Tarangire National Park is Not To Be Missed

Tarangire National Park Trip Report

Tarangire National Park Tour Company Used:

Abercrombie and Kent

Duration: 3 days, 09-11 November

Journal Authors: Mike, USA

Red River Hog Picture by Bruce Whittaker (c)

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Tarangire National Park is passed up as a safari destination by many people heading for the more famous reserves in Northern Tanzania. This is a great pity because as Mikes trip report shows you can have some incredible wildlife experiences there and it is much less crowded...

Accommodation:

Swala Camp which is owned by Abercrombie and Kent and is a small luxury tented camp located fairly deep within the park in an isolated area which affords good privacy. There are are about nine tents and you can choose to have your dinner right outside your tent or eat with the other guests in the main dining tent.

Highlights:

So many Tembo here (Tembo is the swahili word for elephant) as the guide said repeatedly and it's true. The reserve swarms with elephant of all shapes and sizes and they sometimes come within several feet of the vehicle. some of them also become agitated and charge the vehicle which can be unnerving but extremely exciting.

On the second night of the trip while Mike was enjoying a candlelight dinner with his wife in front of the tent, they heard some ground rattling roars emanating from the darkness (the camp has no fences surrounding it).

Turns out that a lioness had wandered between their tent and the kitchen tent and was making her presence known. The camp managers picked them up in the open sided Landrover to get a closer look with the spotlights.

They also managed to spot a python here which is not something that is seen every day and the following animals in order from the most to least abundant...Impala, Elephant, Giraffe, Thomson's Gazelle, Grants Gazelle, Warthog, Kirk's Dik-Dik, Buffalo, Zebra, Mongoose, Greater Kudu, Eland and Hyrax.

Tarangire National Park Tips & Recommendations:

This park is very seasonal for spotting wildlife so make sure you choose the timing of your visit wisely. During the wet season the zebra, wildebeest and some predators disperse outside of the park and during the dry season they come back. The elephants however remain all year round.

The topography of the park consists of semi-densely wooded and scrub habitat with gentle rolling hills and some open areas along the park’s rivers which makes for some breathtaking scenery.

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