By Ojugbele Omotunde
Tanzania, situated in East Africa, is home to three of Africa’s 7 Wonders of Nature. Spanning an impressive 945,087 square kilometers (364,900 square miles), this diverse nation invites explorers to delve into its varied landscapes and experience the heart of Africa. Renowned for its wildlife, rich traditions, and stunning topography, Tanzania stands as a gem on the continent’s map.
The country is a popular tourist destination and a country which boasts of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa has 38% of its land reserved for conservation, including 17 national parks, 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas, and marine parks.
Tanzania’s wildlife, including the Big Five cheetahs, wildebeests, giraffes, hippopotamuses, and antelopes, is primarily found in the northern regions of Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Lake Manyara National Park which is considered the country’s popular wildlife attraction.
Above all, the country also boasts of seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, with six on mainland and one in Zanzibar, and five more potential nominations, including Gombe National Park and East African slave trade route.
Some of Tanzania’s nature destinations includes:
4. Lake Natron & Ol Doinyo Lengai
Lake Natron, a large alkaline lake on the Tanzania-Kenya border, is a wild and isolated area on the Northern Circuit. It is easily accessible with Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park. The lake’s stunning scenery, including the red-colored lake in the dry season and Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, attracts nature lovers, solitude seekers, and photographers with its bumpy roads and dusty air making it a popular destination.
*Ol Doinyo Lengai
The Maasai say the volcano is home to their god, Ngai. In fact, in the Maa language, Ol Doinyo Lengai means “Mountain of [the] God.” A guided trek up this mountain departs at midnight to avoid the heat. However it is an incredibly steep and challenging hike, but the dawn views from the crater rim are incredible and are the reward for the steep ascent.
*Engare Sero
15 km (9 mi) from Ol Doinyo Lengai, evidence of humankind’s earliest days can be observed at Engare Sero. Four hundred preserved human footprints crisscross the ground and give us a glimpse into the lives of people who lived in the area from 5000 to 19000 years ago, which is a humbling experience.
*Flamingos
Lake Natron, a Ramsar site, is a breeding ground for approximately 2.5 million Lesser Flamingos from September to May. This wildlife spectacle is a testament to the lake’s international importance. Flamingos breed in shallow waters to protect their young from hyenas and jackals, and their most common behavior is feeding on the lake’s shoreline.
Lake Natron boasts around 250 bird species, including Lesser and Greater Flamingo, ostrich, sacred ibis, Egyptian goose, pelican, crested francolin, kori bustard, and go-away-bird. The shoreline is also home to zebra, wildebeest, kudu, oryx, gerenuks, golden jackals, and hyenas.
One of the highlight is a 45-minute guided hike to its stunning waterfall, providing relief from the heat. The walk begins in the afternoons and includes hip-high water crossings. Visitors can swim behind the cascading waterfall for an unforgettable experience. Additionally, they can visit a Manyata homestead to learn about the Maasai people and their nomadic culture.
5. Mahale Mountains National Park
One of Tanzania’s most beautiful tourist destinations is Mahale Mountains National Park, which is situated in the country’s remote western region. Lake Tanganyika, one of the world’s oldest and deepest lakes, with its white sand beaches and pristine water, is bordered by the forested park.
Mahale Mountains National Park is a unique and accessible destination, accessible only by air and boat. It features lush vegetation with no roads, making it a paradise for hikers and is also home to around 800 chimpanzees, including the Mimikere group, which has been habituated to humans for the last five decades. The park also boasts stunning forests with rivers, waterfalls, and unspoilt white sandy beaches along the lake’s shoreline.
Mahale Mountain National Park offers a unique experience with its remoteness and diverse primate species, including nine species of primates like Yellow Baboon, Red Colobus, Blue monkeys, and Red-tailed monkeys, and 73 other mammals.
Chimpanzee sightings can occur during forest treks, lasting from 30 minutes to three hours. Other animals include Roan and Sable antelope, mongoose, warthog, lion, leopard, and crocodiles. Lake Tanganyika features hippos swimming in clear waters. Mahale Mountains National Park has at least 20 amphibian and 26 reptile species, though research on their amphibian and reptile life is still limited.
