National Parks in Northern Circuit Tanzania
National parks in Northern circuit tanzania : Tanzania is recognized as the foremost global wildlife safari destination, featuring four distinct wildlife safari tour circuits, each possessing unique beauty and allure. Tanzania, renowned as a prominent tourism destination, boasts 22 national parks throughout the country, providing visitors with the option to engage in a diverse array of activities beyond a singular safari circuit. The circuits comprise the northern circuit, southern circuit, western circuit, and eastern safari circuit, with the northern Tanzania safari circuit being the most exhilarating and well-established for tourists. Alternative circuits are also well-established; nevertheless, they cannot rival the northern circuit.
Tanzania’s renowned “Northern Circuit” safari encompasses national parks, wildlife reserves, conservation zones and exquisite accommodations, providing some of the most varied safari experiences globally.
Tarangire National Park is the southernmost tourist destination in this varied and remarkable safari region. Safari participants will also gain access to several renowned parks and significant tourist sites, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Oldupai Gorge, Lake Natron, Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, Mount Meru, Arusha National Park, and Lake Manyara, all situated within a compact geographical region. Tanzania’s northern safari circuit has six renowned national parks that are contiguous and provide diverse attractions, facilitating the seamless integration of tourism packages among them. The national parks in Tanzania’s northern circuit include Kilimanjaro National Park, Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the renowned Serengeti National Park.
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park, the nearest national park to Arusha town, the safari center of northern Tanzania, is a multifaceted gem frequently disregarded by safari enthusiasts, although providing the chance to investigate a captivating variety of habitats within a few hours.
Day Tour to Arusha National Park
The entrance gate opens into a gloomy montane forest populated by curious blue monkeys, vibrant turacos and trogons — the one location on the northern safari circuit where the fast-running black-and-white colobus monkey may be readily observed. The magnificent Ngurdoto Crater is situated within the forest, characterized by its sheer, rocky cliffs that encircle a broad marshy expanse populated by herds of buffalo and warthogs.
To the north, meandering grassy hills surround the peaceful attractiveness of the Momela Lakes, each exhibiting a distinct shade of green or blue. Its shallows, occasionally suffused with pink from the numerous flamingos, host a diverse array of resident and migratory waterfowl, while shaggy waterbucks exhibit their prominent lyre-shaped horns around the watery peripheries. Giraffes traverse the grassy slopes amidst herds of grazing zebras, while couples of wide-eyed dik-diks scurry into the scrubby underbrush like elongated hares on slender legs.
While elephants are rare in Arusha National Park and lions are entirely absent, leopards and spotted hyenas can be observed prowling between the early morning and late afternoon. At dack and sunrise, the cloud cover on the eastern horizon is most likely to dissipate, unveiling the magnificent snow-capped summits of Kilimanjaro, located about 50 km (30 miles) away.
But it is Mount Meru, Kilimanjaro’s less prominent counterpart and the fifth tallest peak in Africa at 4,566 meters (14,990 feet) above sea level, that predominates the park’s skyline. Meru, with its summits and eastern foothills safeguarded within the national park, provides exceptional vistas of its renowned neighbor and serves as a gratifying hiking destination in its own right.
The ascent of Meru begins in a wooded savannah, often inhabited by buffalos and giraffes, and progresses into forests adorned with red-hot pokers and draped in Spanish moss, ultimately culminating in expansive heathland punctuated by huge lobelias. Perpetual flowers adhere to the alpine desert, while delicately-hoofed klipspringers indicate the advancement of the walk. Kilimanjaro rises prominently from the rugged peaks, illuminated by the dawn’s light.
Lake Manyara National Park
Extending over 50 kilometers at the base of the rust-colored 600-meter high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a picturesque treasure, with a landscape praised by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.”
Three-Day Camping Safari in Tanzania to Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Manyara
The concise game-viewing circuit in Manyara provides a miniature representation of the Tanzanian safari experience. The road meanders from the entrance gate through a verdant groundwater forest, where large troops of baboons recline casually along the roadside, blue monkeys dart agilely among the ancient mahogany trees, delicate bushbucks navigate cautiously through the shadows, and large forest hornbills emit raucous calls from the upper canopy.
