Tanzania tourism has been growing significant in a recent years. Many regions in Tanzania are offered for tourist, and most of them are national park. Some favourite attractions in Tanzania such as Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Gombe Stream National Park, Katavi National Park, Kilimanjaro Mountain, Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Visiting Tanzania will be not complete without taking the safari to Serengeti National Park. It is the largest and most famous national park in Tanzania, and borders Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Park.
The Serengeti national park covers an area of 5,700 sq miles (14,763 sq km) and takes its name from the Maasai “siringet” which means “endless plains”. The vast park has several different types of vegetation areas. To the north is an area of wooded grassland that follows the watercourses of the Mara and Grumeti rivers and their tributaries. The western corridor consists mainly of wooded highlands which stretch towards Lake Victori a. The south, around the Ngorongoro highlands, is much dryer and is made up predominately of short and long grass plains while in the center lays a swath of acacia savannah.
Aside from traditional vehicle bound safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti plains has become a safari rite-of-passage for travel enthusiasts. The flights depart at dawn over the plains and take passengers close over the awakening herds of wildebeest and zebra, gazelle and giraffe. The extra altitude allows guests to witness the striking stretches of plains punctuated only by kopjes. Up in the sky, you have Africa all to yourself.
Serengeti National Park Wildlife
Serengeti National Park is well known for its healthy stock of other resident wildlife, particularly the "Big Five", named for the five most prized trophies taken by hunters:
1. Lion: the Serengeti is believed to hold the largest population of lions in Africa due in part to the abundance of prey species. Currently there are more than 3000 lion living in this ecosystem.
2. African Leopard: these reclusive predators are commonly seen in the Seronera region but are present through out the national park with the currently population at around 1000.
3. African Elephant: the herds are recovering from population lows in the 1980s caused by poaching, and are largely located in the northern regions of the park
4. Black Rhinoceros: mainly found around the kopjes in the centre of the park, very few individuals remain due to rampant poaching. Individuals from the Masai Mara Reserve cross the park border and enter serengeti from the northen section at times.
5. African Buffalo: still abundant and present in healthy numbers, but numbers have been somewhat reduced due to disease
The park also supports many further species, including cheetah, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, topi, eland, waterbuck, hyena, baboon, impala, African wild dog and giraffe. The park also boasts about 500 bird species, including ostrich, secretary bird, Kori bustard, crowned crane, marabou stork, martial eagle, lovebirds and many species of vultures.
About Serengeti Information
Size: 14,763 sq km (5,700 sq miles).
Location: 335km (208 miles) from Arusha, stretching north to Kenya and bordering Lake Victoria to the west.
Getting there
Scheduled and charter flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara and Mwanza.
Drive from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire or Ngorongoro Crater.
What to do
Hot air balloon safaris, walking safari, picnicking, game drives, bush lunch/dinner can be arranged with hotels/tour operators. Maasai rock paintings and musical rocks.
Visit neighbouring Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano and Lake Natron's flamingos.
When to go
To follow the wildebeest migration, December-July. To see predators, June-October.
Accommodation
Four lodges, six luxury tented camps and camp sites scattered through the park; one new lodge will be opened next season (Bilila Lodge); one luxury camp, a lodge and two tented camps just outside.
Photos of Serengeti National Park
Masai Huts
Bilila Lodge Kempinski at Central Serengeti
Masai Dance
Serengeti National Park Tanzania Safari Tourist
Serengeti National Park Tanzania Map
Watch Serengeti National Park safari at Tanzania video here
