Tanzania Safari

Embarking on a safari adventure in Tanzania is an exciting and memorable experience. To help beginners plan their safari, here is a step-by-step guide: Choose the Best Time to Visit:  Tanzania’s safari seasons are influenced by the Great Migration in the Serengeti, which typically occurs from December to July. The dry season (June to October) is generally the best time for wildlife viewing as animals gather around water sources. However, the wet season (November to May) offers lush landscapes and fewer crowds. Select Your Safari Circuit: Decide whether you want to explore the Northern Safari Circuit (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, etc.) or the Southern Safari Circuit (Selous, Ruaha, etc.), considering your wildlife and landscape preferences. Choose the Duration of Your Safari: Safaris can range from a few days to a couple of weeks. Determine how much time you can allocate to your safari adventure. Research Safari Operators: Research and choose a reputable safari operator. Read reviews, ask for recommendations, and check their credentials. Ensure they have experienced guides, comfortable vehicles, and good safety records. Plan Your Itinerary: Work with your chosen operator to plan your itinerary, including the parks you want to visit, the number of days in each park, and the type of accommodation (luxury lodges, tented camps, budget campsites, etc.). Pack Appropriately: Pack lightweight, neutral-colored clothing suitable for the season. Essentials include comfortable walking shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, and a good camera with extra batteries and memory cards. Health Preparations: Consult your doctor for required vaccinations and medications, such as anti-malaria pills. Bring a first-aid kit with basics like pain relievers and bandages. Travel Documents and Visas: Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned return date. Obtain a Tanzanian visa if required, which can often be obtained on arrival. Respect Wildlife and Local Communities: Follow your guide’s instructions regarding wildlife encounters and maintain a safe distance. Respect the environment and local cultures, and avoid littering. Safety Precautions: Listen to your guide’s safety briefings, especially regarding encounters with potentially dangerous animals. Follow park rules and regulations. Enjoy the Experience: Relax, stay patient, and savor every moment of your safari. Don’t forget to put away your camera occasionally to fully appreciate the sights and sounds of the wilderness. Capture Memories: Take photos and videos, but don’t forget to immerse yourself in the experience. Sometimes, the most memorable moments are the ones you didn’t capture on camera. Leave No Trace: Ensure you leave the parks and conservation areas exactly as you found them. Dispose of waste responsibly. Feedback and Reviews: After your safari, provide feedback to your safari operator and leave reviews to help future travelers. Tanzania offers a diverse range of wildlife and stunning landscapes, making it a fantastic destination for a safari adventure. With proper planning and respect for the environment and local communities, you can have an unforgettable experience in this beautiful country.

Tanzania is known for its diverse and spectacular wildlife, and it offers two main safari circuits: the Northern Safari Circuit and the Southern Safari Circuit. These circuits provide different experiences in terms of wildlife, landscapes, and tourist attractions. Here are the key differences between the two: 1. Location: Northern Safari Circuit: The Northern Safari Circuit is located in the northern part of Tanzania and includes popular destinations like Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Arusha National Park. This region is well-known for its high concentration of wildlife and the Great Migration. Southern Safari Circuit: The Southern Safari Circuit, as the name suggests, is located in the southern part of Tanzania. It includes destinations such as Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park, and Udzungwa Mountains National Park. While it also offers great wildlife viewing opportunities, it is less crowded and more remote than the Northern Circuit. 2. Wildlife: Northern Safari Circuit: The Northern Circuit is famous for its abundant wildlife, including the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros). The Serengeti is renowned for the Great Migration of wildebeests and zebras, which is one of the world’s most incredible wildlife spectacles. Southern Safari Circuit: The Southern Circuit is less crowded, offering a more intimate safari experience. It is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and numerous bird species. While you can still spot the Big Five, it may require more patience and luck. 3. Landscapes: Northern Safari Circuit: The northern region boasts diverse landscapes, including vast savannas, acacia woodlands, and the stunning Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Serengeti’s wide-open plains and the Great Rift Valley are also prominent features. Southern Safari Circuit: The southern region features a mix of landscapes, such as miombo woodlands, rolling hills, rivers, and lush greenery. The Selous Game Reserve is known for its large rivers, while Ruaha National Park is famous for its rugged terrain and baobab trees. 4. Crowds and Accessibility: Northern Safari Circuit: The Northern Circuit is more accessible and popular among tourists, resulting in larger crowds during peak seasons. It has a well-established infrastructure with numerous lodges and campsites. Southern Safari Circuit: The Southern Circuit is less crowded and offers a quieter and more remote safari experience. It is ideal for travelers seeking a more off-the-beaten-path adventure. In summary, the choice between the Northern and Southern Safari Circuits in Tanzania depends on your preferences for wildlife, landscapes, crowd levels, and the type of safari experience you desire. Both circuits offer incredible opportunities to witness Tanzania’s diverse wildlife and natural beauty, so it’s a matter of personal preference and priorities.

10 birds you’ll see on safari besides the big five Despite not being one of Tanzania’s Big Five, birds are an amazing part of the Serengeti ecosystem. Over 1,100 different bird species may be found in Tanzania, 500 of which can be seen in the Serengeti. Here are the top 10 most seen birds in Tanzania. On your safari, you’ll probably run into a lot of them. There’s no need for binoculars! Ostrich The large and instantly identifiable ostrich is common throughout Tanzania. These non-flying birds are the fastest land birds in the world, running at almost 43 miles per hour. Male ostriches have black feathers, which make them stealthy at night, while female ostriches have grey-brown feathers, which provide good camouflage during the day. When predators are nearby, ostriches make a range of noises, such as snorts, whistles, and loud booming noises. It’s not uncommon to hear them before you see them! Tawny Eagle The Tawny Eagle is a short-legged bird with thick white, reddish-brown, or grey-brown feathers that can be found nearly everywhere in Tanzania. They are formidable hunters, diving from their perches to seize on prey with their sharp talons. They are well-known for eating insects when given the chance and are not picky eaters either. Marabou Stork The Marabou stork, which can be seen all throughout the Serengeti, is characterized by its massive, dagger-like bill and its pink, sunburned-looking head. Additionally, they have huge wingspans that enable them to soar very high. They often seen around carrion, stealing scraps from the kills of major predators. The absence of feathers on its head and neck enables it to eat messy food without becoming dirty. Marabou storks are intimidating and shrewd birds. Other marabous move out of the way when their throat sacs inflate, displaying their dominance. When around a grass fire, it’s common for a stork to march ahead of the flames in an attempt to grab any escaping prey. Kori Bustard The kori bustard is a buff and gray bird with only three front toes that prefers open grasslands and lightly wooded savanna. These birds are notable carnivores, consuming small mammals, lizards, snakes, seeds, berries, and insects as part of their diet. Lesser Flamingo The lesser flamingo is the smallest flamingo in the world, despite its tall, broad body and question-mark-shaped neck. This lanky bird, which lives in large groups around Tanzania’s Lake Natron, is distinguished by its pink plumage. It eats small aquatic invertebrates in addition to microscopic blue-green algae and some other lake-found species, which are the majority of its diet. Vitelline Masked Weaver The tiny, red-eyed vitelline masked weaver can be found all over the Serengeti. Males are easily recognized by their unique bright yellow plumage, pointy bill, and chestnut-colored breast and crown. The backs of females contain yellow streaks despite being much duller. They make “chek” noises and a fuzzily garbled song that sounds like radio static. A male masked weaver builds a nest in the image above in the hopes that a female will choose it. But females are quite picky, and they reject the majority of nests! Superb Starling The splendid starling is worthy of its name due to its stunning iridescent plumage. They travel in small flocks and are found broadly across northern Tanzania. However, their white chest band, which separates the blue breast from the fire-orange belly, makes them easily distinguishable from many various species of starling. Lilac-breasted Roller The lilac-breasted roller is a common bird in Tanzania, and it stands out thanks to its rust-colored cheeks, green crown, lilac breast, and blue body. This bird is known as a roller because of the aerial stunts it often does during mating displays, such as quickly rolling from side to side. It also does a lot of diving , swooping and makes loud, harsh cries. Von der Decken’s Hornbill The Von der Decken’s hornbill may be recognized as Zazu from The Lion King! The dry regions of Tanzania are home to this bird. While females have black bills, men have clumsy, red bills. To hatch and rear their eggs, females isolate themselves in small tree cavities. The male feeds the female and the chicks through a slit in their nest during this time.

Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti are famous for their unique wildlife. Hardly anyone expects that of all things there is a UNESCO World Heritage Site between these two safari highlights. But the Olduvai Gorge is something special, as today’s blog shows. If you are on the way from the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti National Park, you will eventually pass the junction to the Olduvai Gorge and discover a monument right here. At first glance, one would like to believe that these could be two oversized baboon skulls placed on a pedestal. Perhaps a memorial for a pair of monkeys that may have once stood at this crossroads and hoped for leftovers to be thrown at them by travelers – but in vain. Starved and powerless, they surrendered to their fate and died here entwined arm in arm. No, save your tears because it wasn’t like that. They may be primates, but they are large-scale models of the fossil skulls of two ancestors of Homo sapiens. May I introduce: Paranthropus boisei and Homo habilis. I have no idea which parents come up with names like that. And please don’t ask me who’s who. I only know that they are said to have lived in this area about 1.7 to 1.9 million years ago. The junction at this point leads straight to their old place of residence and current cemetery. What makes Olduvai Gorge so famous has to do with its remains: it is an archaeologically significant site. Would you like to find out more about traveling to Tanzania? We’d be happy to advise. Just contact us! Place of wild sisal and cradle of humankind However, the name Olduvai does not initially indicate an archaeological excavation site. Okay, this is also an important reference. But one of the Masai discovered wild sisal here. In their language, it is called “Ol Tupai”. – Or does it just sound like it? The reason why you can still read about Olduvai instead of Oldupai or Oltupai Gorge is probably due to a telephone game phenomenon: You say something, someone passes it on, and the third person understands something different. Let’s be happy that it didn’t become “Oweiowei”. Perhaps the Masai would have preferred it if this place had remained interesting only for its sisal. Instead, the Oldupai Gorge is now one of the hotspots of archaeological and paleontological pilgrimage routes. The reason for this: Fossil finds of human and animal remains that are millions of years old. Olduvai is considered the cradle of humankind. The first fossils in the gorge were discovered in 1911 by the German doctor Wilhelm Kattwinkel, who came to this country when it was still a German colony and was referred to as German East Africa. His assignment was to study sleeping sickness. I don’t know what insights he hoped to gain in the Olduvai Gorge. But in fact, there was an archaeological treasure slumbering here, including the bones of a three-toed primeval horse, which he perhaps thought was Sleeping Beauty. The steep gorge, some 48 km long and 90 m deep, was formed as a drainage channel for the eastern Serengeti and the surrounding slopes of the East African Rift Valley. The rainwater that ran off washed away vast amounts of the earth’s surface, formed the impressive landscape you see today and, over hundreds of thousands of years, also uncovered the fossilized remains of old tools and long-extinct creatures. After so much erosion, we have an answer to the question: What makes the Olduvai Gorge so famous? Well, it allows a virtual journey into the past, where the first developments in social interaction and community activity can be observed, which in turn indicate an increase in cognitive abilities in the transition from human-like to human-typical forms and behaviors. Is the Oldupai Gorge worth a visit for tourists? For those who are interested in the cultural and historical features of the Oldupai Gorge, I recommend the on-site museum, about 5 km from the monument on the main road. Located on the edge of the gorge, it offers some nice perspectives and has an educational exhibition about the gorge and its long history. It presents human and animal fossils as well as a range of tools from the era. The location not far from the main safari route allows for a quick detour if you plan accordingly. Interesting views, the museum, and a moment in one of the cradles of humankind are the reward. And if you want to experience more, drive north from the gorge to the shifting dune. It is about 9 m high and 100 m long. The conspicuously dark sand is mainly composed of highly magnetic volcanic ash. This holds the crescent-like formation well together even in the wind. With a movement of 17 m per year, it shouldn’t have gotten very far when you reach it. Tanzania offers so many highlights. The Olduvai Gorge is particularly special for archeology enthusiasts. We are happy to answer any questions and to help you to plan your trip to Tanzania, whether on a group or a private safari. Here on-site, we are always well-informed about the current situation. So get in touch with us! Your dream, our expertise – your very own Tanzania experience