The best parks to do a game drive in Tanzania
If you´re planning to go to Tanzania, you´re probably thinking about doing a safari, right? The country is very know for that, and has many parks that are very good for amazing game drives and wildlife watching.
The safaris aren´t cheap, keep in mind that you´ll need a good amount of money to do them, but they are worth it. The experience of seeing so many wild animals, and sometimes really close to the car, is just amazing! I visited Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater with Greg Adventures, and it was a great experience!
You might also like:
WHICH PARKS TO VISIT
The most known parks for safari in Tanzania are Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara – most of the agencies offer a 5-7 days tour that visit all of them. A good sequence, leaving from Arusha, would be Manyara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti.
Bloggers tip: you´ll see more wildlife in Serengeti, followed by Ngorongoro, Tarangire and less in Manyara – it might be a good idea to leave Serengeti to the end of the tour, to not get spoiled after seeing so many animals. You can enjoy the other parks better if you see then before.
If you have the time and the money, it´s worth doing all of them, as they all have particularities, and you may see some animals in one and don´t see them in the other.
But be aware, it´s nearly impossible to do a cheap safari in Tanzania. The park fees are crazy expensive, and even the campsites around or inside the park are overpriced.
Also, usually the companies that offer a very low price are the ones that aren´t official – it´s not a good idea to put your life in the hands of a non-official agency.
Here you can find more info about Ngorongoro Crater and also about Tarangire.
Bloggers Tip: you can also combine a safari in Tanzania with one in Kenya, visiting Masai Mara and Amboseli – to read more about these parks, check it here.
SAFARI BY YOURSELF
In some parks you can go by yourself, in case you rent a car, and a guide isn´t necessary, such as Tarangire. That´s not the case in Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, there a guide is mandatory (and also recommended, so that you can see more wildlife).
Doing by yourself it should be cheaper than hiring a tour company, but it won´t be cheap anyway, as you´ll have to pay the expensive park fees (per day), the accommodation (you can choose between Lodges and Camps, but even the camps aren´t cheap), the car fee, maybe hire a guide at the park, your meals…
Are you going to Tanzania? Here you can check all the accommodation options, from hostels to hotels and resorts. And if you book it through this link, you help to maintain this blog online, and you don´t have to pay anything for that.
TOUR COMPANY AND BEST PLACE TO START IT
The best starting point for the safaris is in Arusha, that´s where almost all the tour companies are located. There are loads of options of agency, make sure the one you choose is official to avoid problems.
I chose Greg Adventures, and I totally recommend it. I did a two days safari, to Tarangire and Ngorongoro, and it was very well organized. It included the transport, the guide, the park fees, the accommodation (in tented camps), the meals and water. The price depends on how many people join it, but as a reference, this tour costs 370 U$ per person (Sep/16).
Bloggers tip: Travel safe using the best travel insurance, which covers even adventure sports! Get a quote here
HOW IS THE SAFARI
You spend most part of the day inside the safari car/bus. They are very comfortable in general (actually all of them are pretty much the same!). I was impressed by the car we used in the tour, it had even charger and a fridge!
The cool thing about Greg Adventures’s car is their pop-up roof, that gives you a 360 degrees view, perfect for watching the animals.
You can stay at the parks the whole day, when you sleep at the campsites or lodges close to the park. Usually you go early in the morning, and come back at late afternoon.
During the safari you take lunch boxes with you, so that you can have a picnic inside the park, and enjoy the whole day there.
What you´ll see depends totally on the day, on the park, and also on luck, as the parks are huge. You might see lots of wildlife, or maybe not so much, it´s hard to tell. That´s why is advisable to do more than one game drive, to make sure you see as much as possible!
Also, some parks have amazing sceneries, with baobas, lakes and craters, that are totally worth the visit.
How about you? Have you already done a safari in Tanzania and have some cool tips about the city? Or do you plan to visit it and have some doubts? Share your ideas leaving a comment here!
If you like this post, please share it! Sharing is caring! =)
Planning your trip:
– Accommodation: you can book your accommodation here – hotels/hostels comparing and free booking cancel
– Travel Insurance: travel safe using the best travel insurance that covers even adventure sports – get a quote here
———————
The blogger did the game drive by invitation of Greg Adventures. I’d like to thank again for the opportunity, and also make it clear that all the opinions present here are independent and personal.
