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Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park2022-04-25T07:08:11+00:00

About Tarangire National Park

In the North West of Arusha, the tourism city of Tanzania, there lies the fantastic National Park of Tarangire which is reputed for its highest concentration of elephants and buffalos. With its size almost ten times the size of its neighboring Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire is the sixth largest National park of Tanzania behind Ruaha, Serengeti Mikumi, Katavi, and Mkomazi.

Tarangire National Park which was established in 1970 is also famous for its large diversity of wildlife, bird’s life, tree-climbing lions & pythons, baobab trees, and vegetation.

The main source of life in the park is the Tarangire River that runs north through the South of the park and it is through this River the National park derives its name.

Tarangire River remains the only source of water in the park during the dry season making the surroundings of Tarangire River extremely concentrated by predators who remain around the River surroundings to ensure themselves water supply & prey.

Apart from the Tarangire River, the park has a good number of the swamps which also acts as good wildlife viewing points before drying at the later stages of the dry season.

Getting to Tarangire

Tarangire National Park which is among the most popular destinations for day tours can be swiftly reached by road or flight depending on your safari style. Flights to the park are however less commonly used as the journey to the park is simply a 2 hours’ drive from Arusha, the starting point of all tours to the Northern tourism circuit.

Having said so, getting to Tarangire by road you probably should be in Arusha already which is accessible through flying to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) which is just 46 kilometers from Arusha.

On the other hand, Arusha can be reached by flying to Julius Nyerere International Airport in the country’s biggest city of Dar es salaam and then, taking a domestic flight to Arusha National park.

Either way, Tarangire National park is easily accessed, and getting there is usually a less tiring journey enough for the park to most occasions serve the travelers with the aim of doing only day tour experiences.

Plants and animals in Tarangire National Park

Covering about 2,600 square kilometers, Tarangire is known to host large concentrations of elephants and buffalos. In Tarangire, the herds of up to the 300 elephants can be stunningly viewed drinking water around the swamps or at the bank of the Tarangire River.

Tarangire National Park is also rich in ungulates in the names of migratory wildebeest, eland, gazelle, impala, zebras, kudu, rhino, hartebeest buffalo and other smaller mammals who in many occasions tend to migrate outside the park during the extreme rainy season.

If you like cats, Tarangire isn’t short of them either, In fact, it is reported that the park is home for more than 700 lions, while there is also a good number of leopards and cheetahs.

As you can tell Tarangire has a very high concentration of wildlife so don’t get surprised to see more other animals in the park including various primates and even the tree-climbing pythons.

Birds Paradise

Tarangire is undoubtedly among the most birds’ concentrated parks in the country. With more than 500 species of birds recorded at the moment I am writing, the park is a truly a unique birding destination.

As I have mentioned somewhere in this guide, Tarangire National Park is characterized by a good number of swamps and it is these swamps that attract hundreds of birds day after day making the park an ideal birding destination for most safari makers who like birdlife.

Some of the birds who can be viewed at a large batch in Tarangire National Park are the colorful Yellow-collared lovebirds, flamingos, the Kori bustard (should I remind you these are the heaviest flying species of bird?), the stocking-thighed ostrich, and hornbills just to name a few. In fact, it is even reported by soft schools that in the Tarangire national park there are more breeding species of birds than anywhere else in the world.

To some of the wildlife of the Tarangire National Park, I should say again that the park is known to have the largest concentration of elephants on the planet, not to mention that the park has the second-highest concentration of wildlife only behind the mighty Serengeti National Park.

When it comes to plants, Tarangire National Park is blessed with Acacia woodland, Combretum woodland, and baobab trees while getting seasonally flooded by grasslands and occasional palm trees.

Best Things to do at Tarangire National Park

Speaking about the activities, you can go on guided walking safaris, game drives, and cultural visits to neighboring villages. Tarangire is also among a few parks that give you the opportunity to do a night game drive if that is your thing.

  • Overall, Tarangire is the best place where you can go and enjoy;
  • Fantastic wildlife viewing
  • Go and experience the magnificent concentration of elephants in the park
  • Treat yourself with one of the excellent birding experiences you can find nowhere else on the planet.
  • Enjoy the remarkable scenery made of uncountable baobab & acacia trees

How much does it cost to visit Tarangire National Park?

Tarangire safari tours have many options based on your safari interests. This park can be visited within a single day or you can also enjoy your game drive in multi-day safari.

The cost to visit Tarangire with Earthlife Expeditions starts from $435 for a single day tours.

If you want to enjoy the beauty of this park,  multi tours experiences could be a perfect choice.

Tarangire has different options of accommodation in your visit. The park can accommodate any kinds of travelers with different comfort level. most accommodation ranges from budget camping, mid-range tented camps to Luxury Camps and Lodges. Below are some of the most recommended camps and lodges in Tarangire.

5 Day Tanzania Wildlife Adventures

5 Day Tanzania Wildlife Adventures

Price: US$1,880 per person
Duration: 5 Days
Destinations: Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti & Tarangire

Leopard lies in tree Tanzania Big 5 Safari Zanzibar Tanzania

Big 5 & Zanzibar Beach

Price: US$1,850 per person
Duration: 8 Days
Destinations: Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire & Zanzibar

4 Day Tanzania Safari

4 Day Tanzania Safari

Price: US$1,870 per person
Duration: 4 Days
Destinations: Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Tarangire

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