Destinations | Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is only 1 ½ hours drive from Arusha and is named after the river that flows through the park throughout the year and so it is a vital watering point for the animals during the dry season. One of the most noticeable things are the massive Baobab trees that rise up from the grass on entering the park.
The park is most famous for its enormous herds of Elephant .Large groups congregate along the river and its not unusual to see 100 or more together, while migratory Wildebeest, Zebra, Buffalo, Impala, Hartebeest and Eland crowd the swallowed river.
The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world.
On drier ground you find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thighed Ostrich, the world's largest bird; and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys.
More ardent bird-lovers might keep an eye open for the colourful yellow-collared Lovebird, and the Rufous-Tailed Weaver and Ashy Starling - all endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania.
The red soiled Termite mounds are often frequented by colonies of the endearing Dwarf Mongoose.
About Tarangire National Park
Size: 2,600 sq km.
Location: 118 km southwest of Arusha.
Getting there:
Easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara.
Charter flights from Arusha and the Serengeti.
What to do:
Guided walking safaris. Day trips to Maasai villages, as well as to the hundreds of ancient rock paintings in the vicinity of Kolo on the Dodoma Road.
When to go:
Year round