Tanzania safari destinations offer the ultimate African adventures and discovery journey experiences. The country is a leading East African safari destination with some of the highest tourist arrivals annually. All of this is thanks to the country’s diversity in terms of wildlife and culture. Tanzania has a rich history coupled with, trade, and the influx of Europeans and Arabs along the East African Coast.
Tanzania safari destinations feature diverse safari experiences ranging from game drives to balloon safaris and more. Photography safaris are now common and rewarding when done in Tanzania.
In today’s travel guide, we feature iconic Tanzania Safari Destinations best for adventure, culture, and history and they include the following;
Nyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park is Tanzania’s largest national Park. It is located in Southern Tanzania and is part of the prominent Southern Tanzania Tourism circuit. It was previously known as the Selous Game Reserve before being upgraded to a national park. The Park is exclusive and its large size gives it an advantage of diversity. Four of the Big Five mammals are present here as well as the rare African wild dogs.
Other notable wildlife species here include zebras, wildebeests, hippos, and hyenas. Nyerere is home to over 400 bird species and therefore a great birding safari destination. The park can be best explored on game drives, nature walks, birding tours, and Balloon safaris among others. Such adventures make Nyerere National Park a must-visit Tanzania Safari destination.
Tanzania safari adventures in Nyerere are doable any time of the year but for the very best experiences, we recommend the dry season from June to October. December is also relatively dry offering great chances of wildlife viewing with minimal rainfall disturbances. The wet season months of March to May are best for birding.
Some lodges close down because of the rains and you might have limited accommodation options when visiting. Those that remain open offer discounted rates that enable you to save some money. The other major advantage of traveling in the wet season is the exclusivity in the park as there are usually few people visiting.
Serengeti
Serengeti National Park is the most prominent of all Tanzania safari destinations. It is located in Northern Tanzania and together with Kenya’s Masai Mara form an ecosystem where the wildebeest migration takes place. More than the wildebeest migration, Serengeti is home to Four of the Big Five Mammals. These include lions, leopards, buffaloes, and elephants.
Serengeti has the highest lion population and is the best place for a Big cats experience featuring lions. It is normal to encounter over 10 prides of lions with up to 20 individuals on one game drive in Serengeti. Cheetahs and leopards are also easily seen here unlike other Tanzania safari destinations. Other major safari animals in Serengeti include zebras, gazelles, giraffes, and hartebeests.
Adventures to Serengeti are epic and make the park the best of all Tanzania safari destinations. It can be toured throughout the year however for the wildebeest Migration experiences it is best to visit from October to July. Central Serengeti has high concentrations of wildebeests throughout the year. Wildebeest migration River crossings to Masai Mara sometimes start in July depending on the movement of the migrating herds.
November to March is a calving period. Here the wildebeests would have returned from Masai Mara sweeping through the Ngorongoro Conservation area, Ndutu, and southern Serengeti. Over 5,000 calves are born a day and it is when predators are most active. You can therefore plan your Tanzania safari to Serengeti depending on your wildlife interest.
Tanzania Coastal Destinations
Tanzania Coastal destinations are renowned for their rich historical background. These cover the coast of mainland Tanzania and the Zanzibar Archipelago. Coastal destinations bring in the Marine wildlife aspect where you take on adventures featuring sea animal species. These range from dolphins, whales, several fish species, and turtles among others.
Tanzania has several marine national parks and reserves with Saadani National Park being the most prominent. Beyond the wildlife, Tanzania’s coast and Zanzibar have impressive white-sand beaches. These are often frequented by honeymooners and are great for destination weddings.
Coastal Tanzania has a rich history of the East African coastal trade that saw the influx of Arabs and Europeans in the 14th to 16th Centuries. With this, there is a mixture of people of different races each with a rich culture and heritage. It is always impressive to learn about this rich history and cultural diversity on a Tanzania Safari Tour. Coastal Tanzania safari destinations are a great addition to the open savanna adventures on the mainland. A 10 to 14-day Tanzania safari is enough for you to cover these.
Lake Eyasi
Lake Eyasi is a nature and cultural Tanzania safari destination. The lake region is home to one of Africa’s oldest tribes the Hadzabe. Hadzabe people are believed to be among the oldest living tribes on the continent. They have over the years continued to live by their African tradition customs of hunting and gathering amidst civilization. A cultural safari to this community takes you back in time and offers a great insight into the people’s ways of life.
All the major Tanzania safari destinations have provisions for community and cultural experiences. Central Tanzania has prominent tribes including the Wataturu and Northwestern Tanzania has the Sukuma and some Masai people. You can learn more about these by joining our Tanzania Discovery Journeys Adventures.
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