Game Reserves In Tanzania

Tanzania safaris options just like in Kenya is wide, from accommodation in hotels and lodges to luxury tented camps and budget camping in Tanzania.

Lodges are often built of local stone and thatch to blend harmoniously with the landscape. Restaurants and bars in warmer areas are on wide, open verandas whilst in the cooler highlands, lodges are glassed in and many have log fires in the evenings.

Arranging a family safari in Tanzania is so much easy, luxury tented camps offer high standards of comfort and service — twin-bedded, insect-proof tents with en-suite shower / flush toilet and dining / bar facilities in central mess tents or attractive open buildings. Budget camping is basic and adventurous in game reserves and other beautiful surroundings like lakes, rivers or mountains.

Facilities in all hotels, lodges and camps are excellent. Arranging a honeymoon safari in Tanzania is a dream come true. Same thing with booking or arranging a safari in Tanzania.
 

Game Reserves and Parks in Tanzania.

Arusha National Park is a relatively small park, covering an area of 137 square kilometres (52.9 square miles).

Lying between the peaks of Kilimanjaro and Meru, Arusha National Park is an area of outstanding beauty. The Park has a wide range of habitats, from the string of crater lakes where many water birds can be watched, through the highland montane forest and on up to the imposing summit of Mt. Meru.

The interesting geology of the area is reflected in the impressive view of the ash cone and cliff face leading to the summit of Mt. Meru. Three distinct areas are to be found within Arusha National Park: Ngurdoto Crater, the Momela Lakes and the rugged Mt. Meru. Altitudes range from 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) above sea level at Momela to over 4,500 (14,764 feet) meters at the summit of Meru.

The Ngurdoto Crater is 20 Km. across and 100 metres deep. The Momella Lakes 10 Km. north of Ngurdoto Crater, were formed about 1/4 million years ago, perhaps when Mt. Meru exploded and spewed volcanic debris and liquid mud over the surrounding area.

The vegetation which occurs in the Park is correlated to the altitude and geology of the area. Ngurdoto Crater is surrounded by forest whilst the crater floor is a swampy area. The Momela Lakes, like many in the Rift Valley, are alkaline, and Mt. Meru is a mixture of lush forests and bare rocks.

The forests contain a wealth of birds and other animals, like the beautiful bushbuck easily glimpsed in the grades between the ancient cedar trees, or the black and white colobus monkeys climbing along their branches. Other animals found in the park include buffalo, hippo, reedbuck, waterbuck, elephant, giraffe, baboon, bushpig, sykes monkey, vervet monkey, mongoose and warthog. Birdlife includes grebe, African pochard, ibis, heron and egret.

Both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru can be seen from the park when the weather is fine.
 

Lake Manyara National park is one of the most diverse reserves in the country. The beautiful Lake Manyara covers two thirds of the park, while the rest consists of steep mountainside, swamps, dense woodlands, open grassy areas and hot springs.

Lake Manyara is one of the many alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley. It was formed abut three million years ago and is quite shallow, with an average depth of about three metres. The lake attracts hundreds of birds species.

In high vegetation near the park entrance, baboons and black monkeys charter between cicada shrills. More than 350 species of birdlife are found in Lake Manyara - including pelicans, Egyptian geese, ducks, waders, herons, storks, grebes, ibises, kingfishers and the flamingos. The extraordinary birdlife has made this place world-renowned among ornithologists.

The park is famed for its unique tree-climbing lions. The rare sight of seeing the king of the beasts sprawled in the bough of a tree is an unforgettable sight
The wall of the Great Rift Valley forms the backdrop before which lies the ground water forest, areas of open grassland near the lake foreshore, and the Soda Lake.

• Preferred hotel accommodation options at lake Manyara

Lake Manyara Hotel
Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
 

Ngorongoro crater is located west of the great rift valley which runs from the Red Sea to Lake Nyasa in southern Tanzania.

Ngorongoro was an active volcano some eight million years ago, whose cone collapsed, leaving a crater. It is the largest unbroken caldera in the world, the second largest extinct crater in the world, and today shelters the most beautiful wildlife haven left on earth with a spectacular concentration of wildlife and stunning views. Its never been easier booking or arranging a safari in Ngorongoro crater Tanzania.

The Crater is oval in shape, 300Sq. Km in area, 610m deep. There are 25,000 larger animals within the crater itself. This is undoubtedly the best place to see black rhino in Tanzania as well as prides of lion that include the magnificent black-manned males.