The grassy floodplain, with its broad vistas to the east over the alkaline lake, sharply contrasts with the forest’s intimacy, revealing the rugged blue volcanic peaks that ascend from the boundless Maasai Steppes. Vast herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras gather on these grassy plains, along with giraffes—some so dark in hue that they seem black from afar.
A short strip of acacia woodland, situated inland from the floodplain, is the preferred habitat of Manyara’s renowned tree-climbing lions and remarkably tusked elephants. Groups of banded mongooses swiftly navigate the acacias, while the small Kirk’s dik-dik forages beneath their shade. Pairs of klipspringer are frequently observed silhouetted on the rocks above a field of scalding hot springs that steam and bubble near the lakeshore in the southernmost region of the park.
Manyara offers an ideal introduction to the avifauna of Tanzania. Over 400 species have been documented, and even a novice visitor to Africa may easily anticipate sighting 100 of these during a single day. Notable features encompass numerous pink-hued flamingos during their continuous migration, with other sizable waterbirds including pelicans, cormorants, and storks.
Tarangire National Park
Continuous days with unclouded skies. The relentless sun extracts moisture from the terrain, rendering the soil a parched red, while the desiccated grass becomes as fragile as straw. The Tarangire River has diminished to a mere remnant of its wet season form. However, it is congested with fauna. Thirsty nomads have traversed hundreds of arid kilometers, aware that water is consistently available here. Two-Day Lodge Safari in Tanzania to Tarangire and Ngorongoro
Hordes of up to 300 elephants excavate the arid riverbed for subterranean streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, impalas, gazelles, hartebeests and elands congregate around the diminishing lagoons. It is the most significant concentration of species outside the Serengeti habitat, providing an abundance of prey for predators, and the sole location in Tanzania where dry-country antelope, such as the elegant fringe-eared oryx and the unusual long-necked gerenuk, are frequently sighted.
During the wet season, the seasonal visitors disperse throughout a 20,000 sq km (12,500 sq miles) area until they deplete the verdant plains, prompting a return to the river. However, Tarangire’s herds of elephants are readily observable, regardless of the season. The perpetually green marshes are home to 550 bird species, representing the highest number of breeding species in a single environment globally.
In arid terrain, one encounters the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird globally; the stocking-thighed ostrich, the largest bird in the world; and small groups of ground hornbills, which exhibit behavior reminiscent of turkeys. Passionate avian enthusiasts may observe the screeching flocks of the vividly hued yellow-collared lovebird, the comparatively subdued rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling, all indigenous to the arid savannah of north-central Tanzania. Abandoned termite mounds are frequently inhabited by colonies of the charming dwarf mongoose and couples of red-and-yellow barbets, which attract attention with their noisy, mechanical duets. In Tarangire, pythons ascend trees, as do lions and leopards, resting on branches where the fruit of the sausage tree conceals the movement of a tail.
Serengeti National Park
One million wildebeest, each propelled by an ancient instinct, participate in the inevitable cycle of life: a tumultuous three-week period of territorial disputes and mating; survival of the fittest as 40 km (25 miles) long columns traverse crocodile-infested waters during the annual northern migration; rejuvenating the species in a fleeting population surge that yields over 8,000 calves daily before the 1,000 km (600 miles) journey recommences. Four-Day Lodge Safari in Tanzania to Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro
The Serengeti, Tanzania’s oldest and most renowned national park, is a World Heritage Site and has recently been designated a World Wonder. It is celebrated for its annual migration, during which approximately six million hooves traverse the open plains, as over 200,000 zebras and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelles accompany the wildebeests in search of fresh grazing grounds. Even during periods of migration inactivity, the Serengeti provides possibly the most captivating game-viewing in Africa, featuring vast herds of buffalo, smaller assemblages of elephants and giraffes, and countless eland, topi, kongoni, impala, and Grant’s gazelle.
The confrontation between predator and prey prevails in Tanzania’s premier park. Pride of golden-maned lions indulge in the plentiful supply of grassland herbivores. Isolated leopards inhabit the acacia trees bordering the Seronera River, whilst a substantial population of cheetahs roams the southeastern plains. All three African jackal species are present here, in addition to the spotted hyena and various elusive small predators, including the insectivorous aardwolf and the elegant serval cat.
