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Tanzania national parks and game reserves are home to an amazing diversity of wildlife, making for incomparable Africa game watching safaris. Among these game reserves, the five parks below stand out as the best of the best.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha national park occupies 12,950 sq km, making it the second largest national park in Tanzania. Located 128 km from Iringa, this park is named after the great Ruaha river, which attracts many thirsty animals to its banks, among them lions, leopards, hyenas, water bucks, and reed bucks. The river also hosts several hippos and crocodiles. Other animals found in Ruaha include zebras, wild dogs, giraffes, lesser and greater kudu, impala, and several antelope species. Ruaha national park is unique in that it combines Southern Africa and Eastern Africa flora and fauna.

Ruaha’s topography is ideal for hiking and walking safaris. In the rainy season between March to April and October to November, the bird population peaks to a high of over 350 bird species – including some Eurasian migrants. Ruaha’s climate is hot and dry, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in October. The Ruaha is was until recently totally inaccessible, but there is now a year round road access to the park. From Dar es Salaam, road travel takes 10 hours while a charter flight takes 1 and and half hours. The best time for a safari is over the dry season- May to December.

Lake Manyara National Park

The Lake Manyara National Park is without doubt the best destination for birdwatching in Tanzania due to its unrivaled birdlife. The waterfowl and several migratory birds are some of the bird species found here. Lake Manyara national park is also one of the greatest places for viewing leopards atop the lush green vegetation. Tree-climbing lions are also common in parts of the park. The National Park is located between Lake Manyara and the walls of the great Rift Valley, which rise up to 610 meters above.

The periods between December and February and between August and September constitute the best times for going on safari in Lake Manyara national park. However, it is still possible to see animals throughout the year. Most parts of the park are easily accessible, making it possible for you to see all its major attractions in two hours. Lake Manyara National park has three habitats: groundwater green forests, acacia woodlands, and open floodplains.

Tarangire National Park

Named after the Tarangire River, Tarangire National Park is also part of the northern tourism circuit. The park area is approximately 2,600 sq km and has a high concentration of wildlife during the dry seasons as well as a high number of elephants. With over 570 bird species, the place is surely a birdwatchers’ paradise.

The best time to go on safari in Tarangire national park is in the dry months from June to September. The dry weather at that time force many animals to congregate at the river to drink water. There is also less vegetation cover at this time, giving you great animal spotting chances. You also stand a better chance of seeing pythons at Tarangire than in any other places, particularly because Tarangire pythons have love climbing trees.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Located towards the north of Tanzania on an area of over 7,000 square miles the Ngorongoro conservation area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in’79. The park joins up with the Serengeti to the north-west and it is through here that wildebeest horde through during their world famous migration from the Masai Mara to Serengeti, then to Ngorongoro.

At the center of this conservation area lies the 264 sq km Ngorongoro crater, whose floor is inhabited by a great array of wildlife. Since the crater provides one of the greatest and very satisfying game watching experience, it is not a big surprise that it remains one of the most popular Tanzania destination for wildlife safaris.

Great herds of gazelle, antelope and zebra can be seen grazing along the river beds as well as large herds of elephants moving from one corner of the park to the other. It is also possible to see prides of lions sleeping lazily under the shady trees or at least hear a lion’s roar echoing off the walls of the crater. This is an exciting, though at times, shocking experience. Birdwatchers will also enjoy visiting Ngorongoro. Lake Ndutu in the area is home to a thriving population of birds. Some of the bird species you will see here include stocks, ducks and flamingos among may more.

Serengeti National Park

In the local Masai language, the word “Siringit” means unending plains. Serengeti’s name is derived from this word, describing the national parks open grassy plains. Occupying 12,950 sq km, this national park is part of the same ecosystem with Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. This vast plain is the home of over 30 large mammal species and about 500 bird species.

The Serengeti hosts the largest and longest overland migration in the world, dubbed the Great Wildebeest Migration. The semi-annual occurrence that is said to be the world’s most spectacular wildlife show is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world. Others include the Ngorongoro Crater and Victoria Falls.

