NATIONAL PARKS AND RESERVES

Lake Manyara National Park Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti National Park Olduvai Gorge Tarangire National Park Mikumi & Selous National Parks Ruaha National Park

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK - set around the lake, this park lies at the foot of a dramatic escarpment and offers a rich diversity of scenery and wildlife, including the famous tree lions, a very high density of Elephant population and other big name. Its lake is a haven for bird life and hippo.

NGORONGORO CRATER - A wonder of the world set in the African wild, Ngorongoro was an active volcano some 8 million years ago whose cone collapsed leaving a sunken caldera of 311 sq. km., rendering it one of the largest craters in the world. The magic stems from its sheer physical beauty and stunning panoply of wildlife that roam its floor. The 2000 ft. into the crater reveals a sight of unequalled grandeur.

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK - This park contains the most spectacular wildlife sight in the annual migration from the North to South. Amongst its 35 species of wildlife, it is famous for the black manned lion, of which there are over 2,000, and other predators such as Cheetah, Hyena, and Wild Dogs.

OLDUVAI GORGE - Between Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park lies Olduvai Gorge, "the cradle of mankind". Here, Dr. Leakey and his wife discovered one of the earliest fossils of man, some 1.7 million years old. Many of their finds are now displayed in a museum overlooking the gorge.

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK - This delightful park is striking for its wide-boled baobab trees which dot the rolling countryside anemones on coral. The only place in Tanzania where you can view fringe-eared Oryx, and during the dry season the river attracts a large concentration of ungulates. Other big game are plentiful and include Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, and the rare Greater Kudu. This park is at its best during the seasons June to October and December to March when many of the migratory species come to the permanent waters of the Tarangire River.

MIKUMI AND SELOUS NATIONAL PARKS - These two parks comprise probably the largest game reserve in the world. Access to the reserves is easiest by air from Dar-es-Salaam. Many of the rare antelope species can be found here such as Sable and Roan antelope (Selous) or Kudu and Lichtenstein's Hartebeest (Mikumi). There are large herds of Elephants and Buffalo while the Rufiji River teems with Hippo, Crocodile and exotic birdlife. There are a number of camps in the northern sector of Selous offering good accommodation with boat rides on the Rufiji River and escorted walks through bush.

RUAHA NATIONAL PARK - A huge park of which only a small part has been developed for visitors. This is probably Tanzania's largest sanctuary for Elephants which congregate on the flood plain of the great Ruaha River.