Mahale Mountains National Park
July 6, 2021
The Best Luxury Safaris Can Be Found In Tanzania
May 9, 2023Mahale Mountains National Park
July 6, 2021The Best Luxury Safaris Can Be Found In Tanzania
May 9, 2023
With must see areas such as the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National park, Northern Tanzania offers fantastic sights of the big cats, masses of flamingos and so much more.
The Northern Parks of Tanzania truly are iconic. Such an amazingly diverse set of areas and parks in this region meaning not only top game viewing for you, but a wide range of experiences and stunning scenic variation. The Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park are must see areas. We would always recommend the greatest emphasis on the Serengeti, then, depending on the time of year, including the Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National into your Tanzania safari.
We not only like to get clients to experience the key areas in the Northern Parks, but also toinclude additional experiences here. Including - visiting local Maasai communities, potentially hiking at the Olmoti Volcano and its ancient Maasai trails, visiting the Empakaai Crater and its thousands of Flamingos, and maybe spending time in the the eastern park of the Serengeti - an area home to large amounts of Big Cats and only recently made accessible to tourists, and also of course hopefully seeing the famous wildebeest migration!
In terms of length of time in this area, anything from 3-10 nights could be considered and there are various routings whether that be by road or flying between parks by light aircraft. We can discuss this with you depending on your preferences, budget and travel personality.
Northern Tanzania FAQs
Northern Tanzania is known as the 'big hitter' as it is home to some of East Africa's most famous parks and reserves. The main parks are the Serengeti Game Reserve, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. Each one of these area's are unique and have something special to offer. Who doesn't want to see the great wildebeest migration, right?
This is really an easy one as northern Tanzania has one of the greatest selection of lodges and camps in Africa. These range from ultra luxury, to luxury and really great mid-range accommodations. We have 53 recommended lodges and camps in this area, so there is something to fit every travel personality and need.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is not technically part of Serengeti National Park, but it is well worth the visit if you're in Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Crater flanks the eastern edge of the Serengeti and is the sixth-largest volcanic caldera on earth. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to over 25,000 animals and thousands of Masai pastoralists. This is what really makes it worth the visit.
To be frank, northern Tanzania can get quite busy during the dry season. This is usually from July to October and also coincides with the migration river crossings, however, all parks offer wonderful wildlife sightings at this time of year as the bush and grass are least dense. There are also some good times to visit outside of these months to avoid the larger crowds and you will still be able to experience the migration. The best would be to chat with us about your plans and we'll tailor your itinerary to suit your needs.
NORTHERN TANZANIAREGIONS
- Southern Serengeti
- Central Serengeti
- Northern Serengeti
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Tarangire National Park
- Lake Manyara
The Serengeti National Park is home to truly incredible scenery and magnificent wildlife including the largest lion population in Africa. Famed for it's annual migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra the Serengeti covers around 5,700 square miles consisting of vast grassland plains, savanna, woodland and riverine forest. The park borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve and together with several other smaller reserves and conservation areas they form the larger Serengeti ecosystem. This really is one of the most spectacular and iconic African safari locations!
Some of the game in the Serengeti resides permanently in certain areas, however many more migrate and with this is mind careful planning is needed when visiting the Serengeti to avoid busier areas and make the most of your experience. We have therefore to help with this planning split the Serengeti into three areas - the Central 'belt' including the Western Corridor and Eastern area, and then the Southern and Northern sections.
The Southern Serengeti consists of vast expanses of short grass plains and smaller kopjes and rocky outcrops. The area stretches south to the Ngorongoro conservation area and Maswa Game Reserve. This area truly thrives and comes to life from mid-November to April time when the migration makes its home here to calve. At this time of year staying in this area is a real must!
In the Southern Serengeti we recommend Dunia Camp, a resident in the area year-round and then Olakira and Ubuntu mobile camps, which make the area their home at this time. Nasikia Mobile Camp is a fantastic option for those on a slightly lower budget, but still looking for that intimate, authentic safari camping experience.
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The Serengeti National Park is home to truly incredible scenery and magnificent wildlife including the largest lion population in Africa. Famed for it's annual migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra the Serengeti covers around 5,700 square miles consisting of vast grassland plains, savanna, woodland and riverine forest. The park borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve and together with several other smaller reserves and conservation areas form the larger Serengeti ecosystem. This really is one of the most spectacular and iconic African safari locations!
