Tarangire National Park – Overview
Tarangire National Park is one of the hidden jewels of Tanzania. This park measures 2,600 sq km’s and boasts a concentration of wildlife second only to Ngorongoro Crater. It features an impressive amount and array of birdlife and plant life.
The park offers views of grass and floodplains with impressive baobab and flat-topped acacia trees scattered throughout. During the dry season, the park may look quite ordinary, but activities continue even more earnestly due to the now increased competition.
Many of the animals leave the area of the Tarangire River at the beginning of the short rainy season (October/November) as water may be found elsewhere in the park, with less chance of predators homing in for a meal. The second “migration” occurs at the beginning of the rainy season in March.
Day Tour: Arusha/Moshi – Tarangire National Park
We shall pick you up from your hotel in Arusha and drive for 2-3 hours towards Tarangire National Park. Previously before park status inaction, in this region, people often went on big game hunting safaris. After the formation of the national parks in 1970, they turned the seasonal marshes and the endless savannah that one sees today into, once again, profitable hunting grounds. Today, however, cameras thankfully have replaced the elephant guns. The Tarangire National Park has the highest density of elephants in North Tanzania than any national park and you can view these animals all year round in which the herds often can reach an impressive number of 300 animals.
The Tarangire River has water all year round and during the dry season, between July and October, many animals from the surrounding areas come to the river to quench thirst. If you visit the park during the dry season, you will witness an unforgettable natural wonder as you can observe wonderful creatures such as lions, giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests, and zebras as well as various types of antelopes and gazelles and with little luck, you can also spot a python! This area is during the dry season also a haven for bird watchers with over 550 different species including the Maasai Ostrich -the world’s largest bird. Around lunchtime, you will stop at a suitable picnic place before the afternoon, taking a meal with a view dedicated to more wildlife watching. Before sunset, you will be driven to your hotel in Moshi/ Arusha.
