Walking Safaris In Tanzania : A Comprehensive Guide : A unique experience is visiting Tanzania and taking a walking safari. You can find opportunities to go on a walking safari there, whether you’re traveling in Tanzania’s northern Safari region or the more sedate southern and western regions of the country.
A walking safari offers a completely different experience than simply riding in a jeep and observing animals. It’s a much more personal way of learning more specifics about an animal’s way of life in addition to seeing animals in their natural habitat.
For instance, the majority of safaris allow guests to simply observe and photograph the animals. On the other hand, a walking safari will teach you how to examine footprints and identify the animals who left them. Birds chirping as they fly around trees and insects crawling around can be seen.
You will be accompanied by at least two people on these walking safaris to ensure your safety, one of whom will be armed in case of emergencies. In most cases, you’ll have one guide and one tracker, but occasionally, you’ll get two guides or a park ranger.
In Tanzania, you can go on a walking safari almost any time of year. But if you’re searching for something specific, such as the wildebeest migration, you’ll need to carefully plan your schedule. Since the migration occurs throughout the year, you should plan your visit according to the stage of the migration you want to see. So where in Tanzania should you go to have a particular walking safari experience? Here are our top picks and a quick safety warning!
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT WALKING SAFARIS IN TANZANIA
It’s crucial to follow the strict guidelines set forth by TANAPA (Tanzanian National Park Authorities), the NCAA (Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority), or other private reserves when walking through Tanzania’s national parks. These guidelines were developed to ensure your safety and enjoyment.
Limiting the number of visitors who can walk in a group while together is one of these rules. There shouldn’t be more than six to eight people out for a stroll. The group must also have at least one armed, experienced ranger with them. Here are seven of the Best Places to Experience a Walking Safari in Tanzania:
Serengeti National Park
One of the most well-known places to go on a walking safari is the Serengeti National Park. This place is brimming with wonder and life. The Serengeti National Park is a great place to start if you’re looking for an immersive experience.
To explore the Serengeti on foot, you’ll need to pick your lodging carefully because only a select few camps operate walking safaris and hold the necessary license. Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of this walking safari adventure is the annual wildebeest migration. If you’re looking for hippos or grazing herbivores, the Seronera River in the center of the Serengeti is the best place to look (as well as other thirsty animals).
Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is the second national park in Tanzania behind Nyerere National park. The park is home to numerous animals, tall baobabs, undulating hills, and lovely grasslands. If you enjoy taking pictures of landscapes and animals, Ruaha National Park is a fantastic choice. Elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and many other animals will be present for you to see.
Ruaha receives relatively few visitors when compared to the other national parks in the Northern Circuit. You’ll have a wholly genuine and immersive Safari experience when you come here.
Nyerere National Park
With a surface area of 19,000 square miles, Nyerere National Park is one of Africa’s biggest protected areas. The area can seem quite remote for a walking safari because there are so few camps there. The endangered wild dogs are best preserved in Nyerere National Park. You may also see hippos, buffalo, leopards, elephants, and lions in their vicinity.
Tarangire National Park
South of the bird haven, Lake Manyara, is where this national park is located. Usually, visitors to Tarangire National Park seek refuge there in order to avoid the Serengeti’s large crowds. If you enjoy beautiful scenery, big baobab trees, and fewer tourists, the park is a great choice.
In this region, you’ll be able to see sizable herds of elephants. Lions and the occasional leopard can also be seen. You can see a lot of mammals congregating at the Tarangire River during the dry season if you travel there.
Ngorongoro Crater
UNESCO has designated the Ngorongoro Crater as a World Heritage Site. It is also the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world. A volcanic caldera is a sizable cauldron-shaped hollow that develops as a result of a volcano eruption’s emptying of the magma chamber.
Because it is home to numerous species that are threatened with extinction and has the highest density of lions in the world, the crater is essential to the Ngorongoro ecosystem.
