Tarangire National Park: home to elephants & the hidden migration

Tarangire National Park is located in the Manyara Region of Northern Tanzania, one of the top safari destinations for wildlife viewing in Tanzania. This National Park derives its name from the Tarangire River that passes through the park, and acts as a major water source for animals. The Tarangire National Park’s vast ecosystem spans over an area of 2,850 sq. km (1,100 sq. mi), encompassing savanna grass lands, woodlands, and thick bushes that are inhabited by different wildlife and birdlife. Tarangire is famous for its large elephant herds that are accustomed to safari vehicles and can be viewed just a few meters away from the car. This National Park is also blessed with diverse flora, popular for its giant Baobab trees and stunning forests. This National Park has the second largest wildlife concentration after the famous Serengeti National Park – a must visit on wildlife safaris in Tanzania.

Tarangire National Park is a paradise of elephants, with over 300 individuals roaming its vast savannas, making it one of the best places to see these giant mammals in Africa. Beyond its incredible elephant herds and the giant baobabs, Tarangire National Park is also a rich birding destination in Tanzania, hosting about 500 different bird species, including the migratory and rare species.  Safaris here also allow visitors to discover the Tarangire hidden migration as wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles move from this park to the nearby Lake Manyara National Park.

Attractions And Activities at the Park 

Wildlife of Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park offers an inexhaustible wildlife viewing experience visitors, boasting large numbers of different wildlife species including the famous African Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant). Wildlife viewing in the park is best done on wildlife safari game drives in pop-up safari vehicles. Beyond the African Big Five, this National Park is also home to huge herds of grazers like zebras and wildebeests. Visitors will also witness waterbuck, giraffe, impala, dik dik, hyenas, Grant’s gazelle, vervet monkeys, banded mongoose, olive baboon, cheetah, caracal, honey badger African Wild Dog and lions among others.

Beyond the normal wildlife viewing experience in Tarangire, the national park is also a great place to witness the mammal migration in Tanzania. Although Serengeti National Park is the best place to witness the wildebeest migration in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park is also known for its hidden migration where zebras, wildebeest, and gazelles move between this national park and Lake Manyara National Park. It is also one of the few places where you can see the rare antelope species in Tanzania, including the fringed-eared oryx and the long-necked gerenuk. Wildlife safaris to Tarangire National Park are remarkable and guarantee visitors opportunities to spot all top wildlife species in Africa.

The birds of Tarangire National Park

Besides its phenomenal numbers of wildlife, this national park is also home to an impressive bird array in Tanzania, up to 500 bird species have been registered within the park boundaries. Tarangire is blessed with a diverse ecosystem including wetlands, acacia woodlands where birds like to make their nests. Among the bird species in the park are hammerkops, starlings, kori bustards, yellow-collared lovebirds, bee-eaters, brown parrots, steppe eagles, crested francolins, hoopes, yellow-necked spurfowl, lilac breasted rollers, mousebirds, bateleur eagles, gigantic lappet-faced vulture, hornbills and the guinea fowl among others.

During Tanzania birding safaris in this park, visitors are likely to enjoy bird viewing from their safari vehicles and also during guided nature walks. For bird lovers looking forward to visiting Tanzania for bird watching safaris, Tarangire National Park is a must visit.

 

The Giant Baobab Tree

In spite of the wildlife and birds in Tarangire, the Giant Baobab Tree is a gem that attracts many visitors to the park. These trees have a peculiar nature which cannot be seen anywhere in the world but only in Tarangire, and it has been called the “Tree of life”.  This is a tank in nature, having unique roots which can absorb about 300 liters of water from the ground. The roots and the stems of these Giant Baobab Trees have stood firm and strong for ages, with studies showing they have lasted for about 600 years. Meanwhile, various species of birds can be spotted on the Giant Baobab Tree; thus, the tree is supports the livelihood of animals and birds which feed on their seeds.

 

Walking Safaris

Tarangire National Park offers insightful walking safaris, which provide a deeper study into the wildlife heritage of the park. It provides a unique experience of tiny animal species that cannot be spotted on a game drive. Visitors come very close to animals, and the adventures are well guided and informative. During the walking safaris in Tarangire, the visitors take the Masaai and Barabaig villages to learn about the culture of the people surrounding the national park.

 

The Best Time to Visit Tarangire National Park

Just like all the other safari destinations in Tanzania, safaris to Tarangire National Park can be done all year round, however, the dry season is considered the best time to visit. There are two dry seasons in Tanzania; the long dry season from June to September and the short dry season from December to February.

The dry season offers the most ideal safari conditions like the dry track allowing access to top wildlife viewing spots, short grass that allows wildlife viewing, and good weather, among others. It is, however important to know that the dry season is also the peak season of safaris in Tanzania, and large numbers of travelers always travel during this time. Visitors looking forward to traveling during this time are recommended to book well in advance.

How to Get To there

Tarangire Park is located in the remote areas of Northern Tanzania near the city of Arusha about a distance of 120 kilometers, and the area can be accessed both by road and air.

 By Air

There are direct flights from Kilimanjaro International Airport directly that can take visitors to Tarangire National Park. The flights takes about 35 minutes from  Kilimanjaro International Airport. There are also alternative flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport to Tarangire Airstrip.

By Road

Arusha and Tarangire National Park are 140 km apart, and getting to the park by road takes about 3 hours using a 4×4 vehicle, one of the most used or convenient way of travel to the Park.  Most visitors prefer driving from Arusha to Tarangire since it is cost-friendly and allow them to explore the countryside while on a safari tour.

Discover Tanzania on your next African safari tour, book your trip with Nirvana Safaris today and experience the thrill of wildlife viewing in Tarangire and several other top National Parks in Tanzania.