Resting at the foot of Mount Meru, the city of Arusha is known as the gateway to northern Tanzania's safari circuit. It serves as an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding region, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Thanks to its elevation, Arusha enjoys a pleasant climate with moderate temperatures throughout the year. Visitors can explore the wildlife-rich Serengeti and Arusha National Parks or take on the challenge of climbing Mount Meru, Africa's fifth-highest mountain.
The northern Serengeti stuns with rolling hills, lush riverine forests and dramatic granite outcrops. It’s the hotspot from July to October, when wildebeest and zebras charge across the Mara River in epic crossings. But don’t get obsessed with just the crossings—this beautiful part of the park is packed with wildlife! From elephants and buffalo to leopard, zebra, eland and gazelle, there’s plenty to see. Birdwatching is a treat both around the camp and on game drives, and don’t miss a balloon safari for a breathtaking view.
The Seronera region, in the central Serengeti, is set directly on the Great Migration route, and offers excellent viewing of this incredible annual phenomenon, when countless wildebeest flood across the plains. While migratory game populations fluctuate seasonally, Seronera is still a wildlife hotspot at other times of the year, sheltering the Big Five, among many other species. Visitors can enjoy hot air balloon trips and walking safaris as well as guided game drives.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 metres from the crater floor, this natural amphitheatre measures 19.2 kilometres in diameter and 304²km in area. It is home to up to 30,000 animals, almost half of which are wildebeest and zebra. Buffalo, elephant, hippo, hyena, jackal, lion, ostrich, serval, warthog, bushbuck, eland, hartebeest, reedbuck, waterbuck and huge herds of both Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle are easily seen on the crater floor.
Highly underrated, yet bursting with a dense wildlife population, it won’t take you long to appreciate just why we love Tarangire. During the dry season (June to September) thousands of animals including elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, and the rarely seen oryx migrate from the dry Maasai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water.
Lion, leopard and other predators follow, so be sure to charge your camera battery and empty your memory stick as some unique moments are waiting to be captured. With dramatic landscapes dominated by baobab trees, an enormous elephant population and over 550 varieties of bird, Tarangire offers visitors excellent game viewing opportunities.