Some of the game in the Serengeti resides permanently in certain areas, however many more migrate and with this is mind careful planning is needed when visiting the Serengeti to avoid busier areas and make the most of your experience. We have therefore to help with this planning split the Serengeti into three areas - the Central 'belt' including the Western Corridor and Eastern area, and then the Southern and Northern sections.
Directly north of the southern plains lies the Seronera area, the central part of the Serengeti National Park. This is a beautiful area with wide open plains as far as the eye can see, dotted with kopjes / small hills. It is a stunning area, full of resident game and an incredible high density of big cats who stay here due to being able to live off the resident and migrating plains game.
Whilst the area is scenically beautiful and has superb wildlife viewing the downside is it can be very busy. The migration does pass through the area in April/May and October/November time and often is a good base from which to explore if the migration is nearby whether that be North, South, East or West. However, we feel it is best to locate yourself away from this main Seronera area if possible due to the high density of camps, larger lodges and therefore number of vehicles. By staying slightly away from the main area you can still access the wildlife of the area, but with good guiding stay away from the crowds.
The Central 'belt' of the Serengeti includes the Eastern and Western areas of the park. The Western Corridor stretches out all the way to Lake Victoria and is home to the migration in May/June time. The area is home to two rivers - the Mbalageti and Grumeti - where the migration will cross over the crocodile rich waters! A fantastic location to experience the migration at this time of year.
The Eastern area of the Serengeti is not often visited and actually was closed to tourists until just a few years ago. It had been closed off for 20 years to allow the grasslands to replenish and the cheetah population to grow. It is now home to good numbers of big cats and in an area that is breathtakingly beautiful makes for an experience that is up there with the very best! Here we highly recommend Namiri Plains Camp.
Select an accommodation below to find out more.
The Serengeti National Park is home to truly incredible scenery and magnificent wildlife including the largest lion population in Africa. Famed for it's annual migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra the Serengeti covers around 5,700 square miles consisting of vast grassland plains, savanna, woodland and riverine forest. The park borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve and together with several other smaller reserves and conservation areas they form the larger Serengeti ecosystem. This really is one of the most spectacular and iconic African safari locations!
Some of the game in the Serengeti resides permanently in certain areas, however many more migrate and with this is mind careful planning is needed when visiting the Serengeti to avoid busier areas and make the most of your experience. We have therefore to help with this planning split the Serengeti into three areas - the Central 'belt' including the Western Corridor and Eastern area, and then the Southern and Northern sections.
This part of the Serengeti lies north of the Seronera area and stretches for around 60 miles up to the border with Kenya and the Maasai Mara National Reserve. As it is so far North this area receives relatively few visitors, with it being a very long drive from the central area, and thus flying into this region being the preferred method of arrival. Of course this adds expense, but for those willing to head to the North the reward is well worth it - prime migration viewing between July and October with, if you are lucky, the spectacular and famous river crossings over the Mara River. Outside of migration time this is still a fantastic area to get away from the crowds in the Seronera area and the nearby Maasai Mara, with some of the best camps around in the Serengeti.
In the North we recommend Sayari Mara Camp, which is located here year round and it's sister mobile camps Olakira and Ubuntu. We also like the Lemala Kuria Hills and Lemala Mara Camps, along with the Serian Camps and for those on a lower budget - Kaskaz and Nasikia Mobile Migration Camp. So many great camps in this area! We will happily find the right one to suit your tastes.
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- Nasikia Migration Camp North
- Serengeti Under Campus North
- Serian Serengeti North
- Ubuntu Migration Camp North
- Mkombes House
- Lemala Mara Camp
- Sayari Mara Camp
- Kleins Camp
- Lemala Kuria Hills
- Singita Mara Camp
- Chaka Camp
- Serengeti Safari Camp North
- Kaskaz Mara Camp
- Nomad Lamai
- Olakira Migration Camp
- Serian Lamai Camp
Part of the wider Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It is quite rightly a World Heritage Site and is stunningly beautiful and home to some of the largest densities of wildlife anywhere on the continent, including the Big Five.
At over 600 metres deep and covering an area of around 100 square miles the Ngorongoro Crater is an imposing sight and the views from the Crater Rim are sensational. It is home to around 25,000 animals including Black Rhino, Buffalo and Hippo. Wildebeest and Zebra are also present, as are a good number of lion considering the size of the area. Lake Magadi in the south-western part of the Crater is often inhabited by flamingoes.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a must visit in our opinion for any trip to the Northern Parks, however due to its 'enclosed' nature and relative close proximity to Arusha, it can often be busy with safari vehicles. With this in mind as a general rule the earlier in the day you can visit the Crater the better, departing before it gets too busy, often shortly after lunchtime. In terms of accommodation there is a variety to choose from and the main choice is whether to stay on the Crater rim itself or in and around the nearby town of Karatu and its surrounding plantations, a very pretty area. If you are staying on the Crater rim then the stand out options are Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and The Highlands. Around the nearby town of Karatu we highly recommend Gibbs Farm and Plantation Lodge, or for those on slightly less of a budget Tloma Lodge.
When staying in this area we actively encourage people to not only visit the Crater, but to spend 2-3 nights here and make the most of this highlands area by visiting local communities, nearby plantations, walks in the highlands, hiking at the Olmoti Volcano and its ancient Maasai trails, or visiting the Empakaai Crater and its thousands of Flamingos. You can also visit Olduvai Gorge in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, a location that has proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human evolution.
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The Tarangire National Park at the right time of year is a must visit on any Tanzania safari. One of the four parks in the Northern Circuit, the park has a much more dense vegetation than others in the area, with its large acacia woodlands and signature large baobab trees.
Tarangire is often either missed out of many people's safari or just visited for one night, taking in the northern part of the park, which is dominated by the Tarangire River. If you are able to visit for 2 or 3 nights then heading to the south of the park is recommended. The southern area gets far less visitors, and is home to large and vast 'swamps' & plains in dry season, and allows you to get out walking with your guide.
The Tarangire is part of a much larger ecosystem and from November to May the majority of wildlife does leave the park to head north, however during the dry season of June to October the park is in its prime and a must visit. Large herds of Elephant roam the park, along with zebra, wildebeest and big cats including lion, leopard and often cheetah in the south of the park.
We highly recommend the experience and top guiding at Olivers Camp and it's smaller sister camp Little Olivers Camp in the southern part of the Tarangire. Swala Camp and Kuro Camp also offer top quality accommodation in the south of the park, with Ndovu Camp and Tarangire river Camp great choices for those with less of a budget towards the northern part of the park.
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Lake Manyara National Park, one of the four main national parks on the northern circuit, is only around 90 minutes from Arusha and just shy of an hour from the Ngorongoro Crater. Although a small national park, it is scenically beautiful and contains a great diversity of animals and habitats, including the lake itself which expands and contracts in size depending on season. Lake Manyara is home to good numbers of game including elephant, buffalo, giraffe and zebra. The escarpment and forest also make it a good home for leopards and there is a healthy lion population often know to climb the trees. However, for most visitors the large troops of baboons that inhabit the park will be the most obvious upon entering Manyara.
Lake Manyara is well worth visiting as it is en route to the more well known northern parks of the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park, however due to its close proximity to Arusha often there are many day visitors and the northern section of the park can be rather busy. Often visitors will only pop in an out of the park in a rather rushed visit, so really if you are going to visit Manyara it is best to commit to delving deeper into the park or stay overnight there to make the most of this pretty park.
If you do choose to stay in the Manyara area then we highly recommend Chem Chem Lodge and its smaller sister camp Little Chem Chem, which are located in their very own private concession in the wildlife corridor between Manyara and the Tarangire National Park. Alternatively, also deep in the park the fantastic Manyara Tree Lodge is a fantastic spot from which to explore the heart of the park.
On the whole we feel if you are going to visit Lake Manyara then you much commit to a couple of nights to fully appreciate its beauty, or alternatively accept that a short half-day visit en route to the parks further north, will not be the highlight of any trip, but still will give you a scenically different experience to what you will find elsewhere in the Northern Parks.
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