Tarangire National Park

 

Tarangire National Park

At 2 600km², Tarangire is far from being the biggest of the Tanzanian parks, but its unrivalled landscape of open plains, dotted with thousands of baobabs, is unforgettable.

About 120km south of Arusha on the Dodoma road, Tarangire rivals the Serengeti for the size of the game herds that congregate here at peak season (June to November). This is when many of the animals crowd around the only source of permanent water in the park, the Tarangire River.

This is also the best place in Tanzania to see really big herds of elephant – up to 300 at a time. Tarangire is another park known for its tree-climbing lions, and for its very big herds of buffalo. This is one of Africa’s little known gems and should be on the itinerary of all lovers of wilderness and solitude. The game numbers are staggering: 30 000 zebra, 25 000 wildebeest, 5 000 buffalo, 3 000 elephant, 2 500 Masai giraffe and over 1 000 fringe-eared oryx (gemsbok).

Predators include lion, cheetah and leopard. Birders will want to look out for the endemic ashy starling, rufous-tailed weaver and black-collared lovebird.

Explore the Tarangire National Park at one of the following camps: