Budget holidays in Tanzania: If you’re looking for an affordable holiday, Tanzania is a fantastic choice, especially for an unforgettable safari. Tanzania is one of Africa’s top safari destinations. The wildlife viewing is out of this world and big cats are especially easy to see. A big portion of the country is set aside as parks and reserves, making it a prime spot for wildlife lovers. There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites to explore: the famous Serengeti National Park known for its incredible animal migrations, the stunning Ngorongoro Crater, the majestic snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, and the expansive Nyerere National Park, which was once called Selous Game Reserve.
Tanzania is home to about 20% of Africa’s wildlife and offers three main safari routes. If you’re on a budget, the Northern Circuit is your best bet, featuring popular spots like Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Arusha, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara National Parks.
To wrap up your trip, don’t miss out on the beautiful island of Zanzibar. It’s a perfect place to relax and enjoy the sun, with opportunities for snorkeling along its palm-fringed beaches. Spending a few days here will make your holiday in Tanzania unforgettable!
The top 5 safari destinations to go to while on your budget holidays in Tanzania include;
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is renowned as the arena for the world’s greatest mammal migration. Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most popular in Tanzania. It is located in the North Eastern part of the country and covers an area of about 30,000 square kilometers. Even away from this iconic wildlife spectacle, the Serengeti’s sheer density of animals makes for incredible wildlife viewing throughout the year. The southern plains near Seronera are the most popular, but it’s also worth exploring the Western Corridor and Mara River regions. These features are home to the big 5 mammals (elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, leopards, and lions), wildebeest, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, African dogs, hippos, crocodiles, and over 500 species of birds including the majestic African fish eagle, ostriches and several types of vultures. During your budget holiday tours, you’ll have the opportunity to embark on a safari activity on a budget game drive, the great migration such as Game drives, Viewing the great migration, Cultural visits to Maasai villages, Birdwatching, and Visiting the Bolongoja hot springs and Hot air balloon safari among others.
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is home to Mt Meru, which stands at 4,562 meters (14,967 feet) and is the second-highest mountain in Tanzania after Mt Kilimanjaro. The popular climb takes four days. A day hike to Meru Crater is less challenging, but very rewarding too. The park is one of the best budget safari holidays in Tanzania, famously known for its wildlife species. During your holiday tours, you’ll have the chance to embark on a guided game drive, where you will get up close with animals such as the giraffe, Cape buffalo, zebra, warthog, black-and-white colobus monkey, blue monkey, flamingo, elephant, bushbuck, and many other African animals. Besides the wildlife viewing, visitors to the park also have the chance to embark on other safari activities such as birdwatching, guided nature walks, canoeing, and mountain climbing among others.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater a is UNESCO world heritage site located in the northern part of Tanzania. Ngorongoro lies en route to Serengeti National Park and is only a 3-hour drive 180km on a tarred road from the town of Arusha, which is the starting point of all safaris in northern Tanzania. A visit to the Ngorongoro Crater is an experience of a lifetime. As the world’s only intact caldera, the crater is the top attraction of the 8,292 square kilometers Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There are few places that have comparable wildlife densities. It is not unusual to see the Big Five game in one day here. And all this is in the most amazing setting with a backdrop of the 600-meter (1,968 feet) -high crater wall.
The area is home to a large density of herbivores including waterbucks, African leopards, black rhinos, buffaloes, cheetahs, crocodiles, East African wild dogs, elands, Grant’s gazelle, zebra, hippopotamus, impala, lions, oribi, Thomson’s gazelles, Topi, and wildebeest. Tourists while on their budget holiday safari here, will have the chance to engage in a number of activities such as Game drives, Cultural visits to Maasai villages, Birdwatching, A visit to Olduvai Gorge, Guided Nature Walks and Photographic safari among others.
Nyerere National Park
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly holiday, Nyerere National Park in Tanzania is a fantastic option. This park, which used to be called Selous Game Reserve, is the biggest in the country. At its heart is the powerful Rufiji River, along with many lakes that are all connected. This water source makes it a perfect home for lots of crocodiles and hippos, and you can observe them from a safe distance on boat rides. The Park is located in the southern part of Tanzania and is the largest national park in the country covering over 30,893 square kilometers. The national park was established in 2019, it was known as Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is named after the first President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. The park is also filled with elephants, buffalo, and many other animals. Visiting the park while on your budget holidays, will offer you the chance to participate in a wide range of safari activities such as Game drives, Boat safaris on the Rufiji River, Bird watching, Walking safaris, Fishing, cultural visits Photography safaris among others.
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is known for its beautiful shallow lake located at the foot of the Rift Valley cliffs. One of its main attractions is the unique sight of lions that climb trees and the large herds of elephants that roam the area. More so, the park’s varied habitats are home to an impressive array of animals including a large herd of wildebeests, zebras, Thomson’s gazelle, Granit’s gazelle, bushbuck, waterbuck, impala, cape buffalo, warthogs, lion, leopard, African wild cat, spotted hyena. Lake Manyara National Park provides a great introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded and you might be able to observe 100 in one day. As you enter the park, you’ll find yourself in a lush forest filled with groundwater, where you’ll see plenty of olive baboons and blue monkeys. For an unforgettable experience, you can walk along a long treetop walkway that stretches for about 1,200 feet, giving you a fantastic view of this special ecosystem from above.