There aren’t any camps or lodges inside the crater, but there are some perched on the rim if you’re looking for lodging. They provide you with an amazing view of the area. Additionally, a few of them offer crater-rim walking safaris.
Lake Manyara National Park
Just to the north of Tarangire National Park is this national park. It is a small area of land covered in thick forests. There are over 500 species of birds to be found at this lake, making it a great place to visit if you want to see water birds like pink flamingos. Large herds of antelope, giraffe, and buffalo will also be present. It’s also well-known for housing Tanzania’s most extensively researched elephants and lions that can scale trees. Even the treetop walkway that ascends into the forest canopy can be explored.
Mahale Mountains National Park
On the eastern side of Lake Tanganyika, you’ll find Mahale Mountains National Park. Its name refers to the Mahale Mountain range that borders the area. A chimpanzee population of 700 primates lives in the Mahale Mountains. In addition to these animals, which can all be explored on foot, you might also see leopards, blue duikers, red-tailed monkeys, and red colobus monkeys.
It takes adventure just to get there. Before reaching your camp, you must travel by boat for about 90 minutes from Mahale Airstrip. The best time to go on a forest trek is from August to October.
CHOOSING THE BEST WALKING SAFARI IN TANZANIA
Tanzania offers a wide variety of walking safaris. Each location has unique highlights, but they all provide opportunities to see both large and small animals in their natural habitats. For more of a remote feeling, Nyerere National Park, for instance, is ideal. If you want beautiful scenery, the Ngorongoro Crater Rim is ideal.
You can choose the best Tanzania walking safari Depending on the type of experience you seek. For the best experience, make sure you do a thorough investigation of the place you’re visiting.
WHY DO A TANZANIA WALKING SAFARI?
A walking safari, arguably the most authentic type of Tanzania safari, offers you the chance to immerse yourself in the world of the animals and gain a newfound appreciation for your surroundings.
Appreciate small details: On a walking safari, you can take the time to notice little things that are frequently missed when driving. Discover the flora and fauna by listening to animals calling to one another, following animal footprints in the sand, and watching insects buzz.
Engage all your senses: Feel the wind in your hair and the Savannah grass brush against your legs as you immerse yourself in nature. Feel the adrenaline rush as you hear a rustle in the bush behind you (even if it’s just a hare), keep your eyes sharply focused on the horizon as you search for animals.
Access remote areas: You can escape the crowds and travel to far-off places that are not accessible by car on foot. An unforgettable experience, having the wilderness to yourself is a true luxury.
Stretch your legs: Even if you only take a short stroll, the opportunity to get out of the 4×4 and stretch your legs is a welcome change from sitting. A walking safari provides this opportunity.
See animals on a level playing field: With this kind of safari, you can interact with the animals and not just observe them as they go about their daily lives. Additionally, it gives you a wider perspective, so you can see how incredibly tall a giraffe really is!
Low impact: Compared to large 4x4s, a person walking has much less of an impact on the environment. The safari is very kind.
Press pause: This kind of journey involves both walking and quiet observation. Take a moment to observe an elephant family playing in the water while they are unaware of you, or stop and listen to the birds singing.
Safety first: A walking safari will undoubtedly make you feel adrenaline-charged, but safety is always taken very seriously. You will be escorted by a trained guard and an armed ranger. A walking safari’s main goal is to appreciate smaller animals as well as the flora and fauna, but occasionally you may encounter larger animals. In that case, your guide will make sure you are well-protected and safe.
WHEN TO DO A WALKING SAFARI IN TANZANIA
Tanzania is a very large country, and because of this, the country’s climate varies greatly both within and between seasons. In general, the long dry season, which lasts from June to October, is thought to be the best time to go for a walk in most places, though other months are also fine and you can take advantage of mid-season discounts. Due to the significant rains that occur in April and May, we advise avoiding these months.
Where the migration is and where you can see wildlife without being surrounded by people are more important considerations if you’re walking through the Serengeti. You can help ensure that you are in the ideal locations by walking with a mobile camp that moves with the wildebeest.
