Top Tourist Attractions in Tanzania for Nature Lovers
In East Africa, Tanzania stands out as a country with the world’s most renowned wildlife parks, which make game viewing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Notably, the spectacular Wildebeest migration, the famous mountain Kilimanjaro, the Zanzibar beaches, and cultural heritage make Tanzania an unforgettable destination for many tourists.
Serengeti National Park: Destination of the Greatest Wildebeest Migration
Nestled in Northern Tanzania’s Eastern Mara Region, the Serengeti National Park is a dream come true for animal enthusiasts and wildlife lovers. It is a World Heritage Site and the largest natural attraction in Tanzania, covering an area of 14 763 square kilometres1. The Serengeti ecosystem is also popular for the continuous migration of over 1.4 million wildebeest, 0.2 million zebra and 0.7 million Thompson’s gazelles, known as “the Greatest Wildlife Migration in Africa.” The ecosystem at Serengeti contains one of the highest concentrations of carnivores in Africa and is home to the endangered black rhinoceros and African wild dog2.
Visitors can go on car safari or balloon safari to enjoy the wildlife at Serengeti Park. Visitors to Serengeti National Park arrive as part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience and are satisfied with the wildlife and ecological features of the park. Over 90% of visitors to the park gave it an overall rating of “excellent” or “above average” due to its sense of tranquillity and variety of wildlife2.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Home of the Largest Unbroken Caldera on Earth
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) in Tanzania is located in the Arusha Region of Northern Tanzania. The majestic Ngorongoro Crater is central to NCA’s attraction, renowned as the largest unbroken caldera on Earth and hailed as one of Africa’s premier wildlife viewing destinations. Moreover, the NCA boasts two of the world’s most important paleontological and archaeological sites: Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge. These sites offer a remarkable journey through human evolution, spanning millions of years. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the largest ungulate herds in the world. It includes wildebeests, zebras, and Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, along with a plethora of bird species, making it a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. Other than car safari, tourists could undertake camping, walking safari, and hiking to connect with nature and soak in the serene beauty of the surroundings3.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area also has a unique status as a “multiple land use” zone, which allows the pastoral Maasai people to coexist harmoniously and nurture their livestock alongside the diverse ecosystem. NCA also offers tourists the opportunity to engage with the vibrant Maasai culture3. Tourists can visit cultural Maasai bomas (constructed to look like typical Maasai homesteads to provide an official interface between the tourist and the resident Maasai), where they can interact with Maasai warriors and women, witness traditional dances, explore replica homesteads, and purchase authentic handicrafts, gaining a deeper appreciation for Maasai traditions and culture.
Mount Kilimanjaro: Everyman’s Everest
Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania is like a magnet for adventure seekers, attracting about 50,000 trekkers each year and earning the nickname “Everyman’s Everest.” It’s famous for being the most accessible high summit in the world, drawing in many adventurous tourists and climbers4.
The mountain consists of three volcanic peaks: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kibo is the tallest at 5,895m, while Mawenzi is known for its rugged terrain at 5,149m. Access to Mawenzi requires climbing skills, knowledge, and special equipment. Shira, although once the tallest, collapsed 750 years ago and now stands at 3,962m5.
Kilimanjaro’s forest provides a habitat for various animal and bird species, allowing climbers to enjoy incredible wildlife along the way. The mountain is accessible year-round, but the best times to climb are from mid-June to October and from December to mid-March when the weather is favourable4.
There are seven routes to ascend and descend the mountain, including Londorosi, Lemosho, Machame, Umbwe, Mweka, Kilema, and Marangu. The Marangu route is the most popular among tourists and is deemed the easiest and fastest due to its shorter distance5.
Visitors interested in local culture can choose from various tours, including village walks, history hikes, waterfall excursions, and coffee tours. Also, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro are several waterfalls, including Materuni Waterfalls, Ndoro Waterfall and Mbokomu Waterfall. Materuni Waterfalls are located near the city of Moshi, Tanzania, and are a popular tourist destination.
Tarangire National Park: Home of Elephants
Tarangire National Park (TNP) is located in the Northern Tourism Circuit of Tanzania, Southwest of Arusha. It is the 5th largest national park in Tanzania and the 3rd richest park in terms of biodiversity. Tarangire is famous for having large populations of African elephants that feed and migrate in a group of three to 32 elephants. The park is part of the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem, which covers 20,000 km2, including the well-known Kwakuchinja Wildlife Corridor. The park has several water sources, but the permanent source of water is the Tarangire River, which flows water through the park for the whole year. The vegetation type is characterized by open grassland with a large number of baobab trees6.
Lake Manyara National Park: Habitat of Pink Flamingos and Tree-Climbing Lions
Lake Manyara National Park in Northern Tanzania is famous for its tree-climbing lions, thousands of pink flamingos, soda ash lake, a sizable elephant population, and breathtaking scenery. The park’s diverse terrain features swamps, grasslands, and forests. The park offers various tourism products and activities, including day and night game drives, cultural tours, bird watching, mountain bike tours, and picnic/forest trails/walks. Lake Manyara, a shallow soda lake, is the epicentre of Lake Manyara National Park, which has since 1981 been one of the seven Tanzanian UNESCO Man and Biosphere reserves. The park experiences two primary seasons, with the Dry season from June to October being the ideal time for a visit2.
Other Parks and Tanzania’s Hidden Treasures
Tanzania has about 16 wildlife national parks, beaches, and other tourist attractions. The pristine beaches of Zanzibar, the wilderness of Julius Nyerere National Park, the wonders of Ruaha National Park, and the chimpanzee haven of Gombe Stream National Park offer travellers unique and unforgettable experiences. Additionally, the National Museum of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, the historical site of Bagamoyo, and the splendour of Lake Victoria in Mwanza provide enriching cultural and historical encounters. Tanzania is really everyone’s Everest.
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By: Huzeima Mahamadu (Researcher, Content Creator, and Facilitator, Ghana) and Marco Tano (University Student in Tanzania)
References
- Wade, D. J., Mwasaga, B. C., & F.J. Eagles, P. (2001). A history and market analysis of tourism in Tanzania. Tourism Management, 22(1), 93–101. ↩︎
- Eagles, P. F., & Wade, D. (2006). Tourism in Tanzania: Serengeti National Park. Bois et Forêts Des Tropiques, 290(4), 73–80.
↩︎ - Charnley, S. (2005). From Nature Tourism to Ecotourism? The Case of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. Human Organization, 64(1), 75–88. ↩︎
- Meela, L. (2019). 5,895 above sea level: Investigating empowerment of local community engaging in mountaineering Tourism: A case study of Mount Kilimanjaro.
↩︎ - Peaty, D. (2012). Kilimanjaro tourism and what it means for local porters and for the local environment. J Ritsumeikan Soc Sci and Humanities, 4(1), 1–11. ↩︎
- McDowell, D. (2014). The impact of income generating programs at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.
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