Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park

Named after the river that flows through the park, Tarangire National Park is one of the lesser known Tanzanian National Parks, giving it a real air of undiscovered Africa. Famous for its tree climbing pythons, massive baobabs and large herds of elephant, Tarangire National Park is small but still home to a significant wildlife population, with a density of wildlife matched only by Ngorongoro. Birding is particularly good here; the swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. Tarangire works well as part of a northern circuit and can be visited en route to Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, or on the way back. Tarangire walking safaris are a wonderful alternative to driven safaris.

Best to know in Tarangire National Park

•  Second only to the Serengeti ecosystem for concentration of wildlife during the dry season.
•  Herds of 300 elephants and teems of antelope crowd the dwindlingwaters of the Tarangire River and its shrinking lagoons.
•  Tarangiri National Park One can see a large concentration of elephants year round.
•  An incredible 550 speices of birds, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world.
•  With luck you may see Bat eared fox, Fringe eared Oryx and White bearded wildebeest along with all the common wild animals.
•  Predator populations are a big attraction here.
•  Tarangire’s pythons climb trees , so keep a watchful eye on the trees too.
•  Magnificent 1000-year-old giant Baobab trees punctuate the Park.
•  Bird species found here include African hoopoe, bataleur, Brown parrot, Goliath heron, Helmeted guinea fowl, Hamerkop, long-toed lapwing, Madagascar bee-eater, Yellow collared lovebird, and White-bellied lourie.
•  Also found here are various species of ducks, francolins, kingfishers, owls, doves, weavers, plovers, eagles, and sand pipers.

Location

• Covers an area of 2,600 sq km
• The 4th largest park in Tanzania
• Tarangire is the sixth largest national park in Africa
• 118km southwest of Arusha Town.

When to Go

• The dry season, July – September and temperatures are between 18 and 32 degrees Celsius.
• The wet season, mid-October to mid-May and temperatures are between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius.
• Rainfall is usually in the region of 1600 mm per annum and is heaviest from November through to April.
• June and October is considered the best time to visit due to the sheer numbers of animals.

Activities

• Walking safaris can be arranged with qualified guides.
• Game Driving around the Park.
• Tarangire Balloon Safari With the only sound being that of the burners heating the air inside the balloon’s billowing canopy, all those within the 8-man basket will revel in the spectacle of the rising sun across the Tarangire plains.Following this 50-minute breathtaking spectacle, the balloon will land softly on ‘terra firma’ and from here you will be taken to your open-air breakfast table where you will no doubt share the morning’s experiences.
• Day trips to the Barabaig tribe’s ancient Kolo Rock Paintings are another good option.