.

Activities

Game driving. The northern sector of the park has a good road network
Hiking with a guide in designed areas trips lasting anything from a couple of hours to several days
Balloon safari (an unrivalled experience, but expensive and somewhat dubious in its effects on nature. A nature-loving tourist avoids bread and circus games in the wild)