Selous Game Reserve

• Size – 44,800 sq kilometres (Africa’s largest game reserve)
• Fauna – Home to almost 750,000 mammals including, African hunting dogs, elephant, hippopotamus, buffalo, crocodile, plains animals, giraffe, bush babies, genet cats, mongoose, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, rhino, lions, leopards, cheetah, spotted hyena, over 440 different species of birds
• Landscape – Grassy plains, woodland, groundwater forest, the Rufiji River, swamps, riverine forest, lagoons, channels
• Special Features – Varied landscape, the world’s largest population of elephant, bush walks and boat trips are permitted within the reserve
• Not recommended – The Selous is the only place in East Africa where elephant hunting is permitted. Although the hunting numbers are limited, over 80% of the reserve’s income stems directly from hunting.
• Recommended Accommodation – Rufiji River Camp, Sand Rivers Selous Camp, Selous Safari Camp

 

Mahale Mountains National Park

• Size – 1613 sq kilometres
• Fauna – Wide diversity of bird and butterfly species, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, giraffe, plains animals, roan and sable antelope and 9 different species of primates including chimpanzees (approximate chimp population of 1000) and both the black and white and red colobus monkeys
• Landscape – Mahale Mountains (2462 metres high), gallery forests, mountain savanna, woodland and lake habitat
• Special Features – 9 species of primates. One can only walk into the park with an official armed guide, Mahale Mountains Research Centre, visits to the chimpanzees, Mount Nkungwe
• Recommended Accommodation – Nkungwe Luxury Tented Camp, Mahale Mountains Tented Camp, Kigoma Hilltop Hotel in Kigoma

Gombe Stream National Park

• Size – 52 sq kilometres
• Fauna – Primarily primates such as the wild chimpanzees of which one troop can be visited by guests to the park, olive baboon, red colobus monkeys and blue monkeys. Other animals include different varieties of antelopes, mongoose, bushbuck, the chequered elephant shrew, over 230 different species of birds and over 250 different species of butterfly
• Landscape – Hills, river valleys, woodland, evergreen forests, thorn scrub
• Special Features – The park can only be entered on foot with an official guide, Gombe is reached by boat, chimpanzee researchers and surveys
• Recommended Accommodation – The Park Hostel and camping. Alternatively guests can stay in Kigoma at the Kigoma Hilltop Hotel from where boats to the park are boarded.

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

• Size – 14763 sq kilometres, Tanzania’s largest park
• Fauna – Wildebeest and zebra – the primary migratory animals, lions, cheetah, hyena, crocodiles, leopard, plains animals, buffalo, giraffe, warthog, elephant, bat-eared foxes, jackals, over 520 different species of birds, colobus monkeys
• Landscape – Flat grassland plains, kopjes, hills, valleys, acacia woodland, evergreen forests
• Special Features – During the annual migration (December - July) of wildebeest and zebra the park contains the largest concentration of animals in the world, Grumeti River, balloon safaris, Moru and Lobo Kopjes, Seronera Valley, the Western Corridor, Naabi Hill Gate
• Recommended lodges and luxury tented camps – Kirawira Tented Camp, Lobo Wildlife Lodge, Migration Camp, Serengeti Serena Lodge, Serengeti Sopa Lodge, Seronera Wildlife Lodge

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA Dubbed as the 8th Wonder of the World…)

• Size – 8288 sq kilometres
• Fauna – Elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, including the extremely rare black rhino, cheetah, hyena, jackals, abundant bird life
• Landscape – The Ngorongoro Crater (19 kilometres in diameter and 300 sq kilometres), Liana forests, the Crater plains, grassland, swamps, glades, lakes, thorn scrub
• Special Features – the Ngorongoro Crater, the nearby Empakaai Crater, the Olduvai Gorge, Lake Magadi on the crater floor, the Crater Highlands
• Recommended lodges and luxury camps – Ndutu Lodge, Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, the luxurious Crater Lodge, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

• Size – 360 sq kilometres
• Fauna – Flocks of flamingo, elephant herds, tree-climbing lions, plains animals, buffalo, hippo, zebra, giraffe, leopard, mongoose, warthogs, baboon troops, over 380 species of bird life
• Landscape – Lake Manyara – a shallow soda lake, groundwater forest, thick bush, Grest Rift Valley’s western escarpment, swamps, acacia woodland, grass plain
• Special Features – Largest concentration of elephants in an African park, continent’s densest biomass, hiking, abseiling and canoeing in the park, hot water springs
• Recommended lodges and luxury tented camps – Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, Kirurumu Tented Camp, Lake Manyara Serena Lodge

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK

• Size – 2600 sq kilometres
• Fauna – Elephants, lions, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, ostrich, warthogs, plains animals, over 550 species of birds including the pink flamingo, Eurasian migrants, hoopoes, hornbills, brown parrots and an array of game birds such as the guinea fowl and yellow-necked spurfowl
• Landscape – Plethora of Baobab forests, Tarangire River, grassland and woods in the northern part of the park and low hills and swampland further south
• Special Features – Wildlife migration in dry season (July – November) from Tarangire National Park to Lake Manyara National Park, guided walking in the park permitted, Lake Burunge, Gursi Swamp, Ridge Road, buffalo pools and Poacher’s Hide
• Recommended lodges and luxury tented camps– Naitolia Camp, Oliver’s Camp, Swala Camp, Tarangire Safari Lodge, Tarangire Sopa Lodge

Kilimanjaro National Park

With a peak at 5891 metres, Kilimanjaro which is a national park, is Africa’s highest mountain. Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest free-standing massif and is one of the world’s largest volcanoes (dormant).

Kilimanjaro has 3 major peaks, the youngest and highest peak being Kibo which is actually a large crater that was formed about 100,000 years ago. The highest point on Kibo is the Uhuru Peak located on the crater’s south-western rim. Uhuru Peak stands at 5891 metres. The other 2 major peaks on Kilimanjaro are the Mawenzi Peak and the Shira Peak.

Size - The Kilimanjaro National Park covers the entire mountain, stemming for approximately 2750 metres and has six forest corridors which run down to about 2000 metres.

Routes - The most famous and popular routes up Kilimanjaro commence from the villages of Machame and Marangu. The Marangu Route is the easier of the two and the trek up and down the mountain will take you 5 days. The Machame route will take you 7 days to go up and down the mountain.

Optimum climbing - The best time of the year to climb Kilimanjaro is between December and February when the weather is at its best. July to September are also good months to climb the mountain.

Landscape – Below 1800m is farmland and above this altitude is forest. There are over 1800 different species of flowering plants

Fauna – Kilimajaro is home to 3 primate species, the blue monkey, the black and white colobus monkeys and the bush baby. Other animals include leopard, reedbuck, red and grey duiker, eland and bushbuck.

 

ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK

• Flora and fauna – Buffalo, elephants, hippos, giraffe, buffalo, warthogs, plains animals, colobus monkeys, leopard and hyena. There are over 400 different species of birds and butterflies.
• Landscape – Volcanic, rainforest, mountainous surrounds
• Special Features – Volcanic scenery, vast views of Mount Meru (4566 metres) and the park plains, one of the least commercialised parks in Africa, opportunity to hike within the park
• Recommended Hotels and lodges in and around Arusha – Mount Meru Novotel, the Impala Hotel, the New Arusha Hotel, Arusha Coffee Lodge, Serena Mountain Village, Il Boru Safari Lodge, Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge