Tarangire National Park

Stunning

I had the pleasure of visiting Tarangire National Park as the first stop in my 9 day Safari with Fed Safaris which covered Tarangire, Lake Natron, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was the perfect starting point and I'm glad the guide talked me into doing it, over extended even longer in Serengeti. We had a little longer, which meant one full day in the park and that gave us access to some of the more remote roads. At one point we were in the middle of a confluence of elephant families. In total I counted just under 100. I've never seen anything like it. At another point as we headed back to the camp I looked over and spotted a small group of lionesses and their near-adult cubs. As they walked, the light rain stopped and an incredible rainbow framed them, including a Baobab in the background (truly). How do you beat that? Amazing place and the guide and extra time really made a big difference.

cool for the elephants but a LOT of tse tse flies

Tarangire is home of the storied baobab trees, and they are amazing. The park also had an incredible amount of elephants; I'd estimate that we saw hundreds. Also, which termite mounds may not seem exciting, there was a part of the park that had a field full of them; all several feet high. It wasn't something I could capture in a photo. WE also saw wildebeest, giraffes, lions, and plenty of zebras to highlight a few. We stayed at one lodge (Sopa), but had lunch at another and both were delightful: serene, clean, with good cuisine.

Amazing baobab trees and beautiful changes in elevation make this relatively compact park a real gem. Lots of wildlife everywhere we looked. Quite different from other parks we visited. Just a beautiful, beautiful place.

Tarangire may be “the” place in the world to visit if you are interested in elephants. In two short game drives through this park we saw more elephants, in larger families, and closer to the roads, than in the rest of our safari combined. They say that the lion is the king of the jungle... but even lions are cautious around elephants.
Elephants are not the only attraction here. We saw giraffe, zebra, hippos, lions, baboons... truly, most of the wildlife in the other parks are also present here. But they are often found interacting with the elephants, because in Tarangire, elephants are the star.
We discovered that many of the tourists who were doing shorter safaris than ours were skipping their drive through Tarangire. I cannot stress this enough: that is a huge mistake.

Everything you want from an African safari

When you think of Tarangire, you think of elephants. Lots and lots of elephants.
On average there are approximately 3000 elephants living in the park, so chances are that you will see a few of them. Certainly in the morning or late in the afternoon, you can easily find them when they migrate between the bush and the river area. With a bit of luck, they end up right next to (or in front of) your jeep.

The park is one of the highlights of the northern safari circuit in Tanzania. It is fairly close to Arusha, approximately a 2 hour drive, but it is recommended to stay at least one night in one of the lodges in the park. All the way through the park, there runs the Tarangire river. This river provides some breathtaking scenery, certainly when you find the right picnic spot or you make a stop at the Tarangire Safari Lodge and enjoy the view from their terrace. With a bit of luck, you will find a big herd of elephants and many other animals on the plains and the riverbed right down the cliff on which the lodge has been built. A visit to the Tarangire Safari Lodge really is a must if you are visiting the park. It is one of the most beautiful views you will see in Eastern Africa. Of course, you could also stay there for the night.

The northern part of the park is the most busy part, and rightfully so. There is so much to see in this area and in general you will not see too many vehicles at the same time, apart from the entrance gate and at really special game sightings.
Besides the elephants, you will find all sort of large animals, like zebra, wildebeest and giraffes and cats like lions and cheetahs. When we visited the park, the cats were fairly active and we witnessed a cheetah hunting impala and two female lions checking a warthog out if he (or she) was any good for lunch.
The large animals are very compelling of course, but don’t forget to look for the small animals and birds as well. One of the smaller animals that quickly became one of our favourites is the dik-dik. We even found a pair right next to our lodge when we checked in. Furthermore, there are birds in all sizes, from ostriches and secretary birds to lovebirds and there are plenty of birds of prey to spot.

All in all, Tarangire is everything you want from an Eastern African safari, all in one park. Breathtaking scenery and an abundance of game to enjoy.