Tarangire National ParkTarangire National Park is a quiet park lying just south of Lake Manyara and famous for its high concentration of elephant. Tarangire is a very seasonal park that only becomes good towards the end of the dry season when the region’s game all moves towards the Tarangire river system. Similar in habitat to areas of Ruaha and Selous in Southern Tanzania, it offers a different landscape from the other Northern parks and is a welcome break from the busier parts of the Northern Circuit!
Tarangire’s relative obscurity, due to its noisy neighbours Ngorongoro and Serengeti, has hidden the park’s principle attraction - from July to early November Tarangire is host to one of the largest elephant concentrations in Africa. Elephant herds in their hundreds migrate from the Masai steppe south of the park - with some recorded travelling from as far North as Amboseli in Kenya. The peak months are August, September and October when up to 3,000 elephant create the highest density of the species in the country. If you are travelling in these golden months then a couple of nights in Tarangire is a must.
However, Tarangire is much more than just an elephant stronghold; this park is beautiful, quiet and surprisingly good for its diversity of game. It is also one of the only places in Northern Tanzania to offer first class walking safaris and fly camping trips inside National Park boundaries. In our view, Tarangire is an incredibly underrated and beautifully quiet park. Long may it stay that way! Tarangire: Accommodation choices
Tarangire's camps can be divided into those inside the park and those outside. The super luxurious Tarangire Treetops is located outside and is the only camp we recommend outside. The most famous camps, however, are located inside the park itself and ultimately this is where the best game viewing takes place. Sanctuary lodges (A&K) run an equally luxurious camp called Swala that benefits from a great location and good access to the best game viewing areas. The other favourite is Olivers, an authentic camp run by Asilia Safaris, one of Tanzania's most famous companies. Olivers offers walking, fly camping trips and night drives with night vision optics.
Recommended lodges in this area:
Tarangire
Originally established by John Oliver, a guide who has lived in Tarangire for around 20 years, this intimate, luxury camp provides the best walking and location of any of the Tarangire camps.
Tarangire
Swala is situated at the edge of the Gurusi wetlands, nestled in a remote pocket of Tarangire National Park. One of most luxurious lodges in Tarangire offering walking safar and night drives.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire Treetops is a stunning and quirky property set just to the East of the Tarangire National Park. Owned and operated by the Elewana Company, the lodge is the sister to Migration Camp in the Serengeti and is equally as luxurious.
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