Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park in Northern Tanzania is a nice, tranquil park located just off the main safari path. It is most known for its elephant migration, birdwatching, and safari atmosphere. The bulk of visitors to the region either skip Tarangire entirely or visit for only a few hours, leaving vast swaths of the park completely unspoiled!

With a game viewing area about ten times the size of neighboring Manyara National Park and an excellent concentration of wildlife from July to October, this seasonal Tanzania safari park is a hidden treasure on the Northern safari circuit, especially if you adore elephants!

Tarangire is the Northern circuit’s surprise gift. Tarangire, which is sometimes overshadowed by the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, contains tremendous concentrations of wildlife in the peak months and a fraction of the tourist numbers of the other Northern parks.

Safaris here are fantastic from July to October, and the mood and environments are radically different from other parks. Tarangire is a remarkably vast park that offers tourists the quietest wildlife-watching setting of any park in the vicinity.

The south of Tarangire is unusually calm, and resorts like Swala and Oliver’s Camp are ideal for exploring this secluded area and getting away from other tourists. Overall, a fantastic little park that provides excellent value in comparison to its neighbors and is a truly nice alternative for getting away from it all.

During the dry season, the concentration of animals along the Tarangire River is nearly as diverse and consistent as in the Ngorongoro Crater. The environment here, however, is balanced by a localized movement pattern followed by the bulk of wildlife that lives in and around the park. As a result, Tarangire is excellent during the season but dubious the rest of the year. During the peak months, up to 3,000 elephants can be found in the park.

Wildebeest and zebra are also plentiful during peak season, as are giraffe, buffalo, Thompson’s gazelle, greater and lesser kudu, eland, leopard, and cheetah. The park’s true prize animals include dwarf mongoose, oryx, and gerenuk. Nonetheless, sightings are quite rare. Tarangire National Park is one of Tanzania’s best birding locations.

Tarangire safaris are a major attraction, although living outside the park allows for strolling and night safaris. There are no riverboat safaris here, but Oliver’s Camp provides daring fly camping experiences and excellent walking safaris. Both Oliver’s Camp and Swala have lately begun offering night safaris within the park. Inquire with us for further information, since the restrictions in this area appear to change every year.

Is it possible to drive at night in Tarangire?

Night driving is allowed in Tarangire. Nevertheless, some lodges do not provide it owing to a lack of coordination with TANAPA. However, if your resort is located outside of the National Park, it will not provide night drives. If this is something on your wish list, it is worth verifying whether the lodge you are considering provides it before making a reservation.

The game viewing is excellent from July to October, but the majority of the wildlife migrates out of the park, into the floor of the Rift Valley, and to the grazing pastures of the Masai steppe for the rest of the year. As a result, visitors should not expect huge concentrations of games during the off-season, but we nevertheless recommend visiting here for those who want to avoid crowds.

Tarangire Safari Lodges – Lodging There are several lodges along Tarangire’s border, but we have always maintained that staying in the park itself is the best option.

Swala and Oliver’s Camp are the park’s high-end options. Kuro, though, is one of our top favorite real alternatives, since it is very well run and has stunning interior decor – it is a fantastic camp, and everyone who attends simply raves about it. Tarangire Treetops lies outside the park, yet its gorgeous rooms are hoisted up into old baobab trees, making it one of Tanzania’s most unusual hotels.

The ideal time to visit Tarangire is probably between June and October when game viewing is at its peak. Tsatse flies are particularly prevalent from December to March, so while this is a fantastic time to visit the Serengeti to see the wildebeest calving, Tarangire should be avoided.