TANZANIA & ZANZIBAR

Tanzania has three safari circuits and each one of them would make Tanzania a top wildlife destination. The popular Northern circuit with the Mountain Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater offers one of the best classical safaris in Africa, especially if timed with the annual wildebeest migration.

Rates (USD) $192 to $577 pp/day
Best Time to Go June to October (Migration from June to July and January to February)
High Season July to March (Northern circuit parks get crowded)
Size 947,303km² / 365,756mi²

Pros & Cons

• Superb wildlife viewing, including the annual wildebeest migration in the Serengeti
• Off-the-beaten-track safaris in Nyerere and Ruaha parks
• Several wildlife viewing circuits for repeat visits
• Best chimp trekking in Africa in Gombe and Mahale Mountains
• Beach holiday extensions in Zanzibar
• Traditional indigenous cultures
• Relatively expensive safari destination
• Some popular parks can be crowded

Wildlife
You’ll have few problems spotting the more-prominent African animals in Tanzania, including lion, elephant, giraffe and buffalo. For big cats, you’ll want to head to the Serengeti, while Ngorongoro Crater is where you want to be for a chance of seeing black rhino. Other wildlife highlights include chimpanzee trekking, checking out African wild dogs, and being awestruck by the several million wildebeest, gazelle and zebra on their annual migration.

Wildebeest Migration
The wildebeest migration is one of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles. At least two million ungulates – mainly wildebeest, but also zebra and gazelle – move around the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. The wildebeest calving season is also a very special time to visit. The large concentrations of wildebeest and their calves attract many opportunistic predators, and this is a good time to see some action.

Wildlife Highlights
The Serengeti is famous for its abundance of big cats and the highly endangered African Wild Dog is relatively easy to find in Nyerere and Ruaha where their numbers are quite healthy. Gombe Stream and Mahale are Africa's best chimpanzee reserves. Best Time for Wildlife Viewing The Dry season (late June to October) is the best time for wildlife viewing. The Wet season (November-May) is often more beautiful and tourist numbers are lower. The best chance for seeing the wildebeest migration is during June and July. The parks in the Southern and Western circuit are less accessible in the long rains (March to May) and some lodges close in that period.

POPULAR ATTRACTIONS IN TANZANIA

• Gombe National Park
• Katavi National Park
• Lake Manyara National Park
• Ngorongoro Crater
• Nyerere National Park
• Ruaha National Park
• Serengeti National Park
• Tarangire National Park