This park boasts 355 bird species, making it a must-visit for both amateur and serious birders. Visitors can see pelicans, storks, Malachite kingfishers, Pied kingfishers, Fish eagles, Livingston’s Turacos, Narina Trogons, Crested Guinea Fowls, and Blue Cheeked Bee-eaters on white sandy beaches, and over 250 endemic fish species in the clear shallow waters of Lake Tanganyika.
6. Mikumi National Park
The fourth-largest national park in Tanzania, Mikumi National Park, provides year-round, fantastic wildlife watching. Mikumi National Park boasts stunning scenery that bears similarities to the Serengeti National Park, with tamarinds, baobabs, and acacias scattered across the savannah.
The Mkata River attracts numerous wildlife during the dry season, including elephants and buffaloes, who seek water and shade from the Mkata plains. The Ruhebo and Uluguru mountains, located on the northern boundary of Mikumi National Park, offer stunning views and excellent guided walks.
Mikumi National Park which is also part of the Ruaha and Nyerere ecosystems, offers exceptional wildlife viewing with lions, leopards, hyenas, and rare African wild dogs. Its artificial pools, known for hippos, attract elephants and buffalos.
The park also offers unique antelopes like the eland, greater kudus, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, and sable antelopes. With 400 bird species, including black-bellied bustards, guinea fowl, marabou storks, bateleur eagles, ox peckers, lilac-breasted rollers, and yellow-throated long claws, the park is an excellent birdwatching destination, especially during migrating bird migration from November to April.
7. Mkomazi National Park
Mkomazi National Park, situated in northeast Tanzania, offers a stunning view of the Pare and Usambara mountains and Mount Kilimanjaro, depending on the weather, making it a unique destination for visitors.
Mkomazi, a tranquil and rarely visited area with beautiful landscapes, was designated a Game Reserve in 1951 but habitat turmoil continued, with poaching eradicating the Black Rhino, elephant numbers dropping, and heavy grazing and annual burning leading to extreme land degradation and a natural disaster.
A crucial year in the history of Mkomazi was 1989. In order to repair the reserve and reintroduce the African Wild Hunting Dog and Black Rhino, the Tanzanian government recruited the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trusts (GAWPT) to handle the matter and the project was overseen by Tony Fitzjohn, the successor of George Adamson (Born Free).
Over the years, Tony and his crew constructed substantial water systems, fences, and roads in Mkomazi National Park. An important duty they undertook was to develop breeding programs for Black Rhinos and Wild Dogs. The neighborhood took part in a number of initiatives, including as “Rafiki wa Faru” (Friends of the Rhinos), which informs elementary school students about the park’s conservation initiatives.
Presently, the park is a favorite destination for huge herds of Oryx and Gerenuk, and it is home to more than 500 elephants and 200 Wild Hunting Dogs. Mammals other than humans include jackals, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas.
The park boasts a diverse bird population of around 450 species, including Go-away birds, Ostriches, Long-crested eagles, Hoopoes, and Bustards, as well as Kingfishers, Flamingos, Cormorants, Plovers, and Ducks around the Umba River.
8. Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to Africa’s highest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. The park features three peaks, with the highest being Kibo (5,895m), a dormant volcano. The smaller peaks Shira (4,269m) and Mawenzi (5,280m) are extinct, while Kibo last erupted 150,000 and 200,000 years ago and could potentially awaken any day.
The Kibo mountain boasts a diverse vegetation with around 2,500 plant species, including the endemic Impatiens Kilimanjari and Violet Viola Eminii. The lush green belt of montane forests features 140 tree species, while the alpine desert zone above 4,000 m is a moonscape filled with rocks and dust. Hikers can enjoy views of glaciers and three concentric craters from the top. The park also houses 140 mammal species, including 87 forest species, elephants, leopards, buffalos, antelopes, and the endangered Abbot Duiker. Additionally, there are 179 highland bird species and 24 bat species.