Tarangire National Park is a protected Area that is found in Tanzania. Being the most underrated gem in Northern Tanzania it is famous for its elephants, birding and plentitude of huge gigantic baobabs. With a landscape composed of granitic ridges, river valley, and swamps, the park covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometers (1,100 square miles).

Tarangire is found in Northern Tanzania the Largest country in East Africa. The closest International Airport is the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) which is about 160 km from the park and the closest local Airport is the Arusha Airport (ARK) which is about 120km from the park.

The Park is accessible by vehicle from the nearest town in Arusha and/or a fly in to one of the closest airstrips from the local airport.

Game Drives

Day Game Drives

With a variety of wildlife, bird species, vegetation and the landscape, Tarangire offers a number of game choices. You should decide what you want to see before going on a game drive. Morning game drives are the most rewarding drives since most animals are active in the morning especially during the dry season. Birds are plenty in the morning and other animals can be spotted enjoying the morning sun. Afternoon game drives are usually not as rewarding as the morning drives since most animals seek shelter during this time. The park offers concentrations of predators, herbivores, birds and large Nile crocodiles.

Night Game Drives

Tarangire is one of the two parks in the northern circuit that allows night game drives.

Night game drives come with an extra fee so if you are interested let your operator know so it can be arranged since not all camps, lodges and tour operators are granted permission to perform such activity unless licensed.

A night game drive allows you the unique opportunity to spot a number of nocturnal animals, such as civets, bush babies, nightjars, and aardvarks, and possibly even predators on the hunt. Seeing new animals is definitely a highlight of these evening game drives, but these drives also give you the unique chance to see your surroundings from a very different perspective

Wildlife Viewing

Tarangire is home to Tanzania's most iconic animals with the highest concentration of elephant herd populations in the world. Approximately 5000 elephants can be spotted during the dry season with herds of up to 300 can be encountered in a single day. Other animals present include the rare Fringe-Eared Oryx, greater Kudu, buffaloes, hyraxes, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, leopards, zebra, eland, impala, lesser kudu, dik-dik, Coke’s hartebeest, eastern bearded wildebeests, reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog, hippopotamus, mongoose, Thomson’s gazelle, wild dogs and the tse tse flies.

Bird Watching

The birdlife in Tarangire is extraordinarily stunning. With over 550 birds species it is one of the most excellent birding destinations. Some of the birds include; go away birds, hoopoes, francolins, fowls, hornbills, steppe eagles, parrots, lappet-faced vulture, bateleur eagles, swallows, mouse birds, Kori bustards, bee-eaters, rollers, swifts, hammer kops, love birds and starlings. Early mornings and late evenings is the best time to spot birds.

Tarangire River

The Tarangire River flows all year round essential for wildlife especially in the dry months since it is the only permanent water source inside the park.

During the dry months of June to October the park reportedly holds the largest concentration of elephants in the world and the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. A small migration of thousands of zebras, wildebeests and elephants are drawn here. Up to 2000 elephants reside in the park during these months with some coming as far as from Amboseli National Park in Kenya. When the rains arrive in April and May the animals disperse.

The river flows into Lake Burunge which is situated in the northwest part of the park.

Hot Air Balloon

Early mornings are the best time for taking off in a hot air balloon. Also, the winds have to be stable otherwise you will end up feeling giddy in a balloon swaying to and fro like a pendulum. Hot air ballooning is the best way to view the amazing landscape, plains and wildlife of Tarangire.

Balloons in Tarangire accommodates a total of 16 people and fly to different parts of the park giving spectacular views of the park including the Tarangire River, Lemiyon Triangle, Matete Woodlands Silale Swamp, Burunge Circuit and the Kitibong Hill.

During your flight you will often be able to see the mini migration, access the remote areas, witness the spectacular sunrise, amazing photographic moments, uninterrupted game viewing and a glance at the size of the park.

Upon landing, you are rewarded with a glass of refreshing champagne breakfast and a certificate, a long-standing ballooning tradition. The breakfast site is set up at a different location everyday depending on your landing point.

Tour companies will pick you up at your hotel, so there’s no need to worry about getting to the take-off site while you’re half asleep.

Nature walks (Trekking safaris)

With a combination of plains, forest, woodlands and river systems, Tarangire is a perfect spot for walking safaris. Most of the trekking is done on the secluded parts of the park alongside an experienced professional ranger and a well trained wildlife guide. They have full back up of support vehicles and crew who go ahead and set up camp in private areas.

The essence of walking is to explore the wilder areas on foot and away from the crowds hence a chance to witness animals up close, access to remote areas, learning of tracks and signs, experiencing sights, sounds and scents.

Walking is done in a sophisticated professional manner such that animals remain unaware and unthreatened of the human presence in their natural fields.

Walking is available all year round but best done during the dry season when large concentrations of animals are present and scattered all over the park.

NB: Only few tour operators are granted license for nature walks inside the park so please check with your tour operator before planning this activity.

Termite Mounds

Built of mud from deep underground, Termite mounds stand tall as against the woodlands and plains of Tarangire. Most people are aware on herbivorous shaping the environment and the ecosystem at large but we often forget of micro organisms living at ground level.

Termite mounds shape the plains around them giving a relief to the flatness. In this flatness even a few inches of elevation could give an advantage. Many animals use termite mounds to create their own burrows. 

