Baobab country, and some of the largest elephant herds in East Africa.
Two hours from Arusha, Tarangire is often the first park on a northern safari. In the dry season the Tarangire River draws elephants by the hundred, along with buffalo, giraffe and the predators that follow them.
Tarangire is quieter than the Serengeti and has a character all of its own: ancient baobabs, termite mounds, palm-lined swamps and, from June to October, elephants everywhere you look.
Birdlife is superb, with more than 500 species recorded. Walking safaris and night drives are possible in the surrounding conservation areas.
About 2 hrs by road from Arusha
3 days
Elephants and baobabs in Tarangire, then a full morning on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. A perfect short safari before or after Kilimanjaro.
6 days
Tarangire, two full days in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. The classic first safari, paced so you're never rushing.
7 days
Three nights at Ndutu during calving season, when the southern plains are full of newborn wildebeest and the predators that follow them.
11 days
The Northern Circuit followed by four nights on a Zanzibar beach. Dust, then sand.
