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Tanzania National Parks
Tanzania is one of the many enthralling destinations on the African continent that has yet to be discovered by many. It is a land of many wonders with an un-paralleled diversity of fauna and flora.
Tanzania stretches from volcanoes in the crater highlands along the Great Rift Valley to the tropical Indian Ocean, home to the spice islands of Zanzibar. Stand in awe as over two million herbivores cross the Serengeti grassland the size of the Netherlands.
Marvel at Eden-like Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unbroken caldera. Gaze at snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro which towers over Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya. Take in Lake Victoria sparklings in the far north and Lake Tanganyika which forms a watery western border with Zaire and Zambia.
Tanzania has an exceptionally diverse population of over 30 million people, consisting of 120 tribal groupings. The scenery, topography and very friendly people harbor the growth of excellent cultural tourism: beach holidays, game hunting, historical and archaeological ventures – and certainly one of the best wildlife viewing opportunities.
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Lake Manyara National Park
Manyara National Park is located about 130 kilometers from Arusha town, between the Great Rift Valley's cliff escarpment and the shallow alkaline lake, Lake Manyara. The lake attracts considerable birdlife, and its surrounding terrain contains such a rich mosaic of different habitats that it supports a large number of animals. This park is famous for tree-climbing lions and huge variety of birds especially flamingos.
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Wild animals include giraffes that have a darker color than other giraffes in Tanzania, monkeys, antelopes, zebras, crocodiles, buffalo and a high density of elephants. At the entrance, there is a hippo pool that will surely capture your attention. It is also a bird-watcher’s paradise with over 350 species including flamingo, stork, pelican, sacred ibis, cormorant and Egyptian goose.
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Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Climbing Kilimanjaro is a must-do challenge for almost every trekker and mountaineer in the world.
Mount Kilimanjaro lies on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, just south of the Equator. It was formed 750, 000 years ago and is made up of three extinct volcanoes – Kibo (5 895m), Mawenzi (5 149m) and the Shira Plateau (3 962m). Kibo is the best preserved
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centre; it has three concentric craters and the outer crater rim rises to Uhuru Point – the chief summit.
Mount Kilimanjaro is divided into five distinct zones, starting with cultivated farmlands on the lowest levels. Higher up is the rainforest zone, followed by heath and moorland with alpine vegetation. Just before the barren, snowy summit is highland desert.
The climate and animal life is dependent on the zone, with elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard, monkey and a variety of birdlife being plentiful in the lower zones.
Lying just south of the equator, Kilimanjaro is affected by the passage of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which brings with it the main rainy periods. The highest rainfall occurs between mid March and early May, and slightly less between the beginning of November and late December. Rain and, higher up, snow, can be encountered at any time of year – even in the driest periods (January, February and September).
Temperatures vary considerably with height and time of day. On the plains surrounding Kilimanjaro the average temperature is about 30sC. At 3000 m, frosts can be encountered at night while day time temperatures range from 5 to 15 C. Night time temperatures on the summit can be well below freezing.
Mt. Kilimanjaro - the Marangu or main route
is by far the most popular way up Kilimanjaro. We use this route in our itinerary.
The forest is very beautiful and Maundi Crater is worth a visit just for the flowers and scenery. There are wonderful views of Kibo and Mawenzi. From the summit glaciers, screes, cliffs, afro-alpine moorland then forests lead down to the cultivated foothills. The Marangu route takes you at a gentle pace through these dramatically different zones.
It generally takes five or six days for the round trip. The schedule, trails and accommodation are designed to allow visitors to acclimate gradually. An extra day at Horombo, Mawenzi or Kibo Huts is recommended to allow even more time to get used to the altitude. All huts on the route are manned and in radio contact with the Park Headquarters at Marangu.
Huts on the Marangu route:
Mandara Hut - 2700 m.
This is a group of comfortable, wooden A-frame huts. The largest cabin has a downstairs dining area and an upstairs dormitory with bunk beds and mattresses; smaller huts sleep 8 each. The total capacity is 60. Water is piped into the site from springs above and flush toilets are behind the main cabin.
Horombo Hut - 3720 m.
The buildings are similar to Mandara, but the total capacity is 120. Water is piped in from the stream behind the huts. Do not use this stream or its valley as a waste disposal area. There are platform toilets south-east of main hut and new flush toilets have been built within the complex of small huts.
Kibo Hut - 4700 m.
This stone built block house with a small dining-room and a number of dormitory rooms leading off a main corridor has bunk beds and mattresses for 60 people. There is no water, so bring an adequate supply from the 'Last Water' stream above Horombo Hut. Platform toilets are behind the hut.
Distances:
Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut: 3-4 hrs
Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut: 5-7 hrs
Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut: 5-6 hrs
Kibo Hut to Gillman's Point: 5-6 hrs
Gillman's Point to Uhuru Peak: 1-2 hrs
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Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
Ngorongoro Crater, 20km (12.4mi)-wide, 600m (1968ft) deep, is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world. Covering a mere 260km² it is home to a permanent population of more than 30,000 animals. You will see lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingo wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi, the soda lake
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on the floor of the crater.
Maasai tribesman have grazing rights in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, so it is not unusual to see Maasai cattle and buffalo grazing together, with a lion kill just a few hundred meters away. There are around 100 lions in the crater and about 20 black rhino. The spectacular Lerai Forest is one of the best places in Africa to spot leopard.
Nights on the crater rim (2 400m), where the lodges are, can get icy cold.
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Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti, which sprawls across 14,763 sq km (5757 sq mi), is Tanzania's most famous game park. Here are 35 species of plains dwelling animals, including wildebeest and zebra, which feature in the spectacular Serengeti migration. There is also an extensive selection of bird life.
Serengeti is also famous for its lion, cheetah and giraffe populations. It is one of the most incredible wildlife sights you will ever encounter.
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SERENGETI: THE GREAT MIGRATION
The migration traditionally follows the rains to take advantage of the new grasses on the plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara. Theoretically, if traditional weather patterns occur annually, the following provides a basic idea of how the migration moves throughout the year:
Late December / early January – Ndutu region, Tanzania.
Traditionally, this is when the calves are born. The migration remains passive until April when the calves are strong enough to start moving north.
Early April / May / June – Serengeti, Tanzania.
The migration begins moving north-west following the long rains across the Serengeti plains towards the western corridor and the Grumeti River.
June / July – Western corridor, Tanzania.
The animals gather in the western corridor.
August /September – Masai Mara, Kenya
The migration crosses the Grumeti River and moves north-east into the northern steppes of Masai Mara.
October / November / Early December – Masai Mara, Kenya/Northern Tanzania / Serengeti.
As the short rains begin in northern Tanzania, the migration begins to move south back into the Klein’s/Lobo region of the Serengeti. From here, they follow the rains through to Seronera and end up at Ndutu for the calving season. As the migration follows the rains, there is no hard and fast rule as to where the animals will be, and when.
Often, the animals split into two groups as they move, resulting in one group moving on the western side and another group moving on the eastern side of the Serengeti, finally meeting up at Ndutu or in the Mara. Viewing of the migration can therefore not be guaranteed.
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