If you arrived to Tanzania, it is very likely that you came here to do a safari. It is for this same reason, that you will have to reach Arusha. From this city, almost all cars leave for the main national parks where you can enjoy one of the best experiences of your life.
How to get to Arusha:
- Plane: If you find yourself in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar or Nairobi, it can be a very good option. Daily flights depart and are not “so” expensive. A trip from Dar es Salaam costs you 70 USD
- Bus: If you are on a lower budget, this may be the best option, although it is longer. From Dar es Salaam, it will take you almost 13-14 hours to get on a bus and it will cost you 25-35 USD. From Nairobi, it lasts 5-6 hours and you have to cross the border and it costs you about USD 15 + the visa (USD 50). An advantage that I like about the bus is that, you can enjoy its landscapes. In Tanzania and Kenya you can see zebras, giraffes and other animals along the road like wild animals and the landscapes are very beautiful.
For international flights, it is very likely that they will arrive in Dar Es Salaam or Zanzibar. If you are interested in knowing what to do on the island, click here. If you are going to spend some time in Dar es Salaam, I recommend you stay at the Slow Leopard Hostel, Henry is very kind and can help you to organize a little bit of your trip around Tanzania.
When you arrive to Arusha, it is very easy to find agencies that are going to offer you many tours and you don’t know what to do, we found out a lot and the best company we could get was Watatu Travel. At the end I leave you Guillem’s contact, he speaks English and Spanish and he will help you get everything. We decided to do on Tanzania, the Tarangire national park and the Ngorongoro crater (I’ll tell you a little more detailed about each park). We always had the doubt to make or not the Serengeti, this is the most famous park therefore the most expensive.
Since we where with a tight budget, we always look for camping alternatives, but if you want a different experience, you will find hotels with all kinds of luxuries and the people of Watatu Travel will help you with everything you need. It’s just that you communicate with Guille.
The big 5 of Africa
The name of this group of animals emerged thanks to the hunters wanting to group the 5 most difficult animals to hunt on foot in Africa. The game of the big 5 consisted on getting the most difficult hunt and you will earn the title proving that you were a great hunter.
The animals on the list are:
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- African elephant
- Black Rhinoceros
- African buffalo
- African lion
- African leopard
(Wikipedia photo)
(Wikipedia photo)Nowadays for protection issues, the population of these animals is growing because they were at risk of extinction. The only one still on the high risk of extinction list is the rhinoceros.
This name is used in safaris because they are the animals more people want to see. I managed to shoot on our trip 4 of the big 5 with my camera.
Tarangire National Park
Its name comes from the Tarangire River that crosses the park and is located in the Manyara region. Leaving from Arusha, it will not take you more than 2 hours, it is quite close and with the landscape you will be well distracted. This park is one of the hidden gems of Africa because it is not well known and is a park that will show you the power of Africa all year.
When to visit the park:
Having a large river and lake nearby, this park is perfect for you to visit both in the dry season and in the rainy season. Between August and October when it is rainy season, it will be a little more complicated to see the animals because they are throughout the entire park while in the dry season, they are located much closer to the river. It is very likely that you will find herds of elephants digging in the mud to draw water from the “dry river.”
Biodiversity:
It is one of the most complete parks because you can find 4 of the 5 largest in Africa (there is no rhinoceros). It is one of the parks with more population of elephants so if you love this animal, this park will make you very happy.
In the months of drought, you will be able to observe a great migration because the vast majority of places dry up so that the animals seek to reach the river and you can find large herds of zebras, wildebeest, giraffes and large predators such as lions and leopards.
In this park you can find one of the most symbolic trees in Africa. Many of us have heard from young children about Baobab (the tree of life) Here in Tarangire, you can find this tree with great abundance because it can live up to 600 years and is one of the trees that can capture more water by its size.
There is a legend that talks about the Baobab touring Africa until one day it made God angry and he buried them face down in the ground so that they could not walk reason why it seems that the part we are able to see look like roots.
Ngorongoro Crater
Its name clearly comes from being the crater of a volcano located in the Ngorongoro conservation area. Nowadays it is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because it is the largest inactive boiler in the world and is the only crater with animals inside.
When to visit the park:
This park is also a good option because in any month of the year you can find all the animals because the migrations that occur here are few. It varies a little in times of drought and rain because the grass in drought will be much shorter forcing the animals to go a little more to the ends of the park, although in this park it will be much easier to observe them.
Biodiversity:
If your dream is to see the big 5, this may be your place. Here you will find the 5 animals, although it is not an easy task. Sadly I did not had the opportunity to meet the rhino. Being a plain, it is much easier to find animals in the distance and observe large herds and lions from afar.
Being a volcanic soil, it is a bit complicated to find trees although towards the edges you will find some wetlands where some leopards, buffaloes and other animals tend to hide in search of shade and water.
In the middle of the crater, you will find Lake Magadi where you can enjoy a good picnic in the company of hippos. A sight that will leave you speechless.
Contact Watatu Travel:
Guillem Gomis
Mail: guillem@watatutravel.com
Telephone: +255 683898095
