A week late - just like the Migration!
Safari in Tanzania - an intro to the ‘Northern Circuit’
A quick look into a Tanzania Safari will almost certainly find you looking at the ‘Northern Circuit’. This is a well established point-to-point safari that starts at Kilimanjaro Airport and after a night in Arusha will take you (usually by private safari adapted 4 x 4 Land Cruiser) through either Tarangire or Manyara National Parks, onto the Ngorongoro Crater and then into the Serengeti. You usually fly out of your last point in the Serengeti back to Kilimanjaro, then either home, or onto the beach (more of that later).
It’s a well trodden path for good reason as it combines the jaw dropping landscape of the Ngorongoro with some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing in the world.
How many nights you spend in each place and the type of accommodation are all variables, depending on the time you have available, your budget and the kind of safari experience you would like.
I’ve just spent 2 weeks exploring this area so I’m right up to date with what’s out there, I’ve stayed in some wonderful places and seen some mind blowing wildlife so I’ll try to address some of the main questions…. I will focus on individual lodges and National Parks in future blogs so please keep an eye on this space!
What is the ‘Great Migration’?
Many would-be safari goers start by asking if they will see ‘The Great Migration’. This is the continual clockwise cycling of immense numbers of Wildebeest and Zebra through the Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara as the herds follow fresh grasses brought on by rainfall. (Thompsons Gazelle and Eland also migrate but don’t make the full circuit). Sometimes you’ll find the herds are scattered into small groups, sometimes they appear as an endless, dark, marching line on the horizon, and sometimes they accumulate into vast snorting masses.
Climate change has had an impact and herd movements are less predictable than they used to be. During my visit the herds were late, still milling about in the Central Serengeti where there had been a lot of rain and therefore good grazing, rather than in the Western Serengeti where they were expected.
Maybe you mean a Crossing?
As it transpires, what a lot of people expect to see when they talk about seeing the migration is a river crossing. This is the dramatic stuff of National Geographic documentaries when panicked, eye rolling animals run the gauntlet of massive crocs and strategically placed big cats.
These events happen when the herds cross the Mara and Grumeti Rivers into Kenya around July through to September and back again into the Serengeti in around October.
What the documentaries don’t tell you about the crossings; it’s peak, peak season so prices are at their highest, and even higher in camps close to the crossings, there are lines and lines of vehicles jockeying for position on the river banks, less scrupulous operators have no scruples about blocking the animals’ paths, forcing them into taking more dangerous crossing paths, resulting in more broken limbs, and if you’re really determined to see a crossing you can wait for hours in clouds of dust waiting for it to happen.
This may or may not be your idea of a good time. My advice? Go for the wildlife because it’s amazing, enjoy it in as much peace and seclusion as you can, and watch the drama on the telly where it’s edited to remove the unsightly bits. However, if a crossing is a non-negotiable entry on your bucket list I can help put you in the right place at the right time with a responsible ethical operator who will take the wildlife’s needs into consideration as well as yours.
The ‘Pros’
The size of the Serengeti is a ‘Pro’ as well. It’s on a scale like nowhere else I’ve been. The number of lodges per square kilometre is much lower than in Kenya’s Masai Mara and away from the Central area you might only see a couple of other vehicles all day.
The wildlife really is spectacular, we saw lions every day, cheetahs, more wildebeest and zebra than I have ever seen before, elephants, buffalos and distant rhino in the Ngorongoro. No leopard sightings this time but met plenty of guests who had.
The combination of parks is a really great feature of a Northern Tanzania safari, Manyara for the lake and lots of interesting and different activities, Tarangire for cats and elephants, Ngorongoro for the sheer drama of the landscape (I cried the first time I saw it), and the Serengeti for the classic East African Savanna.
There is a wide range of ways to customise an itinerary and accommodation options to really tailor a safari to suit individual needs, from expedition style mobile camps, to luxurious fixed camps with spas and pools. I’ll be sharing more detailed reviews of my lodge visits in future blogs so make sure you’re signed up to my newsletter or updates.
Zanzibar (and the islands)
Personally I think you’d be nuts to come out to East Africa without adding on a few days on the beach to relax away your knotted muscles post-safari and catch up on some sleep after all your early starts.
The islands off the coast of East Africa have some of the best, least developed beaches in the world, almost year round sunshine, great hospitality and lots of sights and activities to suit all travellers from honeymooners to families.
On the Zanzibar Archipelago’s main island of Unguja - what most think of as Zanzibar - there are loads of different accommodation options, from luxury all-adult villa type resorts through to budget friendly family hotels and everything in between. On some of the smaller islands there are barefoot luxe get-aways perfect for honeymooners and eco-resorts with amazing snorkelling - great for adventurous families and couples.
If you’d like to do more than laze on white sands and float in clear, blue, warm water there is a lot to do …. Zanzibar’s capital, Stone Town, has a fascinating and rich history based on it’s trade of slaves and spices. It is worth spending a few hours on a guided walking tour of the maze of narrow streets to learn about Swahili culture and the influences that have shaped the island. There is even a Freddie Mercury Museum celebrating the life of it’s most famous recent export.
In the centre of Unguja island you can take a walk around Jozani Forest to try and spot it’s rare Red Colobus Monkