Our Destinations

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Tanzania's ‘Northern Circuit’ is the term which defines the areas of the sprawling Serengeti , the stunning landscape of the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangireand Lake Manyara national parks – the most famous safaris areas in Tanzania.

For a quieter experience, Tanzania’s southern parks offer unspoiled wilderness areas dotted with a smaller number of safari camps. The lakes and waterways of Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous) offer magical boating safaris, while Ruaha’s rugged terrain is excellent for walking safaris is home to a very strong population of lions.

Nearer to Africa’s heart, Western Tanzania is harder to reach, so few visitors come, but two parks are amazing. Katavi National Park protects a vast plain: the battleground for buffalo and lion, whilst an hour’s flight away, the spectacular Mahale Mountainsrise sheer from the shores of Lake Tanganyika – providing probably the best place to track wild chimpanzees in Africa.

Lush and tropical, Tanzania’s coast & Islands are the venue for simple beach retreats to luxurious lodges – with the odd private island included.

The Serengeti's endless, open plains, scattered with rocky kopjes, are home to astonishing quantities of wildlife.

The vast and beautiful Serengeti is  one of Africa's most awe-inspiring safari areas. The sheer volume of  animals here is extraordinary: estimates suggest around one million  wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of zebra and Thomson's gazelle, and  tens of thousands of impala, Grant's gazelle, topi, hartebeest, eland  and other antelopes live here – all hunted by the predators for which  these plains are famous.

Some of these animals resides  permanently in home areas, which are excellent for safaris all year  round. But most of the wildebeest and good numbers of other species are  permananently on the move in the 'Great Migration' – a remarkable  spectacle that is one of the greatest wildlife shows on earth. If you  plan carefully, it's still possible to witness this in wild and remote  areas without too many fellow enthusiasts crowding the scene.

Ngorongoro Crater & Conservation Area:

Like the Grand Canyon, nothing can quite prepare you for the moment you first stare into the Ngorongoro Crater. 

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site  in 1978, the Ngorongoro Crater has easily earned its fabled reputation  as one Africa's greatest natural wonders. The habitats on the crater  floor are diverse, the wildlife varied and the concentration of animals  is especially dense.

Short-grass plains thrive on the  mineral-rich soil of the bowl’s floor, providing nutritious grazing for  numerous herbivores. These large, mixed herds in turn attract an  impressive density of predators.

The variety of flora and fauna  is so impressive here that rewarding sightings can be had almost  anywhere: from the flamingo-fringed waters of Magadi soda lake to the  leopard-frequented yellow fever trees of Lerai Forest. The only  surprising absentees from the crater floor are giraffe and impala, but  that is more than compenstaed for by good populations of eastern black  rhino, large elephant herds and improving numbers of cheetahs.

There  is no accommodation inside the Ngorongoro Crater itself, but you can  access the crater floor from the lodges and camps dotted around the  crater rim and further to the south on the Rift Valley escarpment  slopes. Some of the lodges and camps overlooking the crater floor have  spectacular views, but it's also worth considering their proximity to  the crater’s entry points. The lodges and camps scattered further afield  all make comfortable bases, and many are uniquely designed and full of  character.

The various walking options in the Ngorongoro  Conservation Area and around nearby Olduvai Gorge offer further, strong  lures for visiting this area. Hiking areas include the Empakaai and  Olmoti craters, both of which have breathtaking panoramic views. One of  the world’s most important prehistoric sites, Olduvai Gorge, offers  fascinating insights into the early species of human-like hominim who  once lived there. 

Tarangire National Park:

Famous for its baobabs and massive elephant herds, Tarangire shows its quieter side in the park's southern half. 

Tarangire National Park covers an undulating area of 2,600km2,  between the plains of the Maasai Steppe to the south-east, and the  lakes of the Great Rift Valley to the north and west. The northern part  of Tarangire is dominated by the perennial Tarangire River, which flows  through increasingly incised ravines until it leaves the north-western  corner of the park to flow into Lake Burungi. In the south are a series  of vast swamps which dry into verdant plains during the dry season.

