Which Tanzanian national park is right for you?

There’s a reason why a safari in the Serengeti is the top of so many people’s wish lists — witnessing the Great Migration of 1.5 million wildebeests and zebras is one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences. But Tanzania has no fewer than 20 other national parks, each offering unique animal encounters, and often without the crowds drawn to the Serengeti. From the densely forested slopes of Mount Mahale National Park, home to a population of 1,000 chimpanzees, to the bird-rich waters of Rubondo Island National Park, here are five alternative destinations worth adding to your own list.

1. Tarangire National Park

Best for: elephants
If Tarangire were anywhere else in Africa, it would probably be far better known. But sharing Tanzania’s ‘northern circuit’ with A-list attractions such as Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, this vast expanse of acacia woodland, seasonal swamps and baobab trees is often overlooked by travellers shorter on time. Those that do go tend to make fleeting visits to Tarangire’s north, leaving the south feeling very wild indeed. Elephants are the big draw — more of them galumph about here than in any other park in the country, with numbers thought to be around 2,500. During the July to November dry season, they congregate along the permanently flowing Tarangire River in enormous numbers. All the other stars of the Serengeti lurk here, too, from large herds of wildebeest and zebras to big cats and wild dogs, plus a wide variety of birds.

2. Nyerere National Park

Best for: boat safaris
Designated a national park in 2019, Nyerere is enormous. Indeed, it’s Africa’s largest wildlife area, relatively untouched by humans and near-bursting with biodiversity: the buffalo population alone is thought to be as high as 150,000, while there are around 4,000 lions. The park’s southern section is given over to hunting concessions, so safari-goers should stick to the north. Fortunately, this is the best area, a landscape defined by water: the wide, languid bends of the Rufiji River, a maze of winding channels, interconnected lakes frilled by palms, and islets and sandbanks where creatures great and small come to drink. The best way to explore is by boat, floating quietly, so the wildlife remains undisturbed. Up-close encounters with hippos, crocodiles, elephants and more are virtually guaranteed.

3. Mahale Mountains National Park

Best for: chimps
Rising from the dazzling-white powder-sand shores of Lake Tanganyika, the Mahale Mountains aren’t just the best place to see chimpanzees in Tanzania, they’re probably the best place in the world. Around 1,000 of the eastern subspecies swing about these thickly forested peaks, and it’s possible to join guided treks for intimate encounters with a group that’s been habituated since the 1960s. There are plenty of other charismatic primates here, too, including yellow baboons, red colobus and blue monkeys. There are also lions, leopards, elephants and giraffes — though the latter are more seldom seen. Also seldom seen are other travellers: this remote national park is only accessible by plane (flights leave from Dar es Salaam and Arusha) or by boat, meaning it’s largely been left to Mother Nature.

4. Ruaha National Park

Best for: walking safaris
There’s the Tanzanian wilderness — and then there’s Ruaha. Off the beaten track, this enormous, diverse and scenically dramatic national park to the west of the Udzungwa Mountains is widely considered to be the country’s best-kept safari secret. There aren’t many lodges, so there aren’t many travellers — it feels properly wild and untouched. Which makes it an especially thrilling choice for a walking safari. Expert guides, accompanied by well-trained armed guards, lead small groups across the grasslands, through the woodlands and over the riverbeds to seek animals on foot. That might include antelopes, elephant herds and even leopards — predators are in particular abundance here. It’s possible to walk from a permanent lodge or book a fly-camping safari, hiking between a different mobile camp each night.

5. Rubondo Island National Park

Best for: birdwatching
Spilling out over Tanzania’s northwest borders, Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake. On it sits Rubondo Island, a remote tropical treasure trove that extraordinarily few travellers reach. It’s a place of rampant jungle, golden beaches, a surprising number of mammals (including hippos and antelopes) and bountiful birds. Waterfowl flock the swampy shores, fish eagles — in huge numbers — hunt the waves and the forests are bright and raucous with species such as paradise flycatchers, hornbills and grey parrots. Birdwatching can be done on foot or by boat, including trips out to the rocky Bird Islands, where colonies of ibis and cormorant breed. Another treat is joining a chimpanzee habituation experience. Sixteen animals, rescued from captivity, were released here in the 1960s; this has increased to around 35.