NORTHERN CIRCUIT NATIONAL PARKS.

 

KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK.

Kilimanjaro is the first landmark to greet visitors traveling by air to Tanzania. As the plane crosses the Equator, the flat, white top of the mountain is seen shimmering in the atmosphere. It's majestic bulk evokes the words of Ernest Hemmingway in his book, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", "As far as you can see, as wide as the whole World, high and unbelievably white in the sun, lies the flat peak of Kilimanjaro."

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, the free standing mountain in the world and one of the largest volcanoes ever to have burst through the Earth’s crest. Its complex has an enormous base of about 50 x 80 Km. It rises from the dry plains lying 830m. above sea level through the wide  forest belt 2500 to 2580m. a high alpine zone of heath to an almost bare desert zone to the three peaks of Shira 3962m., Kibo at 5149m.  and finally to the snow cap at an altitude 5,895m. above sea level. 

In 1848 a Germany Missionary named Johannes Redman reported having seen the towering Kilimanjaro mountain with its glimmering snow cap on a visit the Chagga land (East Africa.) His report of snow at the Equator was ridiculed by the entire Royal Geographical Society of Britain.  In 1889, however, Redman's report was confirmed beyond any doubt by the German Hans Meyer and his Austrian companion Ludwig Purtscheller who succeeded in reaching the immortal snows on the mountain summit. The mountain can be, climbed any time of the year although it is often wet in the rain forest during the rainy season in April and May. The best period is from August to November. 

Click here for recommended  (Kilimanjaro routes)

 

ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK.

Located just 37 Km. away from Arusha, this is the second smallest Park in Tanzania  after the Gombe stream National Park. It has a total area of 137 sq. km. Established in 1960, is the only park which has had changed its name three times. Initially it used to be called the Ngurdoto Crater National Park. By then, the prominent features included the Momella Lakes.

When Mount Meru Crater was annexed, the name changed to Meru Crater National Park. Later the name Arusha National Park was adopted. However it has been suggested that when the entire natural habitat above the eighteen hundredth contour line is included in the Park, the name should rightly settle as Mount Meru National Park. Major attractions include the Momella Lakes, Ngurdoto Crater, Meru Crater and Cone as well as the rare black and white colobus monkeys with its stub tails, Elephants, Buffalo, Bush buck, Giraffe and Red forest duiker.

 

TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK.

Tarangire National Park is situated 120 km. from Arusha and South East of Lake Manyara National Park. The park covers an area of 2600sq. km. to encompass several varying habitats. 

This park is famous for its dense wildlife population which is most spectacular between June and December. During this time animals migrate from the dry Masai steppe to Tarangire River looking for water. Among other species to be seen are Rhino, buffalo, elephant, lion, warthog, eland, the fringe eared Oryx, lesser, greater Kudu, the tree climbing python and large number of impala and over 300 species of birds have been recorded some of which are Eurasian migrants seen here during the months of October through April.  Day trips can be organized from Arusha to this park.

 

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK. 

 

This 330 sq. km. park shelters under the massive escarpment of the Great Rift Valley and consists of five distinct vegetation zones with a wide range of Flora and Fauna. Lying 130km. from Arusha and 85km. from Tarangire. 

The park is famous of its tree climbing Lions that laze on the branches of acacia trees during the day. It has over 350 species of wild birds, the most profuse and lively being the Flamingo, (lesser and greater) pelican and sacred Ibis, grebe and stork can be observed. (The bird watcher’s paradise). The park is also home to large herds of buffalo, elephant, leopard, hippo, antelope, monkeys and baboons. At the Southern end of the park are Hot sulphur springs (60^OC.) called Maji moto and will reputedly cook an egg in about 30 minutes.

NGORONGORO CRATER.

Ngorongoro  Crater standing at 2,236 m. above sea level, is the largest unfolded and unbroken Caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 m. from the crater floor, this natural aamphitheatre measure 250 square kilometers and 23 kilometers wide. On the floor of this Garden of Eden with rich pasture and permanent water of the crater floor  roam hundreds of thousands of plain animals. The crater alone has over 20,000 large animals including some of Tanzania's last remaining black rhino. Ostriches, Koori bustards, secretary birds, crested cranes, egrets, red billed ox-packers and the countless flamingos at the soda lake.

About 200 years ago the Masai arrived and have since colonized the are in substantial numbers, their traditional way of life allowing them to live in harmony with the wildlife and the environment.  Today there are some 42,000 Masai pastoralists living in the Ngorongoro  with their over 100,000 cattle, donkeys, goats and sheep.  During the rain season they move out on to the open plains, in the dry land into the adjacent woodlands and mountain slopes.

 

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK.   

It was 1913 and great stretches of Africa were still unknown to the white man when Stewart Edward White, an American hunter, set out from Nairobi. Pushing south, he recorded: "We walked for miles over burnt out country... Then I saw the green trees of the river, walked two miles more and found myself in paradise."

Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region. It's unique ecosystem has inspired writers from Ernest Hemingway to Peter Mattheissen, filmmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root as well as numerous photographers and scientists - many of which have put their works at our disposal to see, enjoy and appreciate. 

The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Early  man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves. It is the migration for which Serengeti is perhaps most famous. Over a million wildebeest and about 260,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May and June. So strong is the ancient instinct to move that no drought, gorge or crocodile infested river can hold them back.

 

OLDUVAI GORGE.

Between the great wildlife sanctuaries of Ngorongoro and Serengeti in 1931, Dr. Louis Leakey began his search for human remains in this dry, desolate gorge, working year after year without finding a human fossil of any importance. Yet he kept at his task, and joined by his wife Mary, found his reward 28 years after he began in 1959 the skull and jaw of a species of man that became extinct more than 1.7 million years ago. 

Nearby is the Laetoli, where the footprints of hominoids (said to be over 3.5 million years old) were discovered by Mrs. Leakey in 1979. To the North is Oldoinyo Lengai a living volcano. Archeological work is still going on this area. The theory exists that Homo Sapiens originated in Africa and Olduvai Gorge provides the evidence.