In Tarangire the aardvarks does most of the excavating on the mounds in search of insects while hyenas, warthogs and jackals will use mounds as dens. Herbivores and Predators often use mounds as vantage points to gain better views. Snakes, lizards and mongoose are often common to reside inside the termite mounds.

If you are smart, do not put your hands down termite holes.

Baobab Trees

Tarangire National Park is an excellent showcase for some superb baobabs. Despite their huge sizes most of these bulbous woody giants are hollow on the inside and can live to three thousand years, though some are said to live more than four thousand years.

Being a tree of life in many ways, the baobab draws a variety of wildlife during the dry seasons providing habitat and food. Elephants debarks the tree to chew minerals and quench their thirst. Other nesting animals include birds, monkeys, snakes, mongoose and lizards.

Swamps

Tarangire’s swamp network is one of the major sources of the Tarangire River. The swamps act as a sanctuary and catchment area essential for the growth and preservation of flora and fauna.

Located on the southern end of the Tarangire is the large Silale swamp which fills up during the rainy season and releases water in the dry season.

Further south are the Lormakau swamp, Ngusero Oloirobi and the Gurusi Swamps. These are the wildlife rich areas. Living along the swamps are wallowing elephants, cape buffaloes, African rock pythons, Nile monitor lizards, wild dogs, leopards, bush babies, lions, Crowned Cranes, Waterbuck etc.

The Best time to visit Tarangire is during the dry season. Timing depends on what activities you are looking at and the section of the park you will be visiting but Tarangire is phenomenal all year round. 

DRY SEASON

WET SEASON

Advantages Of Visiting Tarangire During The Dry Season

Drawbacks During The Dry Season

Advantages Of Visiting Tarangire During The Wet Season

Drawbacks During The Wet Season

Detailed Descrisption

Timing depends on what activities you are looking at and the section of the park you would be visiting but Tarangire is phenomenal all year round. The best time in Tarangire is during the dry season, from June to October. In September, the temperatures begin to increase, and it can get a bit hot at lower elevations.

Since there is little or no rainfall, animals migrate in large numbers and gather arouTnd the Tarangire river which is the only source of water during this harsh times making it the best time for wildlife viewing.

During the wet season of March, April and May most animals move outside the park hence wildlife game viewing is much less rewarding and the number of tourists/traffic is low.

For ornithologists and bird lovers the best time for bird watching is between Novembers to April. Apart from the Mini Migration, explore enormous lion prides, excellent leopard sightings, vast grazing herds and incredible vast cheetah populated plains.

Dry Season (June to October)

The best time to see wildlife is during the dry season. June to October is the peak season with the highest number of visitors, so we recommend early bookings.

June and July are the best times to view wildlife in Tarangire.  The weather is beautiful, sunny and the grasses are shorter making animals easier to spot. The dry season also increases the chance of seeing more animals congregating around waterholes and rivers to drink.

Although it’s dry, at this time of year temperatures can be extreme. Early mornings and nights can get very cold, whereas it can be extremely hot at midday and throughout the afternoon. Ensure you bring warm clothing for early game drives, and hats and sunscreen for later on.

The days are generally calm with clear skies with average day time temperatures being 26°C (79°F) while the night temperatures normally drop cooling the day’s heat to an average of 14°C (57°F).

There are fewer tsetse flies which cause sleeping sickness and female anopheles mosquitoes which cause malaria in the dry season, so the risk of malaria is fairly low. It’s a good time to bring children. Nonetheless sleeping under mosquito nets and inspect/bug repellents are highly recommended. Another benefit to visiting Tarangire during the drier months is you will encounter fewer Tsetse flies.

Wet Season (November to May)

The rains from November to May each year tend to be sporadic and are usually just a short storm in the late afternoon, so unlikely to affect your enjoyment. The average day temperatures are 28°C (82°F) and night temperatures fall to 16°C (61°F).

The wet season offers the chance to view huge varieties of native and migratory birds. It’s an ideal time for bird watching, especially around the water holes since the birds are present.

March, April and May are the wettest months with long rains while short rains come in November and December. Viewing wildlife is less rewarding at these times since most animals move outside the park.

It’s the least popular time of year to visit the Tarangire, the rates and prices are lowered to meet the low season standards.

There’s also a higher risk of malaria in this period, as there are more mosquitoes at this time of year. 

Tarangire-Average Temperatures

There are two seasons in the Tarangire (wet and dry). The wet season is divided into short rains and long rains, which varies on the level or length of precipitations during those months. November and December are short rains season, while end of March until May is long rainy season, the wettest time of the year. From June to October are the driest months.

Rainfall amounts to around 900/1,000 millimetres (35/40 inches) per year in much of the park; in the north, it reaches 1,400 mm (55 in), while in the most arid area, it drops below 800 mm (31.5 in). The rainy season, which, as mentioned, goes from November to April, is actually divided into two, with an interim period in January and February, which, however, is not very dry: from October to December, it's the "short rains season", and from March to May (but from February to April in the southern part) it's the "long rains season". Consequently, in January and February, the rains diminish, though not in a very pronounced way, in fact, they are still between 80 and 100 mm (3.1 and 4 in) per month.

Tarangire-Average precipitation

Tarangire-Average Sunshine

The amount of sunshine in the Tarangire is good most of the year, since the rains usually occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms in the afternoon. However, in the period of the long rains, rainfall and cloud cover can last longer, even though the sun shines for a few hours a day. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.