But the Serengeti encompasses more than just huge mammals. Vibrant agama lizards and rock hyraxes engage in skirmishes on the surfaces of the park’s secluded granite kopjes. One hundred varieties of dung beetles and over 500 bird species have been documented, including the large ostrich and the peculiar secretary bird of the open grasslands, as well as the black eagles that glide easily above the Lobo Hills.
The game-viewing experience is as enduring as the expansive sense of freedom that defines the Serengeti Plains, extending across sunbaked savannah to a glimmering golden horizon at the earth’s edge. Subsequent to the rains, this golden stretch of grass metamorphoses into an infinite green carpet adorned with wildflowers. Additionally, there exist forested slopes and imposing termite mounds, rivers bordered by fig trees, and acacia woodlands tinged orange by dust. Despite its popularity, the Serengeti is so expansive that you may find yourself the sole observer when a pride of lions orchestrates a hunt, singularly intent on securing its next meal.
Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro. The name is an enigma shrouded in ambiguity. It may signify Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness, or Mountain of Caravans. Alternatively, it may not. The indigenous Wachagga people lack a designation for the entire massif, referring only to the prominent snowy peak as Kipoo (now known as Kibo), which majestically dominates the landscape as Africa’s highest peak. 9 days and 8 nights Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
Kilimanjaro, regardless of its designation, symbolizes the captivating allure of East Africa. Upon observation, comprehension ensues. It is the highest peak in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain globally, ascending dramatically from a surrounding savannah elevation of approximately 900 meters to an imposing 5,895 meters above sea level (19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is among the most accessible high peaks globally, attracting travelers from all over the world. The majority of climbers attain the crater rim equipped solely with a walking stick, appropriate attire, and resolve. Individuals who attain Uhuru Point, the true summit, Stella Point, or Gillman’s Point near the crater’s rim will receive their climbing credentials. And their recollections.
But Kilimanjaro encompasses far more than its apex. The climb of the slopes represents a simulated global climatic journey, spanning from the tropics to the Arctic. Prior to crossing the national park boundary (about 2700m), the farmed foothills transition into verdant montane forest, home to elusive elephants, leopards, buffalo, the rare Abbot’s duiker, as well as several small antelope and monkeys. The moorland zone, situated at a higher elevation, features a blanket of gigantic heather interspersed with otherworldly giant lobelias. Above 4,000 meters, a bizarre alpine desert sustains minimal life, primarily consisting of resilient mosses and lichens. Subsequently, the final remnants of flora yield to a winter landscape of ice and snow, showcasing the breathtaking splendor of the continent’s summit.
Mkomazi National Park
The region was suggested for elevation to National Park status to restore wildlife populations and protect their habitat from incompatible usage.
“Mkomazi” derives from the Pare vernacular, spoken by one of the largest tribes in the Kilimanjaro Region of Northern Tanzania, signifying “The source of water.” As the name suggests, the sole permanent and dependable water source in Mkomazi National Park is the Umba River, which delineates the southeastern limit of the protected region.
The National Park was established as a Game Reserve in 1951 after the decommissioning of the somewhat larger Ruvu Game Reserve.
It was designated as a Game Reserve to conserve both flora and fauna while utilizing them sustainably through tourism, game hunting, and wildlife observation.
Tourist attractions: A diverse array of fauna and flora, featuring the sole protected area in Tanzania with a substantial and prominent population of Gerenuk.
Endangered species, specifically the Black Rhino and Wild Dogs.
A substantial population of large and small mammals, including wild cats, silver-backed jackals, lions, cheetahs, leopards, lesser kudu, giraffes, Grant’s gazelles, hyenas, hartebeests, warthogs, buffaloes, elephants, and zebras.
Reptiles: Crocodiles in the Umba River, Pythons, and Agama Lizards.
Bird species: Over 450 species of birds, including Tawny Eagles, Go-away Birds, Ostriches, Parrots, Pelicans, Cormorants, The bird, Kingfishers, Plovers, Ducks, Hoopoes, and numerous additional species.