TANZANIA SAFARIS OVERVIEW
Our safari holidays in Tanzania visit a vibrant and beautiful country with world-class parks. Safaris have been a way of life in Tanzania for decades; the country is blessed with the winning combination of both superb big game and stunning tropical beaches. You can fly from a Tanzania safari camp in the morning to an Indian Ocean beach for an afternoon swim.
Tanzania is one of Africa’s top safari destinations. The wildlife viewing is out of this world and big cats are especially easy to see. All members of the Big Five can be found in various Tanzanian parks and reserves, and all five are present in the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Almost 40% of the country is protected and set aside for conservation, which means that it’s easy to go on a Tanzania safari for two full weeks and drive from park to park while rarely leaving the bush.
Because the country is vast, it helps to think of Tanzania holidays falling into four broad areas: the famous 'northern circuit' safaris; the wild parks of southern Tanzania; the remote safaris of western Tanzania; and the beaches of the coast & islands. Tanzania's three safari areas are very different, but all combine well with trips to the beach! Looking at each in more detail:
TANZANIA WILDLIFE
Tanzania offers excellent wildlife viewing. There are three different safari circuits, and each one of them alone would make Tanzania a great wildlife destination. The Big Five and most other high profile animals are easily seen. The black rhino is very rare throughout, with the exception of the Ngorongoro Crater where a small resident population tends to come out in open grassland during the day.
The great Serengeti wildebeest migration is the movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti's wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra, and smaller numbers of Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, eland and impala. These move in an annual pattern which is fairly predictable. They migrating throughout the year, constantly seeking fresh grazing and, it's now thought, better quality water. The precise timing of the Serengeti wildebeest migration is entirely dependent upon the rainfall patterns each year – here we explain how the broad pattern works.
BEST TIME TO VISIT TANZANIA
Tanzania offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year. The best chance for seeing the wildebeest migration is during June and July and the time to see the wildebeest calving in the Serengeti is late January to February. The Dry season (late June to October) is generally the best time for wildlife viewing throughout. At this time, the bush is less dense, and animals tend to congregate around waterholes. The Wet season (November-May) is often more beautiful when the parks are green, and tourist numbers are lower. The parks in the Southern and Western Circuits are less accessible in the long rains (March to May) and some lodges close in that period.
