Located in Northern Tanazania, Tarangire National Park is famed for its iconic baobab trees and large herds of elephants. This was the first national park we visited as part of our 5-day safari trip in Tanzania.
The park boasts a diverse array of wildlife and is much less crowded than Serengeti. So, it would be apt to call it a quieter cousin of Serengeti. If you are looking for a travel guide to Tarangire National Park, you have come to the right place. Here is our Tarangire guidebook with all the details to help you plan your visit.
Some Background About Tarangire
Tarangire National Park gets its name from the Tarangire River that flows through the park. In Maasai tribal language, the word ‘Tarangire’ translates to the river of warthogs.
Established in 1970, the park protects 2,850 square kilometers of wilderness in northern region of Tanzania. It is governed by Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) who is responsible for managing country’s national parks.
Tarangire is home to over 50 species of mammals and about 500 species of birds.
How To Get To Tarangire National Park
Arusha, Tanzania’s third largest city, is the gateway to ‘Northern Circuit’ safari that includes Tarangire National Park. You can book a private tour or a group tour to visit Tarangire from Arusha.
The park is approximately 110 km from Arusha and it takes 2-3 hours to reach there by a safari jeep. Another option is to rent a car and do a self-drive safari. However, we recommend booking a tour so that you can focus on spotting wildlife instead of driving.
How To Get To Arusha
The nearest major airport to Arusha is Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) which is about 50 km away. From the airport, you can take an airport shuttle or book a private car to reach Arusha.
If you do not find a flight from your city to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you can also fly into Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR). It is Tanzania’s busiest airport, located in the capital city of Dar es Salaam.
From Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), take a domestic flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK).
Things To Do in Tarangire National Park
A guided game drive is the best way to explore Tarangire National Park. Every nook and cranny of the park is populated with wildlife.
Tarangire has an incredible diversity of mammals and birds including resident and migratory species. Over 550 species of birds have been recorded in the park.
Most travellers stay overnight in Arusha and start their safari trip the next day.
We too stayed in Arusha for a day and began our drive the next morning. It took us less than 2 hours to reach the park entrance since we started early to avoid traffic.
Our guide needed to finish some paper work and then the jeep was allowed inside the park.
Tarangire offers spectacular landscapes featuring river valleys, swamps and woodlands dotted with acacia and baobab trees.
As soon as we entered the park, we came across wildebeests congregated on the far side of the Tarangire River. With the backdrop of acacia trees and a clear blue sky, this was a picture-perfect sight.
After moving a few hundred meters ahead we spotted a lone giraffe waiting to drink water on the riverside. It was watchful and looked around to make sure no predators are nearby.
Our jeep halted there for some time as we wanted to see the giraffe drinking water. Because giraffes are so tall, they need to spread their front legs awkwardly to reach the water.
We drove further and it wasn’t too long before we spotted two different herds of elephants. One herd was busy grazing while the other herd was mud bathing to cool down.
Throughout the day, we continued sighting countless elephant herds of all sizes.
Another remarkable sighting was a lion sitting beneath an Acacia tree and gawking at our jeep.
In addition to these, we also managed to see hyenas, warthogs, gazelles, impalas, vervet monkeys, Nile monitor lizard and more.
The park is blessed with an astonishing variety of birdlife. Some of the birds that we spotted include secretary bird, yellow-collared lovebird and Von der Decken’s hornbill.
There is a sizable population of ostriches too in the park.
Accommodation in And Around Tarangire National Park
The accommodation options within the park range from mid-range to luxury lodges and tented camps.
Mid-range: Tarangire Sopa Lodge, Baobab Tented Camp
Luxury: Tarangire Kuro Treetops Lodge
If you are a budget traveller, look for hotels in Karatu town which is about 90 km from Tarangire.
Best Time To Visit
The dry season, lasting from March to October, is the most optimum time for game drives in Tarangire. It is easier to spot animals in dry season than rainy season.
There are two rainy seasons here – short rains from November to mid-January and long rains from March to May.
In the short rainy season, the rains are sporadic and last for a short duration. So, your game drive wouldn’t get interrupted so much by rain. However, the long rainy season brings heavy downpour and in turn reduced visibility.
From March to May, it is low safari season in Tarangire and you may get cheaper safari packages.
Traveller Tips
- You have 3 types of safaris to choose from – luxury, mid-range, and budget. All safari vehicles have access to the same forest area but the type of accommodation varies for different packages. So, choose a package that suits your budget.
- Mornings are usually cold here. So, pack some warm clothes for your game drive.
- Apply a good insect repellent before you go on a game drive. There are lots of tsetse flies throughout the park and their bite can be painful.
- Avoid blue and black clothing because tsetse flies get attracted to these colours.
- If you are doing a full-day safari, it is likely that your lunch will be served in the picnic area of the park. Food attracts wildlife such as birds, and monkeys. Please do not feed wildlife as human food is unhealthy for them and it can disturb their natural life.
Over To You Now…
We hope you found our guide to Tarangire National Park helpful and got some inspiration for your upcoming safari trip.