The Serengeti National Park was proclaimed a national park in 1951, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It is the only place in the world where you can witness millions of migrating wildebeest over the Acacia plains, and is the closest to an untouched African wilderness you will ever get.

The word Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language meaning ‘endless plain’ and consists of vast open plains dotted by kopjes. The park is so vast that you could never see it all in one trip. Each region offers different landscapes and wildlife highlights for your safari.

The Serengeti supports a magnificent diversity and abundance of animals, from the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhino – to giraffe, Grant’s gazelle, impala, and eland. Birders will be delighted by more than 500 species, which include kori bustard, secretary birds, Fischer’s lovebird, and so many more.

Serengeti National Park forms a Lion Conservation Unit since 2005 together with Maasai Mara National Reserve. More than 3,000 lions live in this ecosystem.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is characterized by a highland plateau with volcanic mountains and craters, vast savannah, and forest. It is one of the top safari destinations in Africa.

Since the whole zone is classified as a “conservation area”, and not a national park, wildlife, humans and livestock cohabit together. Ground cultivation is prohibited, but the Maasai are allowed to bring their cattle down on the crater floor for water sources and minerals.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the world’s largest intact caldera. This three million year old caldera is considered one of the natural wonders of the world.

The crater (19 km wide, its rim rising from 365 to 490 m, total superficy of 265 km²) is the largest unflooded, intact caldera in the world. Due to its immensity and singular beauty, as well as abundance and concentration of wildlife, it constitutes for many the Garden of Eden.

An estimated 25 000 large mammals are resident in this bowl of plenty, including lion, buffalo, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and elephant. Leopard are most often encountered in the bountiful Lerai Forest, while cheetah move in and out of the crater.  It is also the home of the most endangered black rhino.

Tarangire National Park is considered one of the most scenic safari destinations in Africa. The diverse landscapes, granite ridges, woodlands, and grassland make the park unique.

Lion and other predators are frequently spotted and it is also famous for its massive population of elephants. The landscape is of particular interest too, due to the high number of scenic baobab trees.

The Tarangire National Park is known as a wonderful birding destination and also features large numbers of game, particularly during the dry season, when the Tarangire River is the only source of water in the area.

Best time to visit: July to October (dry season concentrating animals inside the park as Tarangire River is the only water source) + June, November/December

Activities/Visits/Excursions: Bushwalks, Game drives ,Night game drives, Hot air balloon trips ,Sightseeing ,Cultural visit and Nature walk

Lake Manyara National Park between Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley, and covers an area of 325 km² including about 230 km² lake surface. It’s proximity to Arusha makes it a great place to start your safari.

The park is considered one of the best places for bird watching in Tanzania. The shallow alkaline lake and its surroundings gather an incredible number of birds. It is famously known as the seasonal home of the greater and lesser flamingos.

Lake Manyara National Park offers a wilderness experience in diverse habitats, from its Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and steep mountainsides. The remarkable wildlife includes tree-climbing lions, vast elephant herds, giraffes, water bucks, monkeys, hippopotamus and more.

There are also interesting sites to visit such as the treetop walkway (canopy walk), hot springs, and a boardwalk on the lake.

Best time to visit: from December to March and June to October (dry seasons)

The closest national park to Arusha town – northern Tanzania’s safari capital – Arusha National Park is a multi-faceted jewel, often overlooked by safari goers, despite offering the opportunity to explore a beguiling diversity of habitats within a few hours.

The entrance gate leads into shadowy montane forest inhabited by inquisitive blue monkeys and colorful turacos and trogons – the only place on the northern safari circuit where the acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkey is easily seen. In the midst of the forest stands the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater, whose steep, rocky cliffs enclose a wide marshy floor dotted with herds of buffalo and warthog.

Further north, rolling grassy hills enclose the tranquil beauty of the Momela Lakes, each one a different hue of green or blue. Their shallows sometimes tinged pink with thousands of flamingos, the lakes support a rich selection of resident and migrant waterfowl, and shaggy water bucks display their large lyre-shaped horns on the watery fringes. Giraffes glide across the grassy hills, between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into scrubby bush like overgrown hares on spindly legs.

Although elephants are uncommon in Arusha National Park and lions absent altogether, leopards and spotted hyenas may be seen slinking around in the early morning and late afternoon. It is also at dusk and dawn that the veil of cloud on the eastern horizon is most likely to clear, revealing the majestic snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro, only 50km (30 miles) distant.