Northern Safari Circuit is Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara & Tarangire. Southern Circuit is Ruaha & Selous Game Reserve.

With so many wildlife safari parks in Tanzania to choose from so to make it easier to choose your safari package, Tanzania can be divided into regional circuits, or groups of game parks whose geographical proximity and topographical variations make up a varied and diverse group.

Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit is most frequented by tourists as most of the attractions are fairly close to each other and many of Tanzania's most famous sights, such as Ngorongoro Crater/Ngorongoro Conservation Area (a 4-hour drive or 1-hour flight from Arusha / a 2-hour drive from Manyara or Tarangire), the Serengeti National Park (A 6-hour drive or a 1-hour flight from Arusha) and Mount Kilimanjaro (Kilimanjaro National Park is a 2-hour drive from Arusha or a 1-hour from Kilimanjaro International Airport) are all a part of this safari circuit.

Due to the fact that all the parks, towns and attractions are within easy reach of one another, one can tour this entire safari circuit by vehicle with only a couple of hours in-between destinations.

On a Tanzania northern circuit safari, most safari companies and independent travelers depart from Arusha.

Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park are little more than three hours away and are often incorporated as part of a longer safari. The most visited part of the northern circuit is the Ngorongoro Crater, where wildlife graze and hunt in one of the largest volcanic craters in the world.

If you are traveling from December to April, the annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park is definitely not to be missed. April & May probably have the most rainfall and a lot of the camps close during this time.

The wildebeest migration is a natural occurrence and therefore it is impossible to know for sure where the migrating herds will be so it is often a good idea to either choose a mobile camp or stay at more than one camp in the Serengeti (due to it's vastness). Wildebeest have no natural leader and subsequently herds split up, go this way then that....often heading off in a completely different path to the one they chose yesterday. Generally speaking, all migration maps usually show the main/mega herd but the splinter herds can be spread out over half the Serengeti!

For hikers, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or the crater of Mt. Meru is an adventurous break from game viewing. A longer trek through the Crater Highlands is also a beautiful way to explore northern Tanzania at a leisurely pace. Day-trips from Arusha to Mt. Meru and the Momela Lakes, located in Arusha National Park, incorporate short forest hikes and canoeing trips as a break from standard vehicle game drives.

 

The Southern Safari Circuit covers the largest game reserves in Tanzania such as Ruaha National Park, Selous Game Reserve and Udzungwa Mountains National Park and these have some of the highest concentrations of wildlife.

 

The national parks and game reserves of the Southern Safari Circuit are, arguably, the hidden treasures of Tanzania’s authentic Africa.

These game reserves are enormous, with some of the highest concentrations of animals anywhere in Africa and a spectacular diversity of wildlife including roan antelope, sable antelope, Cape hunting dogs, and a multitude of colorful bird life. The parks include Mikumi National Park (4-hour drive or a 1-hour flight from Dar es Salaam), Ruaha National Park (Up to a 10-hour drive or a 1½-hour flight from Dar es Salaam), Selous Game Reserve (Between 7-9 hour drive in dry season only or a 1½-hour flight from Dar es Salaam) and Udzungwa Mountains National Park (5-hour drive from Dar es Salaam).

The lodges and camps of the south are small and intimate, with no more than 30 rooms or tents at the very most. This means there are far fewer tourists in the south compared to the north, and allows the area to hold true to the tenets of Eco-tourism. The travel times between parks in the south are long as the parks are far apart.

The parks of the south can be visited independently, or as a circuit combining various parks into one package. Packages can be arranged using scheduled air services or as road safaris using 4x4 vehicles.

 

The Western Safari Circuit covers the Mahale Mountains National Park which is home to some of the last remaining wild chimpanzees in Africa and the Katavi National Park where safari goers are privileged to find the rare roan and sable antelope species.

Lying in the Great Rift Valley are the inland lakes, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. All three national parks in this safari circuit offer the only safe opportunities to see chimpanzees in the wild today.

The game parks are Gombe Stream National Park (by air or road from Arusha or Dar es Salaam or by train from Dar to Kigoma and then a 1-hour boat trip), Mahale Mountains National Park (between a 3 and a 9-hour boat trip from Kigoma or a 2-hour flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam) and Katavi National Park (fly from Arusha or Dar es Salaam or a days drive from Mbeya or in the dry season, Kigoma).

The habitats of these areas are a merger between Western Africa and East Africa therefore the cultures, rainfall and flora are unique to this small area.

The western safari circuit is seldom experienced on its own but is more often an addition to either the southern or northern safari circuits, or both. The western safari circuit is so remote that travel by both aircraft and boat is necessary in order to experience this lovely side of Tanzania.

 

Tanzania's beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world where diving, fishing and cultural experiences are fantastic. Some of the coastal islands and towns in Tanzania are Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.

 

One of the great attractions of Tanzania is its fantastic 800 km coastline with palm fringed beaches of white sand and the historic towns of Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, Kilwa, Lindi, Mikindani and Mtwara, along with the exotic islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.

Swahili language and culture trace their roots to the Indian Ocean coastline. Many explorers, sultans and slave traders encountered Africa for the first time along this history-steeped coastline and contributed to the events that were to define modern Tanzania. The islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago became principal stepping stones for the culture that was to mold Tanzania’s people and their language.

We have covered Zanzibar separately as it is such a popular destination on it's own or as a combination safari and beach vacation or honeymoon.

Book your This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. now whether it is on the safari circuits or on the coast.