8 Reasons Not to Miss a Visit at the Tarangire National Park: As the six largest park in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park remains as one of the most fascinating Tanzania Destinations that visitors need to visit during their Tanzania Safari in the Northern Safari Circuit.
Tarangire is most times forgotten by travelers mainly due to the more popular and more extensive parks like Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park that dominate the main safari route in Tanzania. Unbeknownst to many, tourists who barely give a second to visit Tarangire, miss out on the wildest park in the northern circuit of Tanzania. The giants of the animal and plant kingdoms – elephants and ancient baobab trees are the defining characteristics of Tarangire.
If you are looking for an off-the-beaten path destination in Tanzania, then Tarangire National Park is definitely the place to visit. Here is why:
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Game Drives Through Abundant Wildlife
Spotting wildlife is the main reason most travelers plan a safari adventure, after all it is an experience unlike any other to see animals freely roaming in their own habitat. That is why as a wildlife and nature enthusiast, you will be pleased to know that Tarangire has the largest population of elephants across northern Tanzania. There are also large numbers of zebras, giraffes, water buffalo, generuks, warthogs, as well as large predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas.
If your Tanzania Safari time coincides with the dry season (June to October), you will be able to see the bountiful abundance of wildlife. This is because the Tarangire River is the only permanent water source in the area, so it attracts plenty of wildlife all day long.
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Bird Watching
Tarangire National Park is home to over 500 species of birds including species endemic to that region alone. Some less than common birds in Tarangire include bateleurs eagles, Yellow-collared lover birds, hornbill, helmeted Guinea fowl, Kori bustards, pennant-winged nightjars, brown parrots, striped swallows and gigantic lappet-faced vultures among many others.
The best bird viewing places in Tarangire are the acacia glades, swamps and near the Tarangire River.
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Amazing Scenery
Along with the exciting prospects of enjoying close encounters with wildlife, taking in the mesmerizing scenery of Tarangire is an experience in itself. Picture around 500 square miles of woodlands, swamps and anthill-dotted plains, while majestic baobab trees gloriously dot the landscape.
Walking or driving through the undulating savannah plains makes you feel like you are in a picture – perfect African landscape. This means your camera will be busy clicking away for sure.
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Nature Guided Walks
Guided walks through Tarangire’s nature is one of the best ways to truly live in the safari experience, visit the park’s top attractions and explore the vast wilderness on foot and bask in the cool refreshing African breeze.
The nature guided walks are usually done in the morning and evening time, just in time to witness the famed African sunrise/sunset. The activity lasts around one to three hours, and you will be accompanied by an experienced tour guide.
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Space and Privacy
Since Tarangire is not usually a regular destination on the main safari route, it is for the most park, not as crowded as other parks like Serengeti and Ngorongoro. If you are lucky, you may not see any other vehicles for the hours you will explore different areas of the park.
The feeling of being alone in the wilderness in a private Africa safari is priceless, it makes your one-on-one with Mother Nature more intimate and makes for a more fulfilling safari experience. You could be having lunch as you watch elephants drenching themselves in the water while several giraffes take shade from the harsh sun.
This view only is complemented by the sounds of distant roars and high-pitched bird calls.
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Cultural Visits
Tarangire National Park is located not too far from the Masai Steep, so if you are interested in experience a cultural safari, you can visit the local Masai people – a famous tribe of nomadic pastoralists who you have most likely seen in postcards and images of local tribes in Tanzania.
You will recognize them by their flowing red and orange robes locally known as Shukas, in some cases they even perform their spectacular jumping dances as a way of welcoming visitors. While there, you will witness another side of life, outside of the boundaries of modern civilization.
You can support the locals by purchasing their crafts as cherished mementos of your time in the African bush.
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Budget-Friendly Option
If you don’t have the budget for a safari trip in Serengeti or Lake Manyara or Ngorongoro Crater, then Tarangire National Park is definitely the place to go. During peak season, costs for the Tanzania famous parks are usually high for an average traveler, so why not go for something cheaper.
The sightings are even more impressive since, during the dry season, thousands of animals from the Masai Steppe are flocking to the Tarangire River. In fact, late in the dry season, the park hosts the highest density of wildlife compared to just about anywhere on the whole continent.
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Time
Tarangire National Park can cater to not just your budget, but also your time and travel needs. It is one of the perfect parks you go for when the other popular parks are citing long waitlists and limited accommodation options.
Tarangire is also an excellent itinerary inclusion, like a part of a much bigger Tanzania Tour. For instance, you could spend two days doing game drives from dawn. On the third day, you are already back at Arusha preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, this saves you valuable time to savor exciting experience and your knowledge of the local areas.
After all, it is not every day you get to hop from one series of natural wonders to the next in a couple of days. Might as well use this time to enjoy every bit of it.
With all the above reasons, Tarangire National Park surely deserves a spot on your destination list. The park can easily be accessed by road or air. If you are going by road, the distance is about 114 km from Arusha Town, so it is less than 2 hours. During the rainy season, the streets in river valley and on the flood plains may be hard to pass.
For travelers who prefer flights, there are daily flights from Arusha Airport to Tarangire operated by private airline companies like Coastal Air