Top Attractions in Tanzania

Serengeti National Park: Serengeti National Park which has been a protected area since the 1940s covers an area of 14,763 square kilometers making it the largest national park in Tanzania. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized globally for its diversity and rich Ecosystem. The Serengeti is a wildlife haven as it is home to large mammals, large carnivores and herbivores. The Serengeti is known for offering great chances of seeing Lions as more than 3,000 lions live in the park’s Ecosystem.

Wildlife in Serengeti National Park includes the African Leopard, African Bush Elephant, Cheetah, African Buffalo, Black rhinoceros though these exist in few numbers, Spotted hyenas, Caracal, Serval, Honey badger, Striped hyena, Black-backed jackal, Banded mongoose, African wild dog, Common warthogs, Bat-eared fox, African civet, Aardvark, African wildcat, Common genet, Hyraxes, Cape hare, Crested porcupine, Impalas, Wildebeest, Gerenuk, Thomson’s gazelle, African striped weasel, Lesser Kudu, Dik-dik, Bushbuck, Golden Jackal, Olive baboons, Vervet monkeys, Klip Springer, Greater Kudu, Giraffes, Waterbuck, Grant’s gazelle, Topis, Oribi, Reedbuck, Common Eland, Hartebeest, East African oryx, Bohor reedbuck among others. The Serengeti is home to reptile species that include the Nile crocodile, African Python, Black mamba, Nile Monitor lizard, Jackson’s Chameleon and Black-necked spitting cobra. When it comes to game viewing Serengeti National Park is a top destination to visit while on safari in Tanzania.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Located in Northern Tanzania west of Arusha city, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the most popular safari destinations in Africa. The protected conservation area offers incredible wildlife sightings across the stunning and scenic Ngorongoro crater. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was named after the Ngorongoro crater which is a dramatic massive volcanic caldera situated within the conservation area and the largest unbroken caldera in the world. The conservation area is famously known for its abundant presence of wildlife throughout the year and is home to the Big Five in Tanzania.
The Ngorongoro crater conservation area is home to over 25,000 large animals including predators and a dense population of herbivores. The abundant wildlife encounters while in the conservation area make the Ngorongoro Crater a prime safari destination in Tanzania.

The Big Five animals are present in the Ngorongoro Crater and these include Lion, Elephants, Cape buffalo, Leopards and Rhino. This area is the best place to see the Black rhino in Tanzania that is often seen foraging in the plains of Ngorongoro Crater. Other Wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater include Blue Wildebeest, Grant’s Zebra, Thomson’s gazelles, Common Eland, Grant’s gazelles, Warthogs, Spotted Hyenas, Waterbuck, East African wild dog, Hippos, Cheetah, Serval, Golden Jackal, Bushbuck, Black-backed Jackal. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a prime destination for wildlife viewing and offers one of the best sightings of wildlife in Africa.

Lake Manyara National Park: Situated in the northern part of Tanzania, Lake Manyara national park is one of the most beautiful parks in Tanzania. The national park covers an area of 330 square kilometres that encompasses diverse habitats, lush vegetation and abundant wildlife. Lake Manyara National Park is famously known for its tree-climbing lions which are a stunning spectacle and aquatic bird life that likes to forage at the shores of Lake Manyara. Ornithologists from around the world visit the national park throughout the year and are drawn to the park mostly by the abundant species of birds in Lake Manyara National Park.

The park is home to large herds of wildebeest that are usually seen strolling and foraging in the park, especially in the open grassland areas and near the scarp forest that is located near the park gate. Other animals in Lake Manyara National Park include Elephants, Tree-climbing Lions which are a major attraction in the park, Cape Buffalo, Zebras, Giraffes, Impalas, Blue monkeys, Olive baboons, Bush bucks, Klip springers, Waterbuck, Thomson’s gazelle, Warthogs, Grant’s gazelle, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Leopard, Honey badger, African Civet, African wild cat, Bat-eared fox, Serval, African golden cat, Mongoose, and Hippos that are best seen at the hippo pool in the northern section of the park. Cheetahs, Leopard and African golden cats are occasional sightings and tend to be rarely sighted. The national park is also home to species of reptiles like the Nile Monitor Lizard which is Africa’s longest lizard, non-venomous snakes that live in the forest often perched in trees hunting for invertebrates and venomous snakes like the green mamba.

Tarangire National Park: Named after the Tarangire River that flows northwards through the park, Tarangire National Park is one of Tanzania’s most beautiful parks with abundant wildlife and spectacular landscapes. Visitors to the park mostly visit the park for its large herds of elephants but the national park has so much more to offer from animals to birds to lush vegetation. Tarangire National Park is also known for its high density of baobab trees which are large trees found in grassy plains of Africa with large trunks that are sometimes hollow, elephants usually like to strip their barks for moist tissue since the trees retain water during the rainy season. Tarangire National Park covers an area of 2,850 square kilometres and is located in Tanzania’s Manyara region.

The Tarangire River is a major contributor to the rich ecosystem of the national park as it offers fresh water for wild animals, especially during the annual dry season. Tarangire National Park is a perfect destination while on safari in Northern Tanzania as it not only offers excellent game viewing but is also accessible as it is just 2 hours away from Arusha City, the main starting base for safaris in Tanzania.