The best safari in Tanzania

The big-ticket park is the 12,000-square-mile Serengeti, home to the famed wildebeest migration and a healthy population of big cats: lions, leopards and cheetahs. During peak season— July and August—when the famous wildebeest river crossings coincide with northern hemisphere summer holidays, the park can be very busy.

There are four main regions in the Serengeti; the Western Corridor, the Seronera Valley, Lobo/Kogatende in the north, and the Southern Plains.

There are several private reserves and conservancies around the Serengeti that offer the same wildlife experience but without the crowds—such as the Grumeti Reserve—but you’ll have to pay top dollar to stay there.

At the heart of the Serengeti lies the Seronera River and surrounding valley. This is a good area for year-round big cats and grazing herbivores.

The northern regions of Kogatende and Lamai, on the banks of the Mara River, are further off the beaten path and are good for catching the famed river crossings during summer months with far fewer tourists than across the border in Kenya's Masai Mara.

Tarangire, just south of the bird haven Lake Manyara, is the antidote to the crowds of the Serengeti. There are large herds of elephants, huge baobab trees, lions and even wild dogs. In the dry season, the park has a particularly high concentration of mammals. July to October are the best months for big game viewing, outside these months the park is pleasantly quiet.

As with the Serengeti, there are some private reserves around the national park, offering more exclusivity, generally at a higher cost.

The other major tourist attraction in the Northern Circuit is the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thought to be the world’s largest inactive, intact volcanic caldera that isn’t filled with water. The crater is home to an estimated 25,000 large animals, including elephants, giraffes, lions and black rhinos.

It's a year-round location for wildlife, although the crater gets crowded during peak months. Aside from its wildlife, the wider conservation area is also a great place for hiking and trekking.

There are no camps inside the crater, but some perch up on the rim, with incredible views. It’s also possible to stay further out in the wider Ngorongoro Conservation Area and do a day-trip into the crater. Look for accommodation close to the access road to maximise your time.

Just to the north of Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park is a narrow, deeply forested strip of land that sits in the shadow of a dramatic wall in the Great Rift escarpment.

The lake is a haven for some 350 species of waterbirds and the park is famous for its population of tree-climbing lions, as well as one of Tanzania’s most-studied elephant populations. In addition to wildlife drives, walking safaris are possible, and there’s a treetop walkway that takes you up into the forest canopy.

Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) is one of the largest protected areas in Africa at 19,000 square miles – bigger than Switzerland. With only a few camps, it feels far more remote than the northern parks.

As well as lions, leopards, elephants, black rhinos, hippos and buffalos, Nyerere is a key area for endangered wild dogs. Poaching has led to a massive decline in species such as elephants – so although there are many animals to see, they’re not as densely populated as in the Serengeti, for example.

What really sets Nyerere apart is the sheer range of activities you can do here: walking, boating and photo safaris, fly-camping, the list goes on. It costs a pretty penny, especially compared to the more touristy northern circuit, but if you're looking for something truly different, this may be for you.

Wild and remote Ruaha, Tanzania's largest national park, is home to scattered baobabs, grasslands and rolling hills. Along with Nyerere it's the main stop on Tanzania's 'southern circuit' although it draws a fraction of the visitors as the country's northern hotspots.

Arguably better for wildlife spotting than Nyerere (and more affordable too), Ruaha has a whopping 11 per cent of the world's wild lion population, along with massive herds of elephants and grazers.

There are cheetah, leopards and wild dogs here too, all along with relatively few tourists. You’ll find a mixture of luxury lodges and basic fly-camping operations for walking safaris – the park's speciality.

The third largest national park in Tanzania, but with a fraction of the visitors, Katavi feels very distant from the likes of the Serengeti. Indeed, it is estimated that Katavi gets as many visitors in an entire year as the Serengeti draws per day.

In the dry season, there are great wildlife spotting opportunities, with big herds of buffalos, lions, elephants and lots of plains game (topis, zebras and impalas).

With just a handful of small camps in the park and in the adjoining game reserves of Rukwa, Luafi and Lukwati, there will be few other vehicles with which to contend.

