Tarangire National Park is often overlooked in Tanzania's northern safari circuit. Only and hour or so's drive out from the city of Arusha, this is arguably one of East Africa's last discovered jewels and is well worth including in a visit up here. Often dubbed as the main reason to come here, the vast elephant herds that wander in and out of the park throughout the year are to be seen to be believed.
Due south from Zanzibar and opposite the river mouth of the mighty Rufiji, lies the small island of Mafia. Largely overlooked by the waves of tourism that now feature on Zanzibar, the island has a ramshackle feel to it, which only adds to its charm. Surrounded by a protected marine park, like Pemba, this is a good destination for those that are keen on spending a bit of time in the underwater world.
Separated by the Pemba channel from its larger sister, Zanzibar to the south, the small island of Pemba is part of the Zanzibar archipelago of islands that run north from Dar es Salaam. With a fraction of the tourism, much fuller vegetation and some of the best diving in the world, there is good reason that many of the more intrepid try and come here for a few days in the sun!
Made famous for its spices and the slave trade of the 19th century, Zanzibar Island is much more than a stopping point on an itinerary, and can be seen as a destination in itself. What the island offers is a unique combination of outstanding beaches, along its eastern edge, interesting activities, such as visiting a working spice farm, and the cultural delights of Stone Town, with Arabian fortresses and minarets.
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the verdant forests and angular slopes of the Mahale Mountains drop vertically to sand covered beaches and crystal clear waters. The lodges that nestle on the shores of Lake Tanganyika with this stunning backdrop are reason enough to come to this wondrous place...but add in some of the best chimp viewing on the planet and this becomes a one in a million!
Superlatives about this fantastic park flow regularly from the mouths of those that have had the fortune to be able to come and visit this, Tanzania's third biggest National Park...and for good reason. Featuring hippos pods of thousands, denning crocodile, super herds of buffalo and predators galore (we even had one client who had a leopard chased under their vehicle by a pride of lion!) Katavi is, without doubt, one of Africa's best-kept secrets.
Approximately an hour and a half flying time to the west of the Selous, Ruaha National Park is often paired with its neighbour and provides the perfect foil. Where the Selous is verdant and riverine, Ruaha is barren and sparse. Where the Selous has elephant, hippo and crocodile, Ruaha has lions, buffalo and leopard. In every sense, to step into Ruaha is to step into how Africa has existed forever.
One of the largest designated game areas in Africa, Nyerere National Park (formerly the Selous Game Reserve) is approximate two and a half times the size of Wales and is truly one of the last frontiers in Africa, with game roaming freely and unimpeded throughout. The main focus for the safari activities is around the mighty Rufiji River that flows west to east through the northern section of the park and, in the dry season, it becomes a Mecca for all types of game looking to replenish water supplies.
Mount Kilimanjaro, at around 6,000m towers over the plains of Eastern Africa and is one of the most iconic volcanoes in the world. As Africa's highest peak it is always on the lists of those visiting the continent that are keen on walking and mountaineering. The slopes themselves are fairly innocuous and so it is usually the altitude that is the issue for most with the starting point at around 1,400m and the average climbing time being around 3 days.
Again, one of the staple attractions on the northern “circuit”, Lake Manyara National Park adds something different again to the mix. Where the Serengeti is known for its huge skies and wildebeest, and the Ngorongoro is known for the views, Lake Manyara is a superb example of what the Rift valley has to offer. This is a park that sits at the bottom of the 600m high escarpment that is part of a tectonic crack that marks the entirety of East Africa, from Ethiopia to Malawi.
