5 Facts About Tarangire National Park

5 Facts About Tarangire National Park are some of the key elements that one should at least get to know about the park before they organize their road trip. Tarangire national park is located in the northern part of Tanzania and is named after the Tarangire River. This national park is part of the northern circuit which consists of other national parks such as Serengeti national park, Lake Manyara national park and Ngorongoro conservation area. Below are a few, 5 facts about Tarangire National Park.

The Tarangire River provides water for the wildlife species in the national park, especially during the dry seasons. Tarangire national park has a variety of wildlife species such as the rare tree-climbing lions and bird species. Many wildlife species gather around the water point of which the Tarangire river makes wildlife viewing excellent especially during the dry seasons.
This national park is characterized by diverse vegetation such as baobab trees, sausage trees, acacia trees. Tarangire national park also has a number of swamps which act as alternative sources of water for the wildlife species. Baobab trees are scattered in different parts of Tarangire national park and are of great value especially to the Maasai and other pastoralist tribes to cure certain diseases. These trees also provide shelter for different wildlife species such as elephants.
Tarangire national park is under the management of Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) which regulates activities within the national parks and promotes conservation of the wildlife. This organization is also responsible for fees that are charged to the tourists such as entrance fees.
Tourists visiting Tarangire national park are charged entrance fees of USD 53 in order to be permitted to enter the national park. this fee is paid at the entrance of the national park and can be made using a prepaid TANAPA card or a MasterCard/visa.
The best time to visit Tarangire national park is during the dry seasons in the months between June and October. During the wet seasons, some of the wildlife species which migrated to this national park continue moving to other locations and the vegetation grows long making it difficult to see the wildlife species. The road conditions also tend to be unfavorable during the wet season making the dry seasons a better option for a satisfying experience in Tarangire national park.

How to get to Tarangire national park

Both air and road means can be used to access this national park in the following ways;

By road; this national park can be accessed by road from Arusha
By air; flights can be made to the airstrips in the national park such as Kuro airstrip and Tarangire airstrip. Available flights include charter flights and domestic flights which can be made to Arusha airport from Kilimanjaro international airport or Julius Nyerere international airport.

Attractions in Tarangire national park

Wildlife species include lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, buffalos, wildebeest, hartebeest, elands, fringe eyed oryx, kudu, baboons and impalas. This national park is believed to have the largest elephant concentration as well as a large number of other wildlife species. Tourists can view the wildlife species during game drives at different times of day which include morning game drives, full-day game drives, evening game drives. The chances of seeing the wildlife species during trips to this national park also depends on the time for the game drive.
Bird species of a variety can be seen during visits to Tarangire national park and they include yellow collared love birds, kori bustard, ostriches, brown parrots, guinea fowl, yellow-necked spurfowl, crested francolin, lilac-breasted, mousebirds, striped swallows, starlings, bee-eaters, hammerkops, plovers, bateleur eagles, vultures and many others.
Masai people are among the local community which stays within the national park. Other tribes in this national park include the barabaig and other subgroups of the datoga in the south western part of the park. the Masai people have a unique culture that attracts different tourists to learn more about their traditions, way of life, see the local arts and crafts and many other cultural aspects. The Maasai also contribute to tourism in this national park by supporting conservation and other tourism ventures.

Activities for tourists to engage in during safaris to Tarangire national park include;

Game viewing takes place at different times of the day such as in the morning, evening and the full day to spice up your Tanzania Tours. Tour guides accompany tourists during the game drives and provide information about the wildlife species which can be seen such as buffalos, elands, impalas, gazelles, giraffes, reedbucks, the greater and lesser kudu, wildebeest, generuk, fringe eyed oryx and predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas which can be seen especially in the southern part of Tarangire national park. The chances of seeing the wildlife species also depend on the time of day when the game drive is taking place. During morning games drives tourists to have higher chances of viewing the wildlife since they are very active in the morning compared to evening game drives. Full day game drives widen the wildlife viewing experience since the tourist is able to watch the behavior of tourists at different times of the day.
Bird watching engages tourists in watching different bird species such as starlings, yellow collared birds, hornbills, woodpeckers, red and yellow barbet, great white pelican, northern white-crowned shrike and many others. The birding guides direct the tourists to spots within the national park where the tourists can view the different bird species.
Cultural visits engage tourists in interactions with the local community to learn more about their cultures. Tourists visiting Tarangire national park interact with the Maasai people who are known for their unique culture and for being nomads. The Maasai also have a unique way of dressing which consists of beads woven in unique patterns that attracts the tourists as well as watching traditional dance performances, seeing local arts and crafts and many other cultural aspects.
Nature walks involve guided walks with tourists in the company of park rangers as they explore the beauty of nature within the national park and view the beautiful scenery and other scenic views in Tarangire national park. Safety of the tourists is assured since the rangers are there to protect them from danger.

Experience the spectacular game drives and wildlife viewing moments during a safari to Tarangire national park for an unforgettable adventure in the wild.