On the sandy banks of Lake Tanganyika, Mahale is a mountainous park known for its habituated chimpanzees you can visit in the forest. There are other primates – from vervets to the red colobus monkey – and the driest months (August to October) are the best time to trek through the forest.

There is a scattering of camps and lodges from where you can organise chimp trekking, including one ‘barefoot luxury’ option, Greystoke Mahale, and a government-run backpackers at the park HQ.

The quirkiest mobile camp, and absolutely one of my favourites places to stay anywhere in Tanzania, is Bush Rover Migration Camp. This consists of six double-story standing tents built around the converted Land Rovers used to transport them between different locales. The ground-floor toilet and shower for each unit is actually built into the Land Rover, while the upper floor comprises a canvas bedroom with a balcony from which you can safely watch passing wildlife or stargaze after dark. The camp sets up in the southern Serengeti over December to March for the calving season, before relocating the Western Corridor to catch the northward migration over June to mid-July, then heading further north, along with the wildebeest, to the Mara River area over August to October.

Among the absolute top of my recommendations for mobile camps is Nomad Tanzania's Serengeti Safari Camp. This top-end camp moves around five times per season to keep up with the constantly changing wildebeest migration. Accommodation is in classic safari-style canvas tents, and the guides are second to none. You'll want to stay around three of four nights here, and the camp is usually within close reach of an airstrip for easy access.

One of my all time favourites, Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge sits on a stunning beach on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, on the edge of Mahale Mountains National Park. This place is a real hidden gem, far from the crowds and bustle of northern Tanzania’s honeypots.

The lodge comprises just ten thatched beach tents set on wooden platforms for incredible views over the lake. There's a real sense of wilderness here, but with all the comforts you need, including ensuite showers, and even Wi-Fi! The real highlight, though, is the wildlife. Mahale Mountains National Park is famous for its chimpanzees, but it's not just chimps! Keep your eyes peeled for monkeys, butterflies, and all sorts of birds as you hike through the forest. In the evenings, I like to unwind by the campfire with my fellow guests, listening to the sounds of the wilderness and gazing at the star-studded sky.

One of my favourite places to stay in all of Tanzania, Best View Lodge is situated at the top of the Rift Valley Escarpment with incredible views in all directions. I’ve sat on the veranda here, gin and tonic in hand, gazing at some life changing sunsets: the vast escarpment wall in one direction, farms below, and Lake Manyara ahead glistening in the evening light.

The lodge is perfectly situated for exploring Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater all from the same base, which is one of the reasons I recommend it to almost all our guests. And when you’re back from a day of walking safaris and game drives, the staff are wonderfully warm and helpful, the rooms are comfortable and the food is delicious. You can’t really go wrong here, it’s one of the best.

If there's one obvious drawback to Tanzania's most exclusive lodges, it’s that they tend to be priced out of the range of all but the deepest of pockets. So here’s a shout out to Serena, a long-serving East African hotel chain that runs a number of larger lodges which hit a popular sweet spot between comfort and affordability. Ngorongoro Serena ranks among the very best of these, with its centrally heated rooms and scenic location on the western crater rim. I often recommend this lodge to serious wildlife enthusiasts, because it is the closest option to the main descent road into the crater, making it particularly well suited to early morning game drives.

The relatively chilly highland climate that characterises Ngorongoro Crater’s scenic rim means that most lodges there have a very indoorsy feel. An exception is Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp, which comprises 10 stilted standing tents set in an atmospheric forest of lichen-draped flat-top acacias. To be honest, I was a bit worried about the cold when I arrived here, but I needn’t have been: the tents are all equipped with gas heaters and electric blankets, and very snug at night. The camp’s location is perfect for game drives in the early morning, which is the best time to explore the crater

The most sumptuous and exclusive lodge overlooking Ngorongoro Crater is also the oldest, having started life in the 1930s as a humble hunting lodge. Today the playful Maasai-meets-Versailles architecture and décor – a knowingly kitsch blend of classical, baroque, African and colonial influences – makes &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge stand out as one of the most original and popular safari lodges anywhere in East Africa. What the lodge’s earliest gun-toting colonial patrons would make of all this tomfoolery is anybody’s guess. But – highland mist permitting – they would doubtless approve of the view over the world’s largest volcanic caldera, which remains every bit as spectacular as it was 100 years ago.