Although Tarangire is one of only four parks on Tanzania's sometimes busy  'northern circuit', it is often either missed out, or given less than 24  hours, by the many relatively cursory mini-bus tours. This means that  few visitors go beyond the park's busy northern area, where the majority  of camps and lodges are located.

If you decide to come to  Tarangire, then we recommend spending a few days  in the south of the  park, which gets few visitors and retains a real air of wilderness.

Lake Manyara National Park:

A relatively small but habitat-rich park, Lake Manyara is spectacularly beautiful and too often overlooked.

The park covers an area of around 330  square kilometres, much of which is the lake itself. It's often visited  as a day trip, en route to other destinations. Despite its relatively  modest size, though, Lake Manyara has a wide diversity of habitats,  mammals and birdlife, which can make a longer visit very worthwhile.

From  the bird-fringed waters of the soda lake, which are normally tinged  pink by the reflection of innumerable flamingos standing in its  shallows, to the grassy floodplains, the park teems with wildlife. Lions  lounge in trees; leopards prowl the wooded slopes of the escarpment;  and huge troops of baboons shake the forest canopy or forage through the  bush like an army in search of tasty morsels.

Several camps and  lodges offer a range of activities, from night drives and bush walks to  bike riding and a treetop walkway. If you head south towards the park’s  southern boundary, you're likely to have the park to yourself as  excursion vehicles are rarely reach these parts.

While the  accommodation in the park is expensive, in compensation it can be  convenient for quieter wildlife-viewing. However, if you're looking for a  more economical option, there's a good range of accommodation outside  the park that is close enough to the main entrance gate to allow quick  access for a day of rewarding exploration. Accommodation along the top  of the Rift Valley escarpment offers the bonus of spectacular views over  the park. 

Lake Natron:

Nestled between rolling volcanic hills and deep craters, Lake Natron occupies the lowest point of the Rift Valley.

This spectacular area sits just north east of the Ngorongoro Crater and forms part of Africa's immense Great Rift Valley.

This  area is hot and often very dry and dusty – so certainly for the more  intrepid traveller. But for those who do choose to visit Natron, they  are rewarded with an area that is far off the beaten track and sees  relatively little tourism. It is also some of the most dramatic scenery  we have seen in Tanzania and the journey here is worth it for the views  alone.

The drive to Lake Natron takes around three hours from Mto  wa Mbu (beside Lake Manyara). It is hot but with the Rift Valley rising  up on your left hand side, the landscape is increasingly dramatic. You  will soon focus on the scenery: looking around, the views are  spectacular. Drive deeper, and green vegetation gives way to a sparse,  dusty landscape. Only the occasional Maasai homestead now dots the  landscape.

To the north of this track stands a handful of great  mounds – the remains of extinct volcanoes. These are soon dwarfed by the  sight of Kerimasi Crater and, finally, the active Oldoinyo Lengai –  whose name means “mountain of god" in the Maasai language. To finally  reach Lake Natron, you drive around this imposing volcano – perhaps  keeping your eyes on its smoking crown.

It's about a five-hour drive from Lake Natron to reach the safari camps of the Serengeti's Loliondo area. 

Arusha:

The busy safari hub and commercial town of Arusha stands in the foothills of Mount Meru at an altitude of 1,500 metres.

Although not usually a destination in  itself, Arusha is the most popular and convenient springboard from which  to explore Tanzania's iconic northern safari parks.

In Arusha  practically everything centers on the safari industry. Over the last 50  years, it has grown from Tanzania's ninth largest town to its second  city, with a population of more than 400,000.

Apart from shopping  for curios, there are not many things in Arusha to occupy a visitor's  time. That said, less than an hour from town is the most accessible and  arguably most underrated of northern Tanzania's national parks – Arusha National Park.

Arusha  National Park is often overlooked by travellers rushing to the more  famous sights of the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. However, with a  little time, Arusha National Park offers some lovely walking in the  foothills of Mount Meru and canoeing on the Momela Lakes, plus gentle  game drives. If you have the time it is well worth a day or two.