Tarangire National Park
The Tarangire landscape comes from a safari fairytale, thousands of elephants rumbling past the ancient frames of baobab and acacia trees. Joining them are lions in the trees, cheetahs in the grass, and an abundance of life around the river. One glance is captivating. Two days is immersive and we can't get enough of how Tarangire brings something different to the East Africa safari experience.
Home to incredible wildlife.
The elephants are unmissable, sometimes 30, 40, or even 80 of them marching together. Babies swing their trunks with comical abandon while frisky males clash dramatically on the savannah. Giraffe are the other great benefactor of the Tarangire flora and are as commonplace as the swelling baobabs. Impala skipping, zebra grazing, waterbuck jumping, baboons hooting...look beyond the giants and there's always something new to encounter.
The perfect park for a classic safari.
Tarangire is on the iconic Northern Tanzania safari loop. On an overland safari, the park is neatly situated between Arusha and Ngorongoro. For fly-in safaris, there are regular connections from Tarangire to parks all across the country. While they're not as famous, Tarangire's thick woodlands are vastly different to Ngorongoro Crater and the grasslands of the Serengeti.
Indulge in luxurious camps and lodges.
Tarangire is always a fully immersive experience and the accommodation is exceptional. We only recommend camps that allow you to sit back and watch the elephants rumble past. Those situated deep within the park regularly bring intimate moments with a wider cast of wildlife. For true safari inimitability, consider the camps in and amongst the trees, where wildlife regularly passes beneath you.
The best time to visit.
The end of the dry season brings the best predator encounters as wildlife gathers around the Tarangire River, making August to February the prime time to visit. Even when the grass rises high from March to May you may be lucky to find a tree-climbing lion, a cheetah lurking, or a leopard in its lair. But don't worry to much about the predators; you'll see lots of them in nearby Ngorongoro and Serengeti. Come here for the other animals.
We highly recommend this park for how it diversifies the Tanzania safari experience and the delightful quality of accommodation on offer. Tarangire is also good value for money and you'll find that the same budget can get you a more luxurious camp here than in other Tanzanian destinations. Which is great considering you're amongst nature's biggest and greatest.
