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Tanzania National Parks

Arusha National Park

 Arusha National Park is located northeast of the town of Arusha. This is one of the best places to get a good look at the black and white colobus monkey. Situated within the park is the fifth highest peak in Africa, Mount Meru. At 4,566m (14,990ft), it dominates the park's horizon. While it is no Mt. Kili, Mt. Meru is a rewarding hiking destination in it's own right. Your journey begins through the wooded savannah, filled with buffalo and giraffe and ascends into forests with Spanish moss and colobus monkeys.

Elephants are scarce in Arusha National Park, and lions are altogether absent. You will, although, be able to see leopards and hyenas chasing some small prey for their breakfast. Flamingos are a sight to see at the Momela Lakes, sometimes numbering in the thousands. In the middle of the forests of Arusha National Park is an easy drive from Arusha town, approximately a 40 minute drive. It is easily survey in one day. The lakes, forest and Ngurdoto Crater can all be thoroughly enjoyed in one half day outing. The best time to climb Mt. Meru is between June and February, and the best views of Kilimanjaro is between December and February.

Tarangire National Park

 Tarangire National Park is located between Arusha and Lake Manyara. It is an easy ride from Arusha and can usually be a stop on a game drive to the Serengeti. Tarangire is 2,600 sq km (1,005 sq miles) of plains and swamp land. Tarangire is home to hears of elephants, wildebeest, buffalo, impala, gazelle and more. This is the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. Tarangire is also the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed. Tarangire is a bird watchers smorgasbourg with over 550 bird varieties. You can see everything from the Kori buzzard, the heaviest flying bird, to the yellow-collared lovebirds. There are not only birds in those trees though, you can also see pythons as well as lions and leopards lounging in the trees.

Lake Manyara National Park

 Lake Manyara is located in northern Tanzania, about an hour and a half west of Arusha. There are many things to do at lake Manyara, including game drives, canoeing, mountain biking, forest walks, and cultural tours. The National Park is 330 square kilometers (127 sq mi) of which up to 200 square kilometers (77 sq mi) is lake, when water levels are high.

Lake Manyara National Park is home to an array of typical African wildlife, from the over 400 recorded species of birds, to the legendary tree-climbing lions and massive tusked elephants. On entering the park, you will see many baboon troops lounging casually along side of the road. The blue monkeys are also a typical sight, scampering through the trees. The grassy floodplains are home to large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and giraffe. Famous author Ernest Hemingway said of Lake Manyara National Park, "the loveliest I have seen in Africa."

Ngorongoro Crater

 Ngorongoro Crater is a World Heritage Site, located on the eastern edge of the Serengeti in northern Tanzania. This gigantic crater was once an active volcano. Now, it is home to some thousands of animals. Some have named it the eighth wonder of the world. It spans 8,300 sq km and is the world's largest intact collapsed volcano. It is 600 meters deep (2,000 ft) and 20 km wide (12 miles). The crater is home to hundreds of flamingos that like to wade in the lakes. The crater is also home to many Maasai who you can see grazing their cattle on the hills. The crater is also famous for it's archeological find. It was here that Dr. Louis Leakey and wife Mary Leakey found the remains of Zinjanthropus Bosei, a distant ancestor of man, believed to be1.8 million years old and Australopithecus Bosei, a species that became extinct about 1 million years ago.

Serengeti National Park

 Serengeti National Park is the oldest and most popular national park in Tanzania. The vast plains cover 14,763 sq km (5,700 sq miles) expanding through Tanzania and into Kenya. There are so much to see and do in the Serengeti, it usually takes a few days in this park in order to fully absorb all there is to offer. The hot air balloon rides are extremely popular among tourist and is quite an interesting way to appreciate all the Serengeti has to offer. From the great wildebeest migration to the 500 plus bird species found here, the Serengeti is a vacation that is never equaled.

Open Africa Tours can also travel with you to show you and experience more other National Parks in Tanzania such as:

Gombe National Park

Katavi National Park

Kitulo Plateau National Park

Mahale Mountains National Park

Mikumi National Park

Ruaha National Park

Rubondo Island National Park

Saadani National Park

Udzungwa Mountains National Park