Destinations
Tarangire National Park
Baobabs, river valleys and Tanzania's greatest elephant herds
Size
2,850 km²
Best time
June to October, when the river concentrates wildlife
Getting there
2 hrs by road from Arusha, or a short airstrip transfer
How long to stay
Two nights, ideally with one night inside the park
The place
Tarangire is where many of our guests are most surprised. In the dry season, animals from a much larger ecosystem funnel toward the Tarangire River, and elephant herds of a hundred or more move between ancient baobabs. It is quieter than the Serengeti, closer to Arusha, and visually unlike anywhere else in the north.
The dry-season concentration
From June the river is the only reliable water for miles. Elephant, buffalo, zebra and eland arrive in numbers, and predators follow. Late afternoon along the river loops is consistently the strongest game viewing in northern Tanzania outside the Serengeti.
Baobab country
Tarangire's baobabs are enormous, some over a thousand years old, and they give the park a scale and a mood that photographs beautifully in low light.
Silale swamps and birding
The southern swamps hold pythons in the trees, big buffalo herds and over 550 recorded bird species — the richest birding of any Tanzanian park.
Highlights
What people remember
Elephant herds
Multi-generational family groups, often 100+ strong along the river.
Tree-climbing pythons
An unusual local behaviour in the Silale swamp acacias.
Night drives
Available in the private concessions bordering the park.
Fewer vehicles
Long stretches of river road where you will see almost no one.
Suggested journeys
