Poor old Kenya has had a rough ride of late, but one countrys misfortune can be another destinations opportunity. So take a bow Tanzania, East Africas other classic bush and beach destination. In this blog were going to concentrate on the bush element, rather than the beach, so while Zanzibar, the Spice Islands and the Tanzanian Coast have some of the most idyllic coastlines in all of Africa, its the safari that sets Tanzania apart. Read on for the four finest safari experiences in Tanzania.
The Wildebeest Migration
Possibly the most iconic movement of animals anywhere on the planet. The numbers alone are staggering, with wildebeest in their hundreds of thousands moving en masse around the plains of the Serengeti (and in Kenyas Masai Mara across the border) with predators in hot pursuit of these meals on hooves. The key to getting the most out of the migration? An understanding of where the wildebeest are, why and when. From January to March the herds feed on the freshly rain-fed grass and give birth in the southern Serengeti before moving north to follow the rains from April onwards. By June most will be in the so-called Western Corridor before they make the much photographed and filmed break across the Grumeti River where vast crocodiles lurk. The trek north continues until around August and in September the wildebeest take on the next obstacle, the Mara River into Kenya. October sees a mass movement southwards in search of the November rains coming to the southern Serengeti again before the whole circular process starts all over again. The Lion Kings Circle of Life has got nothing on this spectacle, but of course the dates are anything but set in stone. This year the move north to the Western Corridor was under way far earlier than expected. As a result, its best to plan with a company that knows Africa down pat.
Chimps in Mahale
For anyone who thinks a luxury Tanzania safari is all about wide open savannah and the Big Five, think again. Head out west to the shores of Lake Tanganyika and the densely-jungled mountain slopes of the Mahale National Park. These slopes are home to one of the worlds most famous habituated groups of chimpanzees, and for many, seeing our closest ancestors in the wild equates to a pretty much spiritual experience. Granted, it can be a hard slog climbing into the jungle to spot the chimps, but that only adds to the sense of elation when you find them, and sit watching them go about their daily lives. Even better, all of this is done from Greystoke Mahale, a wonderfully romantic lodge on the beach overlooking Lake Tanganyika.
The Selous
First, the stats the Selous is four times larger than the Serengeti, bigger than Denmark and in fact the largest game reserve in Africa. And yet? And yet it receives a mere fraction of the visitor numbers experienced in the Serengeti. OK, theres no dramatic migration, but animals in abundance in the reserves wild environment of plains, gorges, lakes and wooded escarpments. The main events are the huge populations of buffalo, zebra, hippo and so many giraffe some wag christened it the Selous Giraffic Park. Needless to say, with all this food on offer, predators are prevalent, and this is one of the finest places in Africa to see healthy populations of wild dog. It gets better – the lions in the Selous have adapted to hunt by day rather than night, so lucky safari snappers can see big beasts in action rather than lazing around looking imperious.
The Ngorongoro Crater
