Northern Circuit
Why go?
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The name comes from a Maasai word Siringit meaning 'endless
plains', and the size of the Serengeti certainly lives up to this.
It extends over some 5,700 sq. miles, supporting over 4 million
mammals and birds: the greatest concentration of wildlife on the
planet. Due to its size, most visitors concentrate on a specific
area according to the time of the year.
The short grass plains (Dec-March) transform when the first
rains start, allowing the grass to grow from a dull brown to a
bright green. The volcanic soil enables nutrient rich grasses to
attract the pregnant wildebeest to feed and give birth.
The central Serengeti, Moru Kopjes and Seronera valley
(April-June) are the most popular areas of the Serengeti, and ideal
in European springtime. The wildebeest migration will be passing
through the area, heading out of the short grass plains towards the
western corridor.
The western corridor provides very exciting game viewing
between June and August, as the wildebeest migration meets the
Grumeti river, where some of the largest Nile crocodiles can be
found. The results are spectacular - and gruesome.
The North (August-November) is perhaps the best kept secret
of the Serengeti, relatively devoid of tourists. The migration
across the Mara river, traversing some of the most photogenic
areas, a patchwork quilt of colour and diversity.
Stay at Sayari Camp or Olakira
Camp
NGORONGORO CRATER
The views at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater are sensational. On the
crater floor, grassland blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland
and mountains - all a haven for wildlife, including the most dense
predator population in Africa. The crater is home to up to 25,000
large mammals, mainly grazers - gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest
and warthog - but also the big 5. There are a small number of black
rhinos here too. The birdlife is largely seasonal and is also
affected by the ratio of soda to fresh water in Lake Magadi on the
crater floor.
Stay at Plantation Lodge
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
Manyara's mahogany, sausage-tree and croton are alive with blue
monkeys and vervets. Elephants feed off fallen fruit while
bushbuck, waterbuck, baboons, aardvark, civet, the shy pangolin and
leopard, as well as the black rhino, all make their home in the
forest. Manyara is a sanctuary to elusive buffalo and hippo,
giraffe, impala, zebra and the famous residents - tree climbing
lions. Lake Manyara itself is a magnet for birdlife and a
kaleidoscope of different species can be found around its lake
shores, including huge flocks of flamingoes.
Stay at Plantation Lodge
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Located in the Rift Valley, Tarangire covers approximately 2600
square kilometers and contains nine different vegetation zones,
each supporting distinct types of wildlife. Panoramic and wooded
savannas stretch far and wide in every direction, punctuated with
majestic baobab trees. The park's main source of water, the
Tarangire River, attracts nearly as high a concentration of animal
life as Ngorongoro Crater. Large herds of elephant, zebra,
wildebeest, eland and oryx congregate along the riverbank until the
wet season allows them to migrate to lush new grazing land.
Stay at Olivers Camp
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Arusha National Park is mountain forest habitat with three distinct
zones: Mount Meru, Ngurdoto Crater and the Momella Lakes, the
latter being a group of shallow alkaline lakes fed by underground
streams. Mount Meru is one of the most rewarding mountains to climb
in Africa, and much less visited than Kilimanjaro. Animals here
include buffalo, elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra, blue monkey,
black and white colobus monkey, leopard, hyena and a variety of
antelopes.
Stay at Onsea House
MOUNT KILIMANJARO
Standing at 19,344 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the zenith of Africa
and stands as a colossal monument to the beauty and enormity of the
continent. The climb is an amalgamation of experiences as the trek
passes through rainforests, moorland and summits on snow and ice.
With these breathtaking landscapes, a diversity of wildlife can
also be found including, monkeys, birds, antelope, elephant,
buffalo and even leopard. It is not so much a climb as a pilgrimage
to the stunning sights of Africa.