What are the best Tanzania safaris?

Tanzania safaris offer rewarding superb wildlife viewing including the annual wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and trips to off the beaten track safaris in Selous and Ruaha parks. The country is a big hub for African safaris with several wildlife circuits for long tours.

With 16 national parks and several wildlife reserves, Tanzania is a good tourist destination and with the diversity, travelers with few days could wonder which kind of tours to choose. The best Tanzania safaris are determined by the great activities and attraction to see in the country and these are;

Wildlife/game drives

All of the national parks in Tanzania have lots of wildlife with excellent viewing opportunities. There are three different safari circuits and all good for Tanzania wildlife safaris. The parks are also home to the sought-after Big five animals which are the lions, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and Elephant with the black rhino seen at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Animals that can be seen in abundance include elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, and the lion and hyena are common. Rare and occasional animals include the black rhino, leopard, and cheetah.

Wildebeest are one of the world’s natural wonders with a spectacular sighting to offer, it’s no ordinary group of animals. The Great Wildebeest Migration is an annual migration of giant herds of animals all through from Northern Tanzania to Kenya.

Each wildebeest migration constitutes over two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles moving from Serengeti National Park of Tanzania and Masai Mara National Park of Kenya. Seeing millions of wildebeest on safari could be only possible in Tanzania and Kenya in the whole world.

With these wildlife animals, Tanzania is a classic African tour destination with all parks great for safari but some being exceptional. These are Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tarangire National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, and Katavi National Park. A visit to these will offer that classic African wild game drive.

The best time for wildlife viewing in Tanzania is in the dry season which from late June to October and the best time for wildebeest viewing is during the months of June and July. The long rainy season is between March to May and the parks in the Southern and Western circuit are less accessible during this time.

Chimpanzee trekking in Gombe and Mahale Mountains

Tanzania isn’t the ultimate chimpanzee trekking destination, however, it is a unique chimp tracking place. Mahale Mountains National Park is home to one of Africa’s most studied chimpanzee populations and Gombe streams have a small population that lives in a great environment.

Gombe streams are just 16 miles north of Kigoma on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania and were made famous due to the pioneering work of Jane Goodall who founded a behavioral research program in the 2960s and is still running.

Around 1000 chimpanzees roam around the isolated and lush rainforest of Mahale just above the beaches of Lake Tanganyika. On a chimpanzee trekking safari in these unique settings, tourists walk through guided trails in search of the chimps.

The trek is guided by clues like the previous night’s nest, shadowy clumps high in the trees, fresh dung, or scraps of half-eaten fruit. Watching the chimpanzees swing through the forests is amazing, it feels like being so close to nature unlike when on a game drive.

The best time for chimp trekking is during the dry season which is between May and October.

Beach holidays in Zanzibar

For adventure lovers, couples, families, and honeymooners you better be headed for the beaches in Zanzibar. The “spice island” has flawless landscapes from serene forests to smooth white sand beaches.

There are also a lot of things to see as you relax at the beaches and these include historic forts, coral reefs, exotic markets, and many more.

While at the beaches, it is the perfect time to relax and to go adventurous why not go snorkeling on the southeast coast or swim with dolphins at Fumba or Kizimkazi.

Cultural tours

If you want to learn a little about the people of Tanzania, then a cultural tour is handy. This can be added to any kind of safari in Tanzania. Many villages around Arusha in northern Tanzania have been made accessible to visitors to have a glimpse of the authentic lifestyle of more than 120 tribes in rural Tanzania.

Some of the popular cultural centers to add to a Tanzania tour include Mto Wa Mbu multi-cultural village, Maasai Boma and villages in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Eyasi in the land of Hadzabe and Datoga, Ng’ireshi village of Waarusha tribe and the Mulalala village of Waarusha, and Wameru tribes.

Choosing wildlife tours, beach holidays, chimpanzee trekking, and cultural tours are activities that shouldn’t miss out on your Tanzania itinerary. Wondering how to arrange a well tailor-made itinerary to suit all of your requests, then contact Acacia safaris for all queries.

With the introduction of flights within the region, you can also tailor your tour with Uganda wildlife safari, Kenya safari, or Rwanda gorilla tour.

Here are some of the recommended itineraries that tourists can choose when going on the East Africa safari.