Travel Notes from Tanzania

National Parks

Tanzania is basically 14 national parks representing 42,000 km2 but also many protected areas (reserves, protection areas ...): at a quarter of total national territory is considered preserved and approximately 20% of the population of large mammals African.

Tanzania has put in place means very important to preserve the rich natural heritage of the country and to keep intact areas where wildlife can thrive, protected from a growing human population.

The main national parks of Tanzania located north of the country: Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti.

Tarangire

Elongated with 100 km long and 30 wide, Tarangire Park covers 2600 km2.
The burning sun absorbs moisture landscape, the baked red earth and dust and makes the grass brittle like straw. This park is arid during the dry season: any rivers, beginning with the Tarangire River, are struggling to maintain a meager trickle of water. But endoit with life: all the animals know that here, they may still find something to drink ...
Tarangire in the dry season is the only water supply in the region. In late winter, the park houses a high concentration of animals particularly elephants.

The landscape is mostly savannah tree, unlike other parks in northern Tanzania, Tarangire is home to many baobabs, these massive trees that give the impression of having their roots in the air ...

Manyara
Covering an area of 330 km2, the park stretches from Lake Manyara at the foot of the cliffs, 600m high, overlooking the Rift Valley.
At its core, an alkaline lake includes many families ibis and flamingos; around it, the park contains a rich grassy plains and a forest area by lush vegetation encountered in that particular large colonies Baboin of the famous and dik-Diks, the smallest antelope ..

On top of the cliffs, overlooking the park is extraordinary ...

Ngorongoro

Ngorongoro park is a special status: it is actually a conservation area.
Indeed, the local population, the Maasai have obtained permission to enter the area to graze their herds with the exception of the crater, but have moved their villages outside the zone.

The Ngorongoro Crater is a large circular caldera more than twenty kilometers in diameter, with 326 km2, it is the largest intact caldera and not submerged in the world, this vast depresión flat bottom is surrounded by cliffs that can reach circulars up to 600m high.
The basin, basically flat, has no outlet and precipitation accumulate forming a permanent lake alkaline.
This caldera is the rest of the former volcano of Ngorongoro which should be much higher than its neighbor Kilimanjaro.

The wealth of wildlife living within the caldera is undoubtedly one of the major assets of Tanzanian parks.

Serengeti

The Serengeti is undoubtedly the reserve's most famous world and covers an area of nearly 15,000 km2. But with 2 other neighboring reserves, Ngorongoro and Masai Mara-Kenya, it is actually an area of 25,000 km2, or about 5 French departments, where animals can move around freely.

Serengeti comes from the Maasai word, Siringi, which means "endless plain" In fact, the Serengeti is notable for its vastness, its prospects in the eye that not a road, not the least construction has not interrupt.

The Serengeti is home to extremely rich fauna: it can observe all species found in Africa. It is famous for its annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras and of other ruminants in search of better pastures...

Park Management

Rigorous management of parks has prevented any construction is not essential: thus in these parks, there is no road goudronée no aviation runway, no building with the exception of a few lodges also fully integrated into the environment.

The settlement parks is very strict for guides and drivers: it is especially forbidden to leave the tracks even if it is approaching an animal that tourists can try a little too ...far, the goal is not to disturb the animals so they feel really at home and they can reproduce in peace.

The national parks are public

The national parks are public: this means that no private reserves as is the case in South Africa.
The difference is huge: the first reaction of a priopriétaire reserve is closed to close it in order not to lose animals on its reservation. The fauna of the reserve becomes a crucial need for value to a maximum of business with tourists.

In particular, the owner of private reserve must continuously adapt to the changing tastes of tourists to this end it will buy animals and popular tourist missing on its reservation.
Still to better meet the tourists, it will ensure that they are not disappointed and many have the opportunity to meet the most famous animals (lion, rhino, cheetahs ....); why we put transmitters on animals: this is very easy to know where to find this kind of animal at any time.
Needless to say, in such circumstances, the next natural and authentic wildlife has completely disappeared and that actually walks in a kind of huge zoo.

But for now, Tanzania has managed to resist the temptation of easy and immediate income generated by the creation of private reserves which is all the more praiseworthy that the country is one of the poorest in Africa.

Tanzania has therefore embarked on a courageous political future and the emphasis has risen to the challenge and assume the responsibility that it deserves in preserving African wildlife.

Olduvai

On the edge of the Serengeti and on the western side of the Rift Valley, Olduvai Gorge, 90m deep, in the bed of an ancient lake covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash. Here, the English Mary and Louis Leakey have made very important excavations which have yielded hominid fossils dating back about 1.8 million years, so they were able to define "Homo habilis, the first phase of human evolution, and to recognize the world in the Rift Valley as the cradle of mankind.

Tourist flows

Despite the growing success of Tanzania for organizing safaris, it has control flows: thus, even in high season (August), it does not suffer from a crowd too important especially in certain well-known points Driver: Sure, we are not alone, but never bothered by other vehicles.

Moreover, the hotel capacity is relatively limited: the lodges, hotels located in or near the parks, are fully integrated in the context of limited size.
The number of tourists present at the same time in the parks is therefore restricted what is important to tranquility to be enjoyed all animals.

Involvement of Masai

The Maasai lived primarily in the south-western Kenya and northern Tanzania. Livestock is the only wealth of this nomadic people who passes his time in search of better pastures.

The Maasai are building small houses temporary circular (the manyattas) using crossed sticks, covered with cow dung and mud. This mixture dries quickly in the sun to become as hard as cement. The Maasai traditional life revolves around cattle, which is their main source of food.

The Maasai eat mostly rice and blood. They can indeed take the blood of young animals without killing them, in the incisions in the neck with an arrow drawn in the jugular vein. A bowl of blood mixed with milk is the staple food. The meat is consumed less frequently.
The boys become young Maasai warriors or morane to the age of fifteen, a former teach them, weapons, war songs and traditional dances.

However, the government has made great efforts to settle the masses: they were involved in the management of national parks in their region and have found common ground agreement with the authorities allowing them to benefit from the arrival tourists rather than to live it as a foreign invasion.

Quality of infrastructure

Tanzania has organized to give full satisfaction to customers:
- The lodges are comfortable and modern, reasonable size, well integrated into the environment and well managed.
- The coaching staff (drivers, guides) are well trained: good knowledge of the country and animals.
- Transportation equipment is in very good condition,
- Creation of an international airport near Arusha at the foot of Kilimanjaro.

When visiting Tanzania?

It was generally the best time to visit Tanzania is the beginning of the rainy season, ie January / February. It was then that we can assist in particular to the spectacle of mass migration of wildebeest.

For more info:
www.tanzanie-safari.com A very comprehensive site on the organization of a safari in Tanzania
www.safari-tanzanie.com A site dedicated to photography of animals
Sejours Tanzanie Helps you organize your stay and travel in Tanzania.