TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Tarangire National Park is one of the seasonal parks in Tanzania covering 2,850 square kilometers and was established as a national park in 1970. Tarangire national park is located in the Manyara region, northern part of Tanzania, and its more concentrated in dry seasons from June to October where animals migrate from neighboring parks so as quench their thirst.

Tarangire National Park is endowed with beautiful nature which has baobab trees, acacia woodland, granitic ridges, termite mounds, river Tarangire, swamps, savanna grasslands and wild animals. Some of the wild animals in this game include elephants, giraffe, hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, wild dog, birds like pink-breasted lark, slate-colored boubou, von der decken’s hornbill, kori bustard, stocking thighed ostrich, ground hornbills, yellow-collared lovebird, greyer rufous-tailed weaver, ashy starling, dwarf mongoose, red and yellow barbet, and plants. All these together make it a must visit to Tarangire National Park when in Tanzania.

HOW TO ACCESS TO TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

Tarangire national park is either accessed by road or air transport.

By Air, a flight can be scheduled from Julius Nyerere International Airport to Arusha Airport and then drive to the park.

BIO DIVERSITY

The Tarangire National Park’s vegetation and the physical features like river Tarangire, swamps and the landscape, give life to different wildlife species, with a total of over 60 mammals, 500 birds and reptiles making it relatively biodiverse. Some of these unique species of Tarangire are inhabitants and others migratory, they include, fringe-eared oryx, long-necked gerenuk, lion, wild dog, leopard, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, impala, zebra, waterbuck, elephant, cheetah, gazelle, hartebeest and wildebeest. The Tarangire national park also inhabits unique and various birds like the african grey flycatcher, ashy starling, bare-faced go-away bird, donaldson-smith’s nightjar, great white pelican, pink-breasted lark, slate-colored boubou, northern pied babbler, northern white-crowned shrike, ostrich among others.

CLIMATE

Tarangire national park climate is warm to hot and humid. It has a dry season (June-October) and a wet season (November-May) though heavy rains with thunderstorms are common in March to May, but it is unusual for rainfall to last throughout the day. The mornings are always cold and the evenings.

ACTIVITIES TO DO ON TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK SAFARI IN TANZANIA

BIRDING

Birding is one of the best activities done the park since it has over 500 bird species, making it a great destination for a birder. The park has good birding spots like swamps and Tarangire river banks with various species that are eye-catching and interesting to watch like the pink-breasted lark, slate-colored boubou, von der decken’s hornbill, kori bustard, stocking thighed ostrich, ground hornbills, yellow-collared lovebird, greyer rufous-tailed weaver, ashy starling, dwarf mongoose, red and yellow barbet, african grey flycatcher, ashy starling, bare-faced go-away bird, donaldson-smith’s nightjar, great white pelican, northern pied babbler, northern white-crowned shrike, among others. This can be done with experienced rangers available at the parks headquarter. Bird watching is good all-round the year but the best time is from November to April since migratory birds arrive from Europe and North Africa and also the residential birds be nesting.

GAME DRIVES

Tarangire National Park is good for game driving due to a variety of wild life, during the drives through the savanna grassland and along the water sources, different animals like lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos, hyenas, elephants, antelopes among others are easily spotted. Sometimes birds like ostriches and kori bustard can also be spotted. The game drives are done at any time, a ranger should lead the drive for directions and so as to cover every detail. Game drives are best during dry season since the roads are good and easily accessible.

NATURE WALKS

Tarangire National Park offers the opportunity to explorer the wild on foot, these are offered by the different hikes made within the grasslands, swamps and along the river banks as you see different wildlife. During the walking various wildlife like animals for example giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, buffalos, elephants, wild dogs, ostriches, kori bustard, butterflies, insects and plants are quietly and closely observed. Apart from wildlife, the walks give you the clear sight and feel of the beautiful sceneries and landform of this park. These walks can be done in the morning or night shifts and are led by an armed experienced guide.

Other activities done in Tarangire National Park are; cultural visits to the Masai people who have interesting way of life, camping, and photography.

ACCOMMODATION IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

There are so many accommodation facilities located in and around Park. These facilities offer different types of accommodation including lodges, cottages and luxury camps. Around the park are good accommodation facilities like lodges, hotels among others.

Check out all our national parks that are a must visit during your Africa Safari in Tanzania