The drive is straightforward on a surfaced road drive which takes you within 7 km (4 miles) of the main entrance gate of Tarangire. There are also charter flights available from Arusha and The Serengeti.
There are various guided walking safaris to enjoy as well as day trips to Villages. Additionally, there are hundreds of ancient rock paintings in the vicinity, on the Dodoma Road to marvel at if time allows.
This is a superb national park to visit all year round, however, visiting between June to September gives you access to a huge variety of animals. The weather is usually clear blue, cloudless sky with a hot sun that bakes the earth into a dusty red and withers the grass to a shade of pale yellow. The Tarangire River and its surrounding area is home to a huge array of exciting wildlife because it offers an excellent watering-hole to quench the animals’ thirst.
You will see amazing herds of animals including elephants, migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelles, hartebeest and eland. It is the greatest concentration of wildlife existing outside of The Serengeti National Park. This area is the only place in Tanzania where you’ll see the fringe-eared oryx and long-necked gerenuk (members of the dry-country antelope family) as they gather to drink water from the Tarangire River. Other animals include the Dwarf Mongoose, Red and Yellow Barbet and Tarangire’s Pythons. This National Park is also a good siting area for Lions and Leopards who prowl the savannah looking for prey.
The swampland in Tarangire is home to 550 bird varieties and is heaven on earth for avid bird watchers; it is the largest habitat for breeding species in the whole world! Move over to dry ground and you’ll see the black and white Kori Bustard. This bird is the heaviest flying bird, male birds weighing in between 7 and 18 kg (15 and 40 lb) and standing up to 150 cm (4 ft 11 in). The drier ground is also home to the stocking-thighed ostrich, this is known to be the world’s largest bird and also see the ground Hornbills. This dry savannah area is also home to the Yellow-Collared Lovebird, the Rufous-Tailed Weaver and Ashy Starling.
A safari around the Northern Tanzania Circuit follows a popular safari route.
Optional Activities in Northern Tanzania.