Game Parks of Tanzania
Lake Manyara National Park
This park is relatively small, but extremely varied and one of the most diverse populations of birds in East Africa is to be found here. One can linger for hours, field glasses in hand and always make new discoveries in the broad fertile marshlands that belong only to the animals. At small streams and clearings in the accacia woods and in the interior of the park, there are a variety of mammals and birds, the most plentiful being elephants, buffalos and giraffes. The animals of Manyara are not particularly shy and behave very naturally. It is also rewarding to take the time to observe one of the numerous baboon colonies which are always good entertainment. It is of course interesting to find the famous tree-climbing lions even though it can take a long time. At all times, Manyara offers many special rewards for the nature lover; whether it is a fish eagle that can almost be touched, a bushbuck crossing a clearing or a monitor lizard enjoying a meal of termites.
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti is generally recognised as the major wildlife reserve in the world. It contains the world's largest herds of hoofed animals in the wild. The park is particularly known for the migration of about one million brindled gnus and zebras. Regardless of the season you might get a full impression of this unique spectacle. The exact location of the main mass of the herd of gnus and zebras cannot be exactly predicted. But even if you miss the long treks of wilderbeest you can be certain of seeing a large number of non-migratory species. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Early man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.
Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
The 'Eighth Wonder of the World' is a further highlight of a safari in Tanzania. The crater and its surroundings are a conservation area that adjoins the Serengeti. Wild animals enjoy the same protection as in a national park. The 160 square kilometres at the floor of the extinct volcano are world famous because such a large part of the African fauna is represented here, within a relatively small area. Most of the animals are quite used to visitors and vehicles and therefore don't flee far, making it easier to observe and photograph them than perhaps, in other areas. The number of animals does not vary greatly from season to season. The amount of food for both herbivores and carnivores is so abundant that it can support large numbers of each species and something exciting is always happening. Interesting species to observe are lions, hyenas and jackals. One additional and important reason for making the descent into the Ngorongoro crater is to see the African black rhinoceros - a few brave survivors of the Continent's most endangered species.