The great wildebeest migration from Serengeti to the Mara generally takes place between July and August. It is however impossible to correctly predict its timing as it is largely dependent on the rain and pasture availability patterns. The reverse journey of the migration happens around October. About 2 million herbivores participate in the migration, with some of the most interesting moments being when they cross the Mara river in pursuit of greener pastures.

Serengeti is reached by both road and air. The road trip from Arusha, situated some 320km from the park, takes approximately 8 hours. International visitors to Serengeti are served by the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha. From there, the visitors can travel by road to the park or take either scheduled or charter flights to Serengeti airstrips like Kirawira or Seronera.

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Many people visiting Dar es Salaam also take tours to such Tanzania national parks and game reserves as Ruaha, Mikumi, Udzungwa, and Selous. These parks are part of Tanzanias southern safari circuit. It takes only a few hours drive to get to Mikumi national park from Dar es Salaam. Getting to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam takes two hours by ferry, and an even shorter time by flight. Some hotels in Dar es Salaam (e.g. Bahari Beach Hotel and White Sands Hotel) can also arrange day trips to nearby islands for visitors.

Mikumi national park is home to a great variety of African wildlife including elephant, buffalo, lion, wildebeest, hartebeest, warthog, African crocodile, hippos, monitor lizards and a considerably high number of the endangered African wild dogs. The park also has a prolific bird life especially during the wet season when up to 300 species of Eurasian migratory birds flock the area. The Mikumi flood plain is undoubtedly the most prominent land feature in the game park. The flood plain is neighbored on one side by the Uluguru mountains, and on another side by the Lumango hills range. The national park borders Selous game reserve, and forms part of a 75,000 sq. km. wilderness ecosystem covered by open grasslands in the plains and miombo woodlands in the higher grounds.

Unlike several other destinations in the southern safari circuit, Mikumi is accessible throughout the year. The park is only four hours by road and one hour by flight from Dar es Salaam. If you are on a budget safari, you can take a bus ride to the park gate then organize game drives from there. You can get limited accommodation at the few luxury lodges and tented camps in the park. There are also three campsites. Mikumi is the ideal wildlife safari destination if you find yourself in Dar on a weekend.

Lying 348 km west of Dar es Salaam and 65 km southwest of Mikumi is the Udzungwa mountains national park. The mountains are part of the Eastern Arch Mountains found southeast of Kilimanjaro. Having been purposely created to conserve plant life, this unique Tanzania national park hosts many rare plants in its forest. The forest is also inhabited by several primates, including the endemic Sanje crested mangabey and Iringa red colobus monkey. Also found in the plateaus are elephants, lions, buffaloes and hunting dogs, though in smaller numbers compared to other parks and reserves. Udzungwa is also an important African sanctuary for bird life In recent times, four previously unknown bird species have been discovered by scientists here. The period between June and October, i.e. the dry season is the best time to visit this park. Hiking trails get unpleasantly slippery during the wet season.

The Ruaha National Park is rightly named after its lifeblood- the Great Ruaha River. Occupying 12,950 sq km, it is Tanzanias second largest national park and the world’s biggest elephant sanctuary. Home to numerous crocodiles and hippo, the Great Ruaha draws many thirsty water buck, leopard, buffalo, reed buck, wild dogs, lion and hyena to its banks. Plain animals such as zebra, greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope, impala and giraffe are found on the plains stretching from the rivers edge. The topography is agreeable to hiking and walking safaris are allowed. In wet season months of March to April and October to November the bird population peaks and the park has over 370 bird species, including some Eurasian migrants.

Ruaha has a very diverse flora, with over 1650 plant species found there. The plant and animal life in Ruaha is a unique mixture of eastern Africa and southern Africa flora and fauna. This national park has a hot and dry climate with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in October. Located 128 km west of Iringa town in central Tanzania, Ruaha national park was previously inaccessible, but there are roads today enabling year round access. It takes 10 hours by road and one and a half hours by charter flights from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha. The dry season from May to December is the best time for a safari to Ruaha. During that season, thirsty animals flock the Ruaha river banks, with the ensuing drama (feeding, courting and mating, and fighting) being a spectacle to behold. Accommodation in Ruaha is rather limited, with only one luxury lodge and a few campsites and self-catering chalets.

