EXPLORE Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is one of Tanzania’s premier national parks to visit on your Tanzania adventures with Superfine Safaris Limited. Tarangire is most famous for game viewing and is among the must-visit sites in the Northern tourist circuit. This park boasts its largest concentration of elephant herds, as well as other unique attractions that make it a popular tourist destination.

Tarangire National Park is found in the Northern Circuit. The park is bordered by the Maasai Steppe to the South-east and the Great Valley Lakes to the North and West. It is an iconic game viewing destination. Tarangire was declared a National Park in 1970, and currently, it sits on a land area of 2,600 sq. km. It is Tanzania’s 6th largest National Park and holds diverse habitats where huge concentrations of wildlife reside.

Tarangire lies in the area where visitors can have easier access to other game viewing destinations like Lake Manyara National Park. Tarangire takes its name from the scenic Tarangire River. The park’s landscape is characterized by diverse vegetation zones, including the ribbons of the aquatic forests, mixed acacia woodlands, elephant grass, and the giant baobab trees. It is in Tarangire where you can find the oldest baobab trees that date back to over 600 years.

Key Attractions to Explore in Tarangire

The Tarangire Wildlife Migration

Tarangire National Park is popular for its unique wildlife experiences. During the dry season, there is a possibility of witnessing a mini-wildlife migration, and this usually occurs from June to November. The Tarangire wildlife migration isn’t as powerful as that of the Serengeti or Masai Mara Migration. A huge concentration of wildlife congregates around the water sources like the Tarangire River, thus allowing you to observe diversity of them.

Tarangire’s abundant wildlife includes, among others, the African elephants, lions, wildebeest, gazelles, zebras, buffaloes, Beisa Oryx, wild dogs, cheetahs, and gerenuk.

Around the wet or rainy season, from November to May, most zebras can be spotted heading towards the Northwestern side of the Rift Valley floor. A large concentration of these mammals crosses to the vast places of the Masai Steppe, while others continue to Lake Manyara.

Besides, Tarangire holds other wildlife such as Kudus, hartebeest, impalas, Bohor reedbucks, hyenas, and others.

The Bird Species

Tarangire is an amazing birding destination. Over 550 bird species have been recorded in Tarangire alone and include resident, endangered and critically endangered species. The birds you stand a chance to identify in Tarangire include yellow-collared lovebirds, Kori bustards, Egyptian vultures, bateleur, lappet-faced vultures, grey-crowned cranes, bateleur, Denham’s bustards, Curlew sandpiper, secretary birds, Madagascar pond heron, black-tailed Godwit, olive-headed weavers, Fischer’s lovebird, short-toed eagle, Southern ground hornbills, pallied harriers, temminck’s stint, isabelline shrikes, eastern imperial eagle, red-winged francolins, scaly francolins, white-faced whistling ducks, chestnut-bellied sand grouse, fulvous whistling ducks, cape teal, African pygmy goose, Greater flamingos, European nightjar, Nyanza swift, and Mozambique nightjar.

Tarangire is also home to birds such as purple crested turacos, Donaldson-Smith’s nightjars, African olive pigeon, saddle-bill storks, water thick-knee, black-wing lapwing, white-bellied go-away birds, collared pratincole, black-winged kite, hadada ibis, African harrier hawks, Greater painted snipe, long-tailed cormorant, squacco heron, little bittern, African fish eagle, mountain buzzards, goliath heron, and common buttonquail.

Top 4 Safari Activities to do in Tarangire National Park

Guided game drives

Game drives offer complete immersion into the savannas for you to explore the Tarangire National Park wildlife. Tarangire offers morning, afternoon or evening game drive sessions but there is an option to have a full-day session. What is amazing is that you have a higher possibility see wildlife such as cape buffaloes, zebras, waterbucks, wildebeests, giraffes, impalas, hartebeest, and bird species. Exploring Tarangire National Park on a game drive is best done in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof.

 

Birding with guide

Birding tour in Tarangire National Park takes you on a rewarding excursion to spot a variety of bird species. Hundreds of birds can be identified on a birding tour in Tarangire, including the lilac-breasted rollers, brown parrots, striped swallows, yellow-billed storks, rufous-tailed weaver birds, superb starling, fulvous whistling ducks, wattle-eye, Northern shovelers, Garganey, and yellow-collared lovebirds.

Other birds you can find in Tarangire include scaly francolin, common quail, grey-breasted spurfowl, vulturine guineafowl, laughing dove, emerald-spotted wood dove, red-eyed dove, mourning collared dove, coucals, cuckoos, Nyanza swift, and others.

Nature walks with an expert

Nature walks perfectly introduce you deeper into the wilderness to explore the hard-to-reach spots if you used a safari vehicle. Visitors on a nature walk can be led by an experienced guide, and you can spot varied wildlife plus bird species.

 

Cultural/community tours

Cultural tours are a perfect addition on your tour in Tarangire National Park. Visit the Maasai people in the adjacent communities to Tarangire. Have a chance to interact with residents, explore the unique traditions and cultures.

 

The best time to  Vist Tarangire National Park

Tarangire enjoys pleasant weather and climatic conditions, making it an all-year-round destination. But to have an excellent game viewing tour, expect to visit the Park during the dry season when the game tracks are drier and accessible. Tarangire records its dry season from June to October. The dry months also coincide with wildlife migration season. The short, dry months extend from January to February.

Long rainy months fall in March, April, and May –the months characterized by heavy rainfall, and game tracks tend to be muddy or slippery.

Accommodation options

The luxury accommodation options to consider for an overnight stay in Tarangire include Nimali Tarangire, Tarangire Treetops, and Swala Safari Camp. Midrange accommodation choices include Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, Tarangire Sopa Lodge, Tarangire Safari Lodge, and Maramboi Tented Camp. The basic accommodation options include Whistling Thorn Tented Camp.

How to reach Tarangire National Park 

By road: Tarangire can be reached by road, which involves driving in a 4×4 safari car. You can depart from Arusha, and in the shortest time, you can get to the Park. Tarangire and Arusha take about 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, visitors can book domestic flights and set off from Nairobi to the nearby airstrips, including Kuro Airstrip, which serves the Tarangire.

Conclusively, Tarangire National Park is an ideal destination for game viewing. If you are looking for a place to add to your Northern tourist circuit in Tanzania, then consider Tarangire a must-visit.