Resting at the foot of Mount Meru, the sprawling city of Arusha is known as the safari capital of northern Tanzania. It serves as an excellent base from which to explore the remarkably scenic surrounding area which includes majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as the Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. Arusha is a good spot to take a day or two off from the safari circuit as it features a temperate climate and lush surrounds. Visitors can look forward to exploring the wildlife-abundant Serengeti National Park; the magnificent Arusha National Park; and taking on the challenge of climbing Mount Meru, Africa’s fifth highest mountain.
Bordering the Lake Manyara National Park in the Arusha Region of Tanzania, the village of Mto wa Mbu lies the East African Rift Valley. It serves as a convenient stopover for tourists visiting the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park. Visitors can look forward to an authentic cultural experience which could include visiting a traditional home, sampling banana beer, enjoying a delicious Tanzanian meal, and browsing the weekly Maasai Market. The village is set within two wildlife corridors and a variety of animals can be spotted in the area. Look out for giraffe, elephant, hippo, wildebeest, baboon, zebra, and monkey. Other popular activities include walking, hiking, and biking tours.
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 the area and move 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. A number of small campsites provide accommodation and visitors can enjoy hot air balloon trips and walking safaris as well as guided game drives.
Not to be confused with the Kenyan lake of the same name set only a hundred kilomtres away, the Tanzanian Lake Magadi is an exquisite soda lake in the Ngororongo crater, named the Swahili word for salt. This is a wonderful destination for nature photographers, a scene that changes exquisitely through the seasons, moving through lush greens into striking oranges and bright pinks. Along with the changes come captivating, changing groups of animals including rhino, eland and lion, as well as golden jackals who come to hunt the flamingos. Spread over 11.2 square kilometres, the lake cultivates a unique ecosystem with its blue-green algae, which nourishes the plants and small creatures here. The surrounding crater is filled with incredible other natural attractions and a much wider variety of wildlife.
