Fernandes Tours & Safaris - Tanzania Mainland Safari


»	Northenr Circuit
»	Southern Circuit
»	Western Circuit

Northern Circuit
» Serengeti National Park
» Tarangire National Park
» Lake Manyara National Park
» Arusha National Park

Serengeti National Park
More than six million hooves pound the legendary Serengeti, whose very name means 'endless plains'. Every year, triggered by the rains, more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle gather to undertake their long trek to new grazing lands.

The rutting season is a frenzied three week long bout of territorial conquests and mating, followed by survival of the fittest as the 40 kilometre long columns plunge through crocodile infested waters on the annual exodus north. Replenishing the species is the brief population explosion that produces more than 8000 calves a day before the 1000 kilometre pilgrimage begins again.

Tanzania's first and most famous park, the Serengeti, is renowned for its wealth of leopard and lion. The vast reaches of the park help black rhino to fight extinction and provide a protected breeding ground for the vulnerable cheetah, alongside the Serengeti's thousands of other diverse species, from the 500 varieties of bird to 100 different types of dung beetle.

After the rains, the Serengeti's magical golden horizon is transformed into an endless green carpet, flecked with wildflowers. The famous plains are interspersed with wooded hills, towering termite mounds, monumental rocky kopjes, and rivers lined with elegant acacia trees.

To search for the sometimes elusive wildebeest migration, visit the Serengeti from December to July. To see predators, June to October are the best months. For the best chance offinding the migration, allow a minimum of three days, longer if possible.

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Tarangire National Park
During Tarangire's dry season, day after day of cloudless skies seem to suck all moisture from the landscape, turning the waving grasses to platinum blonde, brittle as straw. The Tarangire River is a mere shadow of itself, just a trickle of water choked with wildlife. Thirsty antelope and elephant have wandered hundreds of parched kilometres to Tarangire's permanent water source.

Herds of elephant three hundred strong dig in the damp earth of the riverbed in search of underground springs, while wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, and gazelle mingle with rarer species such as eland and oryx around each shrinking lagoon. Python climb into the shade of the trees that line Tarangire's massive southern swamps and hang there like giant malignant fruit, coils neatly arranged over the branches in a perfect sphere. Tarangire in the dry season enjoys the grea1iest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem.

Tarangire's huge herds of elephant rival the park's gigantic, squat baobab trees as its most celebrated feature - ancient matriarchs, feisty young bulls and tiny, stumbling calves are ever present to fascinate visitors with their grace, intelligence and majesty.

The best time to visit Tarangire for wildlife viewing or walking is the dry season, June to October.

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Lake Manyara National Park
Tucked below the majesty of the Rift Valley wall, Lake Manyara National Park is a thin green band of forest, flanked on one side by the sheer 600 metre high red and brown cliffs of theescarpment and on the other by the white-hot shores of an ancient soda lake. This wedge of surprisingly varied vegetation supports a wealth of wildlife, nourished by the streams flowing out of the escarpment base and waterfalls spilling over the cliffs. Acacia woodland shelters the park's famous tree-climbing lions, lying languidly among the branches in the heat of the day. Feeding in the undergrowth or dozing in the dry river beds are the country's densest populations of buffalo and elephant.

Deep in the south of the park, hot springs bubble to the surface as hippo wallow near the lake's sedge-lined borders. The park's dazzling variety of birds includes thousands of red-billed quelea flitting over the water, pelicans, cormorants and the pink streaks of thousands of flamingo. Manyara is the perfect location for an active safari - canoeing on the lake or mountain biking and abseiling outside the park's borders.

The dry season July to October) is best for large mammals, while the wet season (November to June) is best for bird watching, waterfalls and canoemg.

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Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park, often overlooked, is in fact a treasure, a rich tapestry of habitats, teeming with animals and birds. From the lush swamps of the Ngurdoto Crater to the tranquil beauty of the Momela Lakes and the rocky alpine heights of Mount Meru, the terrain of the park is as varied as it is interesting. Zebra graze on the park's red grasslands, and leopard lurk next to waterfalls in the shadowy forest. More than 400 species of bird, both migrant and resident, can be found in Arusha National Park alongside rare primates such as the black-and-white colobus monkey.

The rewarding climb up Mount Meru passes through forests of dripping Spanish moss, carpeted with clover and rises to open heath, spiked with giant lobelia plants. Delicate klipspringer antelope watch the progress of hikers from the top of huge boulders, and everlasting flowers cling to the alpine desert underfoot. Once astride the craggy summit, the reward is a sight of Mount Kilimanjaro, breathtaking in the sunrise.

The best time to visit Arusha National Park is during the dry season from July-November, or after the short rains from December-March. The best months to climb Mt.Meru are June-February, with the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro seen from December-February. The park lies just 25 km east of Arusha and is ideal for a rewarding day trip from Arusha or Moshi.

"We specialize in tailor made itineraries for all mainland National Parks, kindly tell us of your interests and we will program your itineraries�

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