Tanzania’s northern circuit, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire, is an easy sell for safari operators. They’re easily packaged together, transport links are well-established, and accommodation options cover most budgets. It’s a good money maker for operators but it’s also pretty great for safarigoers too – in pure wildlife-viewing terms, I can’t think of many safari itineraries that beat the northern circuit.
The downside is that this trio (or quartet depending on what you’re including) of national parks has become very popular in recent years. Too popular, some might say.
Worse still, an ever growing number of safarigoers now time their visits around the main highlights of the migration. Twenty-odd years ago, when my wife and I visited the first camp to open in the then-remote northern Serengeti, we were the only vehicle present at a river crossing. Today, a similar event might attract 50 to 100 vehicles, and it can feel a bit of a circus. Likewise, it's not unusual to see several dozen vehicles crowded around a big cat sighting in Ngorongoro Crater or the busiest parts of the Serengeti.
The good news? Well, where the Serengeti is concerned, the crowds tend to be focused in certain areas at certain times, so with a bit of proactive planning it is possible to avoid them.
That might mean trying to visit out of season (April to June), or choosing more remote bush camps (they do exist) or spending time in areas where the migration – and mass tourism – isn't likely to be present at the time of year you visit.
Do this, and even today, you'll find there are many areas of this vast park where you’ll often have wildlife sightings to yourself.
With other parks, an understanding of typical tourist patterns can help. For instance, almost all safaris limit their exploration of Lake Manyara National Park to one afternoon drive, so the limited road circuit can feel horribly crowded after 3pm. By contrast, if you arrive first thing in the morning when the gates open, you'll virtually have it to yourself.
Similarly, it’s customary for budget safaris in Tarangire to stay outside the park and do one game drive in the middle of the day when elephants are most common along the river, so again it can feel very crowded if you adhere to this pattern, but tends to be much quieter before 10am and after 4pm.
Another option – and the two aren't mutually exclusive – is to mix up the big name attractions with a few lesser-known highlights that can easily be incorporated into a northern safari. Good examples of this would be Empakaai Crater, Lake Natron or Mkomazi National Park.
Finally, bear in mind that there are vast tracts of Tanzania that are thoroughly alluring to adventurous travelers but still see relatively little tourism. Among the top safari destinations, Ruaha and Katavi National Park both still just about fall into this category.
More obscure options include the recently developed northeastern safari circuit focused on Burigi-Chato National Park, the stunningly beautiful and biodiverse Eastern Arc Mountains, and pretty much anywhere on the mainland coast north or South of Dar es Salaam. It simply depends on what you're looking for.
With the exception of the rainy months of March and April, Tanzania is a great safari destination through most of the year.
The dry season – June to October – is the most popular and best for wildlife sightings, but January and February also see a break in the rains.
Question
We can't travel during the migration river crossings, are there other impressive spectacles at other times of year?
Answer
Yes! I think calving season during the wildebeest migration is just as spectacular as the more famous river crossing period.
This period runs from December to March around the Ndutu Plains to the south of Serengeti. During this time the wildebeest and zebra stampede over the plains preparing to give birth to thousands of calves. At the same time the big cats are on the lookout for an easy snack. With vast numbers of animals, their sounds and smells, all of the little calves, and the big cats on the lookout... it's theatre on an epic scale and you cannot be disappointed. And the extra benefit is that it's a much shorter drive here than to see the river crossings.
Answered by
Robbin Meulemans
Question
What are your recommended alternatives to safari in the Serengeti?
Answer
In my opinion there's not much that tops Serengeti National Park. As far as the wildlife and scenery goes there's nowhere better for a safari in Tanzania.
The only downsides I can think of are that visiting the Serengeti can involve lots of driving (to see the migration river crossings takes two or three days driving), also it can be expensive and, at peak times, busy (although far quieter than neighbouring Masai Mara in Kenya!)
For those who prefer less driving, I'd recommend Ngorongoro Crater as a good runner up to the Serengeti. Ngorongoro's compact size (the crater is only 20 kilometres across) means you can see more with much less driving. All the big five can be seen here and as a bonus you have have a better chance of seeing rhinos here than in Serengeti.
If you want to escape all crowds and get off the beaten track, I highly recommend Ruaha National Park. Located in the midwest of the country, it surprises with outstretched savannahs and plenty of animals, together with some amazing lodges. The downside (or upside, depending on what you're looking for) is the distance – it’s pretty far from everywhere.
And finally if you're looking for a lower cost safari in Tanzania you could book flights to Dar Es Salaam, and from there do a safari in Mikumi National Park. Relatively small, it still offers open savannah with all your usual safari suspects except for rhinos, along with the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
Answered by
Robbin Meulemans
