Parks in North Tanzania

North Tanzania is home to some of the world’s most famous national parks, including the Serengeti, Arusha, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Tarangire. These parks offer an unparalleled chance to see some of the most impressive wild animals in their natural habitat, including lions, elephants, giraffes and zebras. This area is also where the biggest yearly migration of wildebeests takes place; a breathtaking natural spectacle.

Tarangire National Park

This park is the home of primarily elephants. Tarangire NP is often very dry; the vegetation is green, with mostly elephant grass and vast areas with acacia forests. It is part of the bigger ecosystem which is why different animals can be found here, depending on the season.
Besides herds of elephants there are, among others, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, buffalo, giraffes, kudus, leopards and lions. In Tarangire NP, there also live more than 500 species of birds.

Arusha National Park

This park is small and very diverse with a tropical forest and savanna. The large height difference because of Mount Meru, the ‘little brother’ of the Kilimanjaro, results in a wide variety of ecosystems. Arusha NP is well known for the large number of grazers that live there, like waterbucks, dikdiks and giraffes. In addition, you can also find black and white fringe monkeys here. Arusha NP is very suitable to do a hike safari with a guide.

Lake Manyara National Park

From the entrance, through an open rainforest, via the savanna to the lake… Because of the constant presence of water and the wide variety of flora, there is a wide variety of fauna as well. In Lake Manyara NP there are e.g. baboons, hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, giraffes and flamingos to be found. It is also possible to go on a bike ride in this area.

Ngorongoro Crater

The NCAA (Ngorongoro Conservation Authority Area) is named after the biggest crater in this area, the Ngorongoro crater. This crater is the biggest intact caldera in the world. The volcanic remains probably formed 2 to 3 million years ago from a volcano that must have been about 5 kilometres (16404 feet) high. The western part is included in the ecosystem of Serengeti and the northwest, where the excavation area Oldupai Gorge is located. NCAA is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

NCAA is not only a national park, it is also a so-called protected area. This means that animals and humans live there alongside each other. To protect the area, there are restrictions in place when it comes to the livestock that the Maasai are allowed to raise there and the amount of time tourists are allowed into the area. During your visit, you will definitely see lions, zebras, wildebeests, hippos and flamingos. It is also one of the only places in Tanzania where back rhinos live. They are, however, very shy and probably only visible from a long distance away.

Serengeti National Park

`Serengeti’ is the Maasai word for ‘endless plain’ and this is absolutely TRUE!
This park is well known for the biggest migration of more than 1,5 million wildebeests and 500,000 zebras (see Serengeti Migration on this website). But Serengeti NP has so much more to offer. There are big herds of animals like elephants, impalas and giraffes. In addition, there are acacia forests and extraordinary rock formations (so-called kopjes). Every season has its own spectacular colour. In the dry season, the grass is yellow and the cheetahs and lions are easy to spot. In the wet season the grass is green and wildebeests and zebras can be seen in large numbers.

Lake Eyasi

This is a seasonal shallow salt lake in the Great Rift Valley. It is situated south of Serengeti NP and southwest of the Ngorongoro crater.
The landscape of Lake Eyasi differs greatly from the surrounding areas, as it looks downright tropical. The lake is surrounded by palm trees and serves as a home for birds like Fischer’s lovebirds. Other trees that you encounter in this area are the acacia with their thorn parasol and paperbushes. The weather is warmer and more intense here because the lake is situated at the bottom of the Rift Valley, between two gorges that belong to the oldest in the world. The Hadzabe and Datoga tribes live in this area. A visit to them, where they show you how they live and hunt, is definitely worth it.

Lake Natron

This is a salt lake at the foot of the active Ol Donyo Lengai Vulcano (Maasai word for ‘Mountain of God’). The area around Lake Natron is often described as beautiful in a desolate, almost moonlike way. It is the most important breeding ground for flamingos in the world.

Mkomazi National Park

Mkomazi National Park is a beautiful nature reserve in the northeast of Tanzania, at the foot of the Usambara en Pare mountains. A sprawling expanse of savannas, acacia forests and mountainous terrain span the area. It is the home of a wide variety of flora and fauna, under which endangered animals like the black rhino and African wild dogs. Visitors can enjoy exciting safari tours to spot lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras and countless species of birds. The conservation and protection of this area play a crucial role in the protection of the biodiversity of Tanzania and offer an unforgettable experience for nature lovers and adventures.