Find Verified

Tanzania Local Tour Operators

Covering an area of 14763 sq km, Serengeti National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania. The park is located about 320 km north-west of Arusha, lying in a high plateau between the Ngorongoro highlands and the Kenyan-Tanzanian border, and extending almost to Lake Victoria to the west.Aptly named ‘endless plains’ by the Maasai, you immediately experience this vastness when you enter the south-eastern plains of the park from Ngorongoro. Declared a protected area in 1921 and gazetted as a national park in 1951, Serengeti is the oldest national park in Tanzania and undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. The most recognisable features of the Serengeti are the short and long grass plains in the south and east, the acacia savannah in the central areas, the hilly and densely wooded areas in the north and the extensive woodland in the west.There is a variety of scenery, including the plains, lakes, hills and the rock outcrops called kopjes. The main wildlife drive areas in the Serengeti are the Seronera Valley, the Western Corridor, and Lobo or northern Serengeti. The Seronera valley in central Serengeti attracts a large concentration of wildlife throughout the year because of the permanent surface water.Common animals that can be seen here are lions, buffaloes, impalas, hippos, waterbucks, elephants, cheetahs and the leopard. From December, when the long rains start, to May, the eastern Serengeti plains provide the best opportunities for wildlife viewing as hundreds of thousands of the migratory animals are concentrated in this part attracted by the short palatable grass.

For those familiar with it, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area conjures up images of a giant wildlife-filled volcanic caldera, where the ‘big five’ and many other animals roam. But there's more to the area than this. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area also encompasses mountains, lakes, forests and wide-open African plains. It contains several globally significant archaeological sites.The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers an area of 8300 sq km, with a deep volcanic crater at its centre, the largest unbroken caldera in the world. The crater is undoubtedly the ‘jewel in the crown’ - an area that is about 300 sq km in area, 600 metres deep and 20 km wide. The rim of the crater is an astounding 2286 metres above sea level. The floor contains a small soda lake called Lake Magadi and it is estimated that around 30000 animals live in the crater, making it the most intensive safari wildlife viewing area on earth.This African wildlife area was previously part of the Serengeti National Park, but due to the needs of the local Maasai who have been living in the area for hundreds of years, the area was reclassified as a conservation area. It is a great example of a protected area that allows for ongoing, sustainable human use. The local Maasai live in harmony with the wildlife and the environment and have grazing rights in the crater.

Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don't even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, and the summit of Africa.Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet).Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible high summits, a beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or Gillman's Point on the lip of the crater, will have earned their climbing certificates. And their memories.But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent of the slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic.Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m contour), the cultivated foot slopes give way to lush montane forest, inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbot’s duiker, and other small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is studded with otherworldly giant lobelias.Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little life other than a few hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last vestigial vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow – and the magnificent beauty of the roof of the continent.