Tanzania

Destination Detail

Tanzania is a beautiful East African country known for its vast wilderness areas, white sand beaches, and diverse culture. The country is home to several national parks and reserves, such as the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where visitors can witness some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife such as elephants, lions, zebras, and giraffes. Tanzania also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with over 120 ethnic groups each with its unique traditions and beliefs. Moreover, the country’s stunning beaches, including Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia Island, offer breathtaking opportunities for relaxation, snorkeling, and other water activities. Visitors can also sample the country’s delicious cuisine, particularly its popular dishes such as ugali, nyama choma, and pilau rice. Unquestionably, Tanzania is an ideal destination for travelers seeking adventure, culture, and relaxation all in one place.

Popular Atractions

Mikumi National Park
Arusha National Park
Nyerere National Park
Manyara National Park
Ruaha National Park
Mkomazi National Park
Gombe National Park
Mahale National Park
Tarangire National Park
Serengeti National Park
Kilimanajaro National Park
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Rubondo National Park
Zanzibar Island

Climate and Weather

With such distinctive topography, it’s no surprise that Tanzania’s weather varies depending on the region. In general, Tanzania is a tropical country with a warm climate, characterized by two distinct seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. The coastal regions and islands, including Zanzibar, tend to be hot and humid throughout the year, with rainfall occurring from November to May. The central highlands are cooler, with occasional rainfall between December and March, while the northern region near Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti can be quite cold and rainy from April until June. By understanding the weather patterns in Tanzania, travelers can plan a trip that is conducive to their interests and preferences, whether it is a safari, mountain climbing, or a lazy beach vacation.

Serengeti – Mara Ecosystem

Why do Wildebeest Migrate?

The 800-kilometer trek of the immense wildebeest herd is the largest mammal migration on earth. The timing of the migration coincides with the greening of nutritious grasses on the short-grass plains during the wet season. These areas are safer because predators can be easily spotted making it an ideal place for calving. However, the plains dry, and the wildebeest are forced to move in search of greener pastures in the western corridor. The northern extension of the ecosystem has the highest rainfall, but the grasses are the least nutritious. This is the dry season retreat for the wildebeest, at least until the south becomes green again. The result is a clockwise movement from the south, west, north, and back to the south.

The Great Migration in short.

A better representation of the circle of life probably cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The journey starts in Southern Serengeti when wildebeest and zebra calves are being born. Predators like lions and hyenas are constantly hunting for babies, and thousands and thousands of calves are born within a couple of weeks of each other – a feast for the eyes of true wildlife enthusiasts. When the drought comes in May, the herd moves north, towards the Masai Mara in Kenya, chomping down the high green grass, quickly followed by the gazelles and zebras. The migration is not without risk: crossing rivers means facing about 3,000 crocodiles, patiently waiting for a kill. Not to mention the famous Serengeti lion population: by far the largest in Africa. Despite the abundance of hoofed meat in this area, life is not easy for these big cats in this unforgiving landscape. But seeing a group of lions collaborating to hunt down a wildebeest is an unforgettable sight. Then, with the beginning of the short rains in late October, the migration makes its way back into the Serengeti. By December, the herds trek past Seronera – a small settlement in central Serengeti where the official Serengeti Visitors’ Centre is located – to return to their calving grounds again, and the circle is complete

The Great Migration in detail.

When planning your Serengeti safari you probably want to include seeing the Great Migration. So how do you ensure to be there when it happens? The long and short of it is that you can’t. It is important to realize that the decision of when to visit the Serengeti always involves an element of risk. We have detailed the Great Migration below, and this is what usually happens, but keep in mind that there are no guarantees.
The annual migration of two million ungulates, wildebeest but also enormous groups of zebra and Thomson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, and eland, through Serengeti National Park is the greatest wildlife spectacle of its type in Africa, and perhaps the world. Although variations occur from year to year, the Serengeti migration follows a reasonably predictable annual cycle, dictated by local rainfall patterns. The Great Migration cycle breaks up into the following periods:

August-September.

When the Grumeti River obstacle has been taken, the herd moves further north and starts crossing the next big hurdle, the Mara River, in July or August. The Mara River crossing is where so many iconic Great Migration photos have been taken. After this crossing the herd flocks to the northwest plains and Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. However, migration patterns show that about half of the herd stays on the Tanzanian side, in the Mara Serengeti area. In this period, smaller herds of wildebeest (well considered small… herds may count up to between 500 and thousands of individuals) frequently cross the Mara River, back and forth, for no apparent reason. This is an excellent time to stay at one of the Serengeti Mara camps.

October-November.

You are crossing the Mara River northbound means that, at one point, the herd needs to cross the river one more time before commencing the trek back in a southerly direction. This usually happens in October, but sometimes earlier. In this period the herd will cross the northern plains and Lobo area. This section of Serengeti National Park is little visited, so if you are looking to see the migration in relative quietness, this would be the time—the wildebeest return to the short-grass plains and calving ground around Ndutu in late November. And from here, the Great Migration starts all over again.

Note.

As mentioned earlier, the timings outlined on this page concern guidelines as exceptions occur frequently. In November 2013, the wildebeest already started trekking back to the southern Serengeti short-grass plains when suddenly it started raining north of the Mara River. Nature is as nature does and the herd turned around, back into the Masai Mara in Kenya. The herd stayed there for about three weeks before resuming their southbound journey. A year later, in 2014, freak rains in the southern Serengeti caused much of the herd to remain behind and not make the northbound journey towards the Western Corridor up to July.

When to visit?.

It is a matter of choice whether you would like to plan your Serengeti safari around the Great Migration. We have mentioned earlier that the Serengeti is a year-round destination as it covers a vast area and offers unparalleled wildlife viewing. Chances that you will be at the exact spot of the Great Migration herd crossing a river (either at the Grumeti or Mara River) are very slim. Also, the timing of herd movements cannot be guaranteed. However, if you choose the right part of the Serengeti: the southeast and Ndutu from December through to May, the Western Corridor from May to July, the Serengeti Mara area from July through to October, and the northern Serengeti and Lobo area in October and November, large herds of wildebeest and their entourage should be easily located.