Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is one of the largest parks in Tanzania occupying an area of 2,850 square kilometers 1,100 square miles. Its landscape is characterized by vast valleys, ridges and swamps. The vegetation is made of acacia woodland, baobab trees, Combretum woodland and seasonally flooded grassland. The vast grasslands and Baobab trees create a rugged, ‘Out of Africa’ feel that’s quite distinct among Tanzania’s national parks.

The park is also situated between the Masai steppe meadows to the South East and the Great Rift Valley lakes to the North and the West. The permanent River Tarangire is located in the Northern portion of Tarangire which is recognized as the park lifeline especially during the dry season when most of the region is completely dry.

Why visit Tarangire national park?

Tarangire has some of the highest elephant populations in Africa with herds up to 300 individuals. During peak migration from July to October, around 5,000 of these elephants will migrate to Tarangire. One can’t miss out big numbers of giraffes, elands, coke’s hartebeests, greater and lesser Kudu, Bohor reedbuck, buffaloes, Thompson’s gazelle, zebras, the rare gerenuk and fringe-eared oryx and a few black rhinos; leopards, lions, cheetahs and hyenas are also very common. There are over 545 bird species including lovebirds and the shy starlings among others.

Things to do in Tarangire national park

Game Viewing

Tarangire National Park is a must for game viewing. It tempts tourists with views of giraffes, cape buffalo, zebra, warthogs, blue monkeys, flamingo, elephants, lions, black and white colobus monkeys to name but a few.

Apart from wild animals, the birdlife in the forests of the park is amazing. You will see some of the hundred bird species recorded in the park. Common species in the Tarangire include hornbills, helmeted guinea fowl and more.

Nature Walks

Tarangire provides a good environment for evening or morning nature walks. It offers different trials that can lead you to numerous areas in the park for off the beaten path spots.

During nature walks tourists are assigned an armed ranger guide who is more informed of where to pass and the best areas to see wild animals. The guide gives detailed information and protects the group of visitors from aggressive animals.

Bird watching

Enjoy spotting a large batch of colorful and exclusive bird species. Over 550 different bird species are housed within the swamps that are spread all over Tarangire. For bird lovers, who find themselves taken up for a long period of time, this makes Tarangire a famous safari destination for you. Some off the popular species here include: the crested francolins, hoopoes, yellow necked spurfow, hornbills, guinea fowl, steppe eagles, brown parrots, the gigantic lappet-faced vulture, white-bellied go away bird, bateleur eagles, mousebirds, Kori bustards, yellow-collared lovebirds, bee-eaters, lilac breasted rollers, swifts, hammerkops, striped swallows and starlings.

Walking safaris

These safaris give you a more learning experience about the smaller animals within the bush land and a better way of spotting the animals at close range without disturbing them. Experience a better different world by taking a trip to a Masaai or Barabaig village with numerous ancient paintings, in neighborhood with Kolo on Dodoma Road.

Taking into consideration of what you are looking for in terms of wildlife and bird watching, you can travel to Tarangire National Park on your safari to Tanzania. The dry season offers you the best time to watch lots of animals which comes between June and September being the best time to go on a safari.

Cultural Experience

Cultural visits to the neighboring Maasai villages can also be arranged for those interested. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic pastoralist tribe who have worked alongside the wildlife of Tarangire for centuries. A Maasai boma is a collection of mud and thatched huts in which the whole tribe lives. This provides a welcome opportunity to see this fascinating way of life up close, from bristling beadwork and rhythmic song and dance displays to insights into Maasai customs and religion.

Many Tanzania safari lodges and camps offer cultural activities that often involve engagement with local Maasai guided walks led by senior tribal members can showcase traditional tracking methods and survival skills; other helpers elucidate the tribe’s relationship with their surroundings in the context of traditional Maasai culture and how tourism now supports their lifestyle. These localized experiences can enrich a Tarangire safari, providing a cultural complement to the core wildlife experience.

Where to stay in Tarangire national park?

Tarangire National Park accommodation varies from luxurious lodges to authentic tented camps and river-side bush cottages, catering for every pocket and whim, so that each Tanzania safari experience is as comfortable as it is spectacular. These safaris facilities include Kuro Tarangire, Swala Safari Camp and Oliver’s Camp, Mbali Mbali Tarangire River Camp, Tarangire Treetops and others

The best to visit Tarangire National Park

The best time to visit Tarangire National Park is during the dry season from June to October. These are the best months for wildlife due to migratory patterns, and the short grasses make game viewing even easier. The animals flock towards the Tarangire River for water, allowing for easy sightings.

In order to see the big herds of elephants, you’re required to visit the park towards the latter period of the dry season September or October.

November can be especially cheap, as it is out of peak season but tends to still be quite dry before the short rains hit. The low season, from late November to May, is great for bird watching as the area is wet, green and luscious.

How to access Tarangire national park?

Tarangire National Park is 120 km southwest as the bird flies from the city of Arusha. The drive from Arusha to Tarangire is 140 km along the A104, and takes three hours.

Arusha is the gateway to northern Tanzania, as it’s the closest city to Kilimanjaro International Airport. It’s used as a base by those heading on a Northern Circuit safari as well as those on their way to climb Kilimanjaro. Many visitors fly directly into Kilimanjaro International Airport, while others connect there through Dar Es Salaam or Nairobi.