Tarangire National Park is located in the Manyara region of northern Tanzania.  Situated south of Lake Manyara, this stunning park which covers an area of 2,850 square. kilometers features a landscape which is a mix of woodland grasslands punctuated with iconic baobab trees. The park is named after the Tarangire River that crosses the park from north to south. It is this river that attracts a diverse and high concentration of game especially in the dry season, as it remains the only permanent source of water.

Vast herds of Elephants that inhabit the park and forests that abound with the enigmatic Baobab trees, combined with the rugged landscape, not found in other parks make Tarangire stand out from the other parks that form Tanzania’s traditional northern safari circuit.  Relatively unknown and thus uncrowded, Tarangire National Park is without doubt a park ideal for visitors who want to step further “off the beaten track” and experience a truly wild area of Africa.

Tarangire which boasts of the second highest concentration of wildlife of any Tanzanian national park abounds with great Elephants herds, with large concentrations of as many as 3,000 of these Gentle giants common during the dry season. More than 700 Lions have been recorded here and are often seen during one’s game viewing drives within the park. Leopards and Cheetahs are also common sightings together with Buffalo, Zebra, Masai Giraffe and Wildebeest to name but a few.

There are few parks that can match Tarangire’s game viewing especially during the peak months of the dry season (June to November). The African Wild Dog, Kudu, Oryx and the Giraffe necked Gerenuk are some of the rare species found in Tarangire and unlikely to be found in Serengeti, Ngorongoro and other northern parks. At Tarangire, you will find what is arguably the best bird diversity on the African continent, attracted by the park’s vibrant swamps. With over 500 different species of birds having been recorded here, Tarangire is a bird watcher’s paradise. Some of the birds that call Tarangire home are the Vulturine guinea fowl, northern pied babbler, Tawny eagle, Masai Ostrich, Great White Pelican, Bare faced Go Way bird and the African Grey Fly Catcher. For keen bird watchers, notable birds like Red bellied parrot, Ashy Starlin and the Red and Yellow barbet are some of the unique species found here. Although bird life remains prolific throughout the year, the months of November to April attract north African and European migratory birds.

How to get there: Tarangire is accessible both by road and by air. It is located less than 2 hours drive from Arusha (110 kilometers) where most of our safaris begin and end. Lake Manyara National Park is only 70 kilometers away from Tarangire National Park, with the Ngorongoro Crater being about 180 kilometers away. For those who prefer to fly, scheduled flights are available from Kilimanjaro and Arusha airport to the nearby Kuro airstrip in Tarangire.