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HIGHLIGHTS

TANZANIA'S NORTHERN PARKS

A friendly smile awaits us in the arrivals hall, our names carefully displayed on a signboard, our luggage is swiftly removed and we are marched through to our safari vehicle; our safari has begun!

Xtra/Tnz_1.jpg [© 2004 gondwanastudio.com]    Xtra/Tnz_2.jpg [© 2004 gondwanastudio.com]    


Our first stop is the Tarangire National Park, an area covering around 2600 square kilometres of wide savannah grasslands dotted with open acacia woodland studded with majestic Baobab trees. The landscape is breathtaking as we make our way along the dusty and bumpy roads towards our overnight camp. The Tarangire River transforms the dry yellow savannah along its banks into a luscious bright green sea of grass, tall enough to masterfully submerge all but the tell-tale trunks of a heard of elephant. Tarangire National Park is a year-round park with distinct seasons offering different experiences. The bird life in this area is astonishing; with more than 550 recorded species, even the non birding enthusiast will be inclined to "twitch”. The wildlife is abundant with large herds of elephants, zebras, wildebeest and buffalo to name but a few.

Leaving the Tarangire behind us we head for the eighth wonder of the world - the Ngorongoro Conservation area. It is one of the world's greatest natural spectacles boasting a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeology that is unsurpassed in Africa. The volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to an abundance of animals and to the Masai. Its magical setting and abundant wildlife never fail to enthrall visitors. Descending into the crater at 6am is a chilly and yet beautiful experience. At that time of day the mist is still lingering over the dense forests around the brim, keeping the amazing view of the crater a secret. As we descend along the windy, bumpy roads I try to imagine what awaits down below. Our first lion sighting gets us all terribly excited - finally the cats have come out to play. We watch them for a while and finally realize that they have no plans to show off for the cameras as they lazily collapse back down into the grass.  As we wind our way back up the other side of the crater we finally get to see the enormity of the crater in its full glory. No photo will ever be able to capture the beauty that lies in front of you and words cannot describe this eighth wonder of the world.

The Serengeti National Park is one of the most celebrated wildlife reserves in the world. This phenomenal park, created to preserve the path of the world's largest intact migration circuit, covers nearly 15,000 square kilometres. The name Serengeti comes from the Masai name meaning ‘endless plains', and these rolling short grass plains provide an exceptional landscape for wildlife viewing. Once again the wildlife here lives up to and surpasses our expectations as we catch up with the tail end of the migration desperately trying to decide which way the rains are headed and the lions lazily lying under the shade of acacia trees digesting their last meal. High speed game viewing proves to be the best ever, with a quick few minutes watching a pride of lions feeding on a zebra, another few minutes spent in and amongst a herd of elephants, a quick gimps of a cheetah and a few seconds later…..it's another cheetah…..no, wait, it's a leopard! What more could we ask for?

The parks and game reserves that make up Tanzania's northern circuit can rightfully tender the quintessential experience of Africa's unspoilt wildlife and natural beauty.




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