All of the big five are seen - elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo. Other game includes: cheetah, hyena, zebra, warthog, impala, hartebeest, eland and lots of other members of the antelope family and smaller mammals of sorts.

Birdlife includes:- Kori bustard, secretary bird, crested crane, maribou stock, goliath, heron, beautiful fish eagles, and thousands of colourful flamingos. More than a 100 species of bird not found in the Serengeti have been found in the crater.

Vegetation: The crater rim is wooded with mountain forest vegetation. Blooming in acres of flowers e.g. pink, blue and white lupines, candle white lilies, blue hyacinth.
 

• Preferred accommodation at Ngorongoro crater include;

Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

Mikumi national park forms the northern border of the Selous Game Reserve, and is one of the most accessible of the Tanzanian national parks.

Mikumi is rich in wildlife and contains buffalo, elephant and lion. Also found are wildebeest, zebra, impala, warthog, hippo, and giraffe. Most of the animals can be seen at all seasons. Elephants can be seen throughout the area and buffaloes totaling some 3,000 are to be found on the treeless grassland.

Vegetation: The Mkate River Floor Plain with its hard ridges, swamps and black clay grassland, the miombo woodlands lie on hills of east and west, and the rivers with their fringe of tall trees and dense thickets. The TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia) railway line marks the boundary of Mikumi with Selous to the south.

 

Ruaha National Park, the second largest national park in the country, is one of the unexplored parks in Tanzania and the largest elephant sanctuary. The name Ruaha derives from the great Ruaha River which flows along its entire eastern border creating spectacular gorges and scenery. Hippo, crocodile, turtle and fish inhabit the river.

Elephants are often to be seen on the banks of the Ruaha River. Lion, giraffe and other animals can also be found. The special attraction of Ruaha, besides its spectacular scenery, is its unspoilt wilderness.

This park is relatively unknown and only recently developed for tourism and less frequented by tourists.

The park is also known for its concentration of greater and lesser kudu, its roan and sable antelope and its rich bird life; more than 400 species of birds have been recorded.

Its geographical location means that it is visited by both northern and southern migrants. Ruaha also has a great variety of resident bird species. The best time for keen bird watchers is between January to April.

The terrain within most of the park is a well wooded, undulating plateau at an average altitude of 915m with mountains in the south and west rising up to 1600m and 1900m above sea level respectively.

Miombo woodland forms the dominant vegetation, changing to combritum / commiphora to the east.
 

The best months for game viewing are June to December.

 

Olduvai Gorge is an archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti Plains. The gorge is a steep sided ravine roughly 30 miles long and 295 ft. deep.

Exposed deposits show rich fossil fauna, many hominid remains and items belonging to the one of the oldest stone tool technologies. The time span of the objects recovered date from 15,000 years ago to over 2 million years ago.

In 1959 the skull of zinjanthropus was discovered by Dr. Leakey at the Olduvai Gorge. zinjanthropus is believed to have lived 1.8 million years ago. In the 1970's the foot-prints of animals and early hominids dating back to 3.5 million years were found by Mary Leakey at Laetoli, some 45 kms south of Olduvai Gorge.

In 1974 fossils of hominid tooth were discovered, dating back to 2.4 million years. Engaruka Site, discovered not very far from Olduvai is believed to be an ancient settlement of a later civilisation. Between half a million and a million years ago, "Homo Erectus", who stood upright, wondered around making use of hand axes. Many such tools were found at Olduvai.

Skeletal remains of hominids on the oldest bed of the gorge are assigned to the Homo Habilis an Australopithecus Boisei families. Campsites and what is believed to be a butchery site have also been excavated from this bed.

The Hominid living sites in Bed I are found mainly where streams from the volcanic highlands carried fresh water to Olduvai lake. The conditions for the preservation of the sites is mainly due to the ash falls from the nearby volcanoes.

The debris found at the sites are various tools, bone and teeth from animals, mainly from fair sized antelopes. Also a loosely built circle of lava blocks was found, suggesting that crude shelters were formed here as well.

The latest of the archaeological Beds is the Naisiusiu. It lays in the bottom of the Gorge at what is now the present depth. It only has a depth of 33 ft. It contains one site that has microlithic tools and one complete Homo Sapien skeleton, both of which date to 17,000 years ago.

More than 150 different species of extinct mammals have been identified from the fossils, as well as many birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

An on-site museum explains the archaeological significance of the discoveries. This area, it seems, is indeed the "Cradle of Mankind".