This is my favourite place to stay in Tarangire National Park. Yes, there are smarter and more exclusive alternatives, but none that comes close to Tarangire Safari Lodge when it comes to location. This clifftop lodge offers a mesmerising view over long stretch of river where elephants maintain a near-permanent presence. And as if that were not enough, it also has an unbeatable location for early morning game drives on the park’s most rewarding wildlife viewing circuits. The first lodge to open in Tarangire, way back in 1985, it has been owned and managed by the hands-on Simonson family ever since, and it remains exceptional value by comparison to almost any other lodge in Tanzania.

I love the upmarket Tarzan experience offered by the 10 luxury treehouse suites that comprise &Beyond's Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Set in a luxuriant mahogany forest, this exclusive lodge is also arguably the best base for Lake Manyara safaris, not least because it lies so deep in the park you can explore roads seldom visited by people staying elsewhere. The lodge’s guides know the park backwards, which greatly increases the odds of locating Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions.

The only lodge set within Arusha National Park, Hatari is the ideal place to spend a couple of relaxed nights at the start or end of a northern Tanzania safari. It stands in a picturesque forest, frequented by giraffe, waterbuck and monkeys, at the base of Mount Meru (Africa's fifth highest massif). The German owner-managers Jörg and Marlies Gabriel have invested considerable thought and passion in the characterful décor. They also actively promote a slow food policy based on using organic ingredients sourced from local home gardens. If you have the energy, I’d recommend organising a guided day walk into Mount Meru’s spectacular semi-collapsed caldera. More sedately, sundowner drinks at Hatari are often capped by views of snow-capped Kilimanjaro.

Over the course of numerous safaris to the Serengeti over the past 30-odd years, few lodges have blown me away quite as much as Namiri Plains did on my most recent visit. This ultra-exclusive new lodge forms part of the highly-regarded Asilia chain and offers accommodation in ten spacious stone-and-canvas cottages decorated with local basketwork. For me, what really makes Namiri Plains special is that it reliably offers high quality cheetah and lion sightings in an corner of the Serengeti that's pleasingly remote from other lodges.

Arriving at Greystoke, you could be forgiven for thinking you've washed up on a jungle-swathed Indian Ocean island. This idyllic beach camp stands on Lake Tanganyika, a beautiful inland sea that ranks as the world's longest freshwater body, and reportedly the least polluted. Greystoke is the perfect base for tracking chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains – on two previous visits, these hirsute apes have actually walked through camp – and it also offers dhow trips out onto the lake. In common with Chada and Sand River, Greystoke is owned by Nomad Tanzania, a locally-based company that operates several of the country’s most alluring and exclusive bush camps

When it comes to that classic bush feel, few safari camps can match Chada. Set in remote and little visited Katavi National Park, this low-footprint camp comprises just six standing tents scattered in a tall acacia glade overlooking a vast floodplain alive with buffalo, hippo and other wildlife. The tents are very spacious, but simply decorated, with old-school bucket showers and eco-toilets. Chada really comes alive at night: I’ve had elephants nibbling on fallen acacia pods all around my tent here, and almost invariably heard hyenas whooping and lions grunt-roaring across the floodplain.

Probably my favourite lodge in Nyerere National Park, Sand Rivers overlooks a wide, sandy bend in the Rufiji, Tanzania's largest river. The open-fronted stone-and-thatch suites here are simply stunning, and there's also a tempting freeform swimming pool set under a massive baobab tree. Whether you explore by boat, in a 4x4, or on foot, there's plenty of wildlife to be seen in the area, and the guides are exceptional. Aside from the exceptional river view, an appealing aspect of Sand River is that it stands some distance from any other camp and too deep into the park to be reached on day safaris from outside.

Nyerere is Tanzania's largest national park, extending across 30,000-plus square kilometres, and it offers a more exclusive safari experience than the better-known Serengeti. A great base for exploring it is Roho ya Selous, which means ‘Heart of Selous’ in reference the park’s former name Selous Game Reserve. Set on the shore of Lake Nzerakera, Roho ya Selous consists of eight luxury standing tents spaced along a tract of evergreen waterside forest. The lodge stands in the heart of a rewarding wildlife-viewing circuit where you are sure to see plenty of elephant, buffalo and giraffe, and might well get lucky with lion and African wild dog. A highlight is boat trips on the lake, which is home to large numbers of hippo and plentiful waterbirds.

The view from Jabali Ridge is unforgettable. Set on a rocky hill, this stylish boutique lodge offers sweeping vistas across the vast baobab-studded plains of Ruaha National Park and wide sandy arc of the seasonal Mwagusi River. The accommodation is every bit as memorable, comprising as it does eight luxurious cottages built into and around the large rounded granite boulders at the hill’s summit. Jabali Ridge is a superb base for game drives in Ruaha, a relatively off-the-beaten-track safari destination that ranks as Tanzania’s second-largest national park and one of the best for carnivores such as lion, leopard, cheetah and African wild dog. Night drives are often very rewarding and the cuisine is truly outstanding.

This extraordinary wilderness camp stands on the edge of the blinding white salt flats that enclose caustic Lake Natron. This starkly beautiful Rift Valley setting is dominated by the brooding presence of Ol Doinyo Lengai, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Tanzanian owner-managers Åke and Nangini Lindstrom have designed the camp to be low impact, and the spacious standing tents are shaded by camouflaged netting that helps keep the interior cool whilst reducing the visual impact. Lake Natron Camp stands on a Maasai concession, it only employs local Maasai people and it funds several community projects. Within the concession, you’ll find 120,000-year-old fossil human footprints and a spring-fed stream where you can swim while white-lipped tilapias nibble at your dead skin (a sensation I found oddly addictive once I got used to it).

Wildlife photographers, filmmakers and big cat enthusiasts talk in hushed tones about Ndutu Safari Lodge. Founded in 1968 close to the seasonal lake for which it is named, this down-to-earth lodge offers access to a part of the Serengeti-Ngorongoro ecosystem famed for its high densities of carnivores. Ndutu is an excellent base for catching the wildebeest calving season in February, but large herds of grazers are usually present from December through to April, and there's good cat viewing all year round. It also remains one of the best value lodges in this part of the world, offering accommodation in 34 simple stone-and-thatch cottages with private verandas, and meals in a convivial thatched restaurant where I’ve often seen genets creep around the rafters at night.

If you prefer your safari with the comfort and amenities of a lodge, you can't go far wrong with Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge, a solid upper to mid-market option in the Seronera area. The lodge is inspired by the traditional Tanzanian village with rooms designed as thatched rondavels. Amenities include an infinity pool, a separate bar and an impressive dining room.

One of Africa's quirkiest and most underrated protected areas, Rubondo comprises a lushly forested 240 sq km island set in the Tanzanian waters of Lake Victoria (the world’s second largest lake). The park was established in the 1960s as a proposed breeding centre for introduced Congolese rainforest animals. This experiment never really came together, but Rubondo does still support some introduced wildlife, including elephant and giraffe, alongside naturally occurring species such the swamp-loving sitatunga antelope. The island is also home to around 70 chimps descended from eight males and nine females released there in the late 1960s. After being left to their own devices for decades, Rubondo’s chimps have now been habituated for tourist visits.

Pros: Home to just one small luxury beach lodge, Rubondo Island makes for an exclusive and very tranquil add-on to a safari in the ever-popular Serengeti National Park.

Rubondo’s chimps are descended from individuals that were born wild in West Africa, then captured as youngsters and held in zoos or circuses. It is thus the easiest place to see the western chimpanzee, a critically endangered subspecies that is far rarer than its eastern counterpart.

Cons: Although Rubondo’s chimps are almost certain to be seen by determined visitors, locating them might involve a long walk, and they are shyer than in most other trekking destinations.

It is not easy for independent or budget-conscious travellers to arrange chimp trekking here.