Must see - Natinal Parks

1 - Serengeti National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania offers the absolute classic African safari setting. The grasslands make the Serengeti fantastic for spotting lion kills because you can see the whole spectacle clearly. The migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra starts here and because it's much larger than the Masai Mara in Kenya it is also less touristy.

2 - Ngorongoro Conservation Area


The Ngorongoro Conservation area in Tanzania includes the world's largest crater which acts as a natural enclosure for almost every species of wildlife found in East Africa. The Maasai still live within the conservation area, and it's also home to Olduvai where some of man's earliest remains have been found.

3 - Mount Kilimanjaro National Park


Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak. Hiking to the summit of this majestic mountain is very popular since it doesn't require ropes or climbing experience, just good planning and determination. While most people visit the park to climb Kilimanjaro, there's also a crater lake and some nice hiking opportunities on the plateaus.

 4 - Ruaha National Park


Ruaha National Park in Southern Tanzania is remote, large, and full of wildlife. There are lions, cheetah, leopard, lots of kudu and almost every other African mammal you'd like to see. The park is home to the Great Ruaha River and it's here during the dry season that you get some spectacular game viewing.

5 - Tarangire National Park



Tarangire, like Lake Manyara, is often combined with a visit to the larger, better known Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks. During the dry season, the river beds get cramped with animals and it's well worth a trip. Tarangire is a good place to enjoy a walking safaris.

6 - Lake Manyara National Park



Lake Manyara is a relatively small national park but it's incredibly diverse. The park is on the "Northern Circuit" and will often be combined with a visit to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Lake Manyara boasts plenty of elephants, tree-climbing lions, leopards, and more than 400 species of birds including flocks of pink flamingos.

7 - Katavi National Park
Katavi national Park is one of the best places to go on safari in Africa. It is literally teeming with wildlife, unfortunately the location is so remote, very few people visit. Situated in the west of Tanzania, the park has just one camp which is accessible by light aircraft. By road it would take about 5 days from Dar es Salaam.

8 - Mahale Mountains National Park

Mahale is an chimpanzee sanctuary, with an estimated 1000 chimps in residence. There are other primates to see too, including the red colobus and yellow baboons. Like Gombe, Mahale lies in the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

9 - Selous Game Reserve


Selous game reserve is Africa's largest reserve, a world heritage site, and not nearly as crowded as the Serengeti. You can see elephants, cheetahs, black rhinos and plenty of hippos and crocodiles. The Selous swamps, rivers and wetlands allow tourists to enjoy their safari by boat. Walking safaris are also popular here.

10 - Saadani National Park



Saadani National Park is a nice mixture of bush and beach. Situated on the Indian ocean facing the island of Zanzibar, Saadani is accessible from Dar es Salaam by road (4 hours) or charter flight. You can see lots of hippos, crocodiles, and elephant. Boat safaris and walking safaris are popular here. Best time to go is January to February and from June to August.

11  - Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park is home to Mount Meru, Tanzania's second highest mountain (after Kilimanjaro). Mount Meru is a popular for a day hike and can either be used to acclimatize yourself before tackling Kili, or as a destination in itself. The rest of the National Park makes for a beautiful outing.

12 - Mikumi National Park

Mikumi national Park is easily accessible from Dar es Salaam and is therefore the most visited park by local Tanzanians. The National Park borders Selous and shares its abundant wildlife including lions, giraffe, buffalos, eland and more.

13 - Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Udzungwa Mountains National Park lies in southern Tanzania. The park is famous for its incredible bio-diversity. If you like bizarre plants and rainforests with waterfalls, it is certainly worth a visit. You'll probably not see a lot of big game here, but the forests are full of small wildlife including rare primates and birds.

14 - Gombe Stream National Park

Gombe Stream National Park is home to several groups of habituated chimpanzees. While it's Tanzania's smallest park, it is certainly one of the most important. Gombe is where Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees and brought home to us how closely we are related, in all ways, to our genetic cousins. Gombe is situated in the far west of Tanzania and is not easy to get to.

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