Best adventure activities in Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park offers exciting adventure activities for nature lovers. Tourists can enjoy thrilling game drives to see wildlife up close, guided walking safaris for a closer look at the flora and fauna, and birdwatching to spot unique species. Experience the beauty and adventure that this park has to offer!
Tarangire National Park, covering an impressive area of 2,600 square kilometers, is one of the largest national parks in Tanzania. It is famous for its diverse wildlife and great accommodations for tourists, making it popular spot for those looking to go on a safari. The park derives its name from the Tarangire River, which traverses its landscape and serves as a crucial water source for animals, especially during the dry season.
Tarangire National Park located in Northern Tanzania, just south of Lake Manyara National Park and a short drive from Arusha. This makes it an easy stop for visitors exploring the Northern Tanzanian safari circuit, which also includes including routes to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The park lies between the Masai steppe meadows to the southeast and the Great Rift Valley lakes to the north and west.
The park is home to large herds of Elephants one herd can go consist up to 300 Elephants. Other animals include wildebeests, buffaloes, impalas, gazelle, heartbeats, zebras, elands, stately fringe-eared oryx, peculiar long necked gerenuk as well as housing over 500 bird species including brown parrot, hornbills and yellow necked spurfowl among others. However, this article opens for the doors to the best adventure activities in Tarangire National Park. They include;
Game drives
Game drives in Tarangire National Park happen throughout the day, with options for morning, afternoon, evening, and even full-day excursions. This offers visitors a chance to experience wildlife in different ways as they explore the park. During the morning buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, elephants, gazelles, and warthogs, among others. The game drives in the morning are so good because the animals can be easily seen when they are active and they can be seen grazing in the savannah plains, which is so interesting and wonderful.
For visitors interested in witnessing Tarangire National Park during the dark, Night game drives in Tarangire National Park are mostly organized by lodging ventures that provide visitors with lodging facilities in and around Tarangire National Park. The activity is mostly done at night, making it a good time to see the nocturnal animals. Visitors use the armed ranger guide when going on the night game drives in the Tarangire National Park. Visitors can as well use the whole day for the game drive safaris, and this full-day game drive will combine both the morning, afternoon, and evening game drive safaris, which are so much fun and wonderful.
Cultural visit
A cultural visit is a fantastic way to learn about the local community’s lifestyle through interactions between residents and visitors. The Maasai people engage with tourists, sharing insights about their nomadic way of life while also participating in various activities, including traditional dances. Visitors can explore “manyattas,” the traditional homes of the Maasai, and admire their beautiful handmade jewellery, which includes colorful beaded necklaces, earrings, and anklets. The Maasai’s clothing, known as “shukas,” is typically worn by men, along with locally made sandals and belts. These crafts not only reflect the Maasai’s artistry but also help supplement their income, which is primarily supported by their livestock—cattle, goats, and sheep that are kept in thorn-enclosed kraals for protection.
Bird watching
Bird watching is a fun activity that visitors can enjoy while on safari in Tarangire National Park. The park has different types of habitats, making it home to about one-third of all the bird species found in Tanzania. During you birdwatching excursions, you’ll see bird species such as starlings, bee eaters, vultures, eagles, striped swallows, plovers, hamerkops, yellow collared lovebirds, ostriches among others. The drier parts of the national park are a good location to see birds like ostriches, kori bustards, hornbills. Other bird species which can be seen in Tarangire national park include rufous tailed weavers, ashy starlings, and yellow collared lovebirds. Migrant bird species in this national park can be seen around the swampy floodplains during birding excursions and they include hornbills, brown parrots, yellow necked spur fowls, guinea fowls, crested francolins, barbets, striped swallows, starlings, vultures, falcons, Hamerkop, plovers and many others. The best birding period is from February to March during the wet season, offering an enriching experience for avian lovers.
Nature walks.
Nature walks offer a special way to enjoy wildlife by wandering through the stunning landscapes of Tarangire National Park and connecting with nature up close. During these walks, visitors explore the park alongside a knowledgeable ranger guide. They stroll across the expansive savannah without disturbing the natural habitat or the animals living there. Both guides and tourists follow various paths as they track and observe animals on foot. While walking, visitors also take in the amazing views and may find themselves near wildlife such as zebras, waterbucks, impalas, elephants, and various birds including ostriches.
Balloon safari
These are organized for those who want an adventurous tour in Tarangire National Park. You’ll get to enjoy amazing views of animals and other sights from a hot air balloon high up in the sky.
Best time to visit Tarangire National Park
The best time for an adventurous safari in Tarangire National Park is from June to October during the dry season. This is a time when migrant game congregates around the swamps and the Tarangire River valley. Migrating elephants can then be seen in good size herds, with a fine diversity of other large mammals. But the numbers of animals vary due to the timing of the rains.
Where to stay while on an adventure in Tarangire National Park
In Tarangire National Park there is a wide range of accommodation establishments that are lodges and camps offering accommodation to travelers visiting the park for a Tanzania safari, Accommodation establishments in Tarangire National Park are of various status that are luxury, midrange and budge. These accommodation facilities include Tanzania Baobab Tented Camp, Kwa Kuchinia, Roika Tarangire Tented Lodge, Tarangire Treetops, Oliver’s Tented Camp, Maramboi Tented Camp, Tarangire Sopa Lodge and Tarangire Safari Lodge among others.
How to get to Tarangire National Park
To reach Tarangire National Park by road, you will need to travel for about 2 to 3 hours from Arusha, which is located 139 km to the northwest. Alternatively, you can take a chartered flight from either Arusha or Serengeti directly to the park.