Selous Game Reserve is the star of the southern safari circuit. The reserve is named after the intrepid Fredrick Courtney Selous, a celebrated Victoria era explorer and naturalist. He met his end here in a sideshow of the First World War. The Great War had spilled over from Europe as the Germans then ruled parts of todays Tanzania. Located 500 km to the southwest of Dar, the reserve occupies a staggering 55,000 sq km ” larger than Switzerland- and is the largest of its kind in Africa. The Selous was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982 due to the significance of both its flora and fauna. This immense wilderness has a diversity of habitats including savanna woodlands, swamps, open grasslands and forests.

There over 2,100 plant and tree species in Selous. Rufiji river is the lifeblood of the game reserve and has many oxbow lakes and tributaries suitable for boating safaris. Lions, elephants, black rhinos, buffaloes, hippos, wild dogs, elands, impala, water bucks, giraffes, zebras, greater kudu, baboons, and bush bucks are just some of the wild animals found in Selous. Birdwatchers also have an exciting tour in Selous, with over 420 bird species. Just like in Ruaha, game animals in Selous are widely scattered due to the large size of the reserve. The best game watching experience is attained by taking a slow pace, preferably 3-4 days. Visitors can enjoy a rewarding photographic safari in Selous, with Stiegler’s gorge being a favorite spot also favored by leopards.

From Dar, you arrive after a 1-” hour charter flight or by traveling for 7 hours by road. Travel by road is not advised, except for the most adventurous souls. Selous is near the coast and is just a few hundred feet above sea level. The climate is hot and humid, particularly between October and March. Part of the reserve is closed in the wet season between March and May. The best time to visit is over the dry season period of June to October. Then on safari you can walk, boat and ride a 4WD vehicle. Accommodation is limited to just a few luxury tented and no-frills camps.

Sadani game reserve, located in the north coast about 50km from Bagamoyo, is also worth visiting. Sadani gives one an experience of the bush at the beach, and the wild life seen at the reserve including elephants, leopard, giraffes, lions, buffaloes and zebra. The reserve is, however, accessible only with special transport arrangements.

Before getting into Dar es Salaam and Tanzania, visitors from yellow fever infected areas have to be obtain certificates of vaccination against the disease. Travelers from the following areas where yellow fever is not endemic are exempted from this: Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. The forest region in northwest Tanzania is regarded a high risk yellow fever area. Malaria is also common in most of Tanzania. It is advisable to start taking appropriate anti-malaria treatment two weeks before arrival. Typhoid, hepatitis A, and polio vaccinations are also advisable. In addition, with the exception of citizens of a few African and commonwealth countries, visitors must have Tanzania visas to get into the country. While it is possible to get the visa at entry points like Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam international airports, where possible, get the visa in advance from the Tanzanian mission in your country. Some airlines may not allow you to board flights to Tanzania without the visa.

You can get to Dar es Salaam through such Africa travel hubs as Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa. There are also numerous domestic flights in Tanzania to Dar and other airports including Kilimanjaro international airport and Dodoma airport. By sea, ferry services from Mombasa to Dar es Salaam are available. Visitors can tour around Dar es Salaam city using taxis, which charge a standard fee of Tsh 2000 for a journey within the city center. To travel to Zanzibar by ferry, you have a choice of 4 boats ” 2 ordinary ferry boats, a hydrofoil, and a catamaran. You will need to produce the certificate of yellow fever vaccination before boarding the ferry. In addition to boat fare, you will have to pay US$5 for port charges.

Dar es Salaam, like most of Tanzania, does not get very cold. Light clothing is therefore most suitable. Temperatures average around 30 degrees celsius, the hottest period being from October to March. Male travelers can carry decent short sleeved shirts, shorts and trousers, while skirts, short sleeve blouses, and slacks would be enough for the female traveler. If you will be visiting the highlands however, it is advisable you carry some warmer clothing like sweaters for the early mornings and the evenings. In the entire country, nudity is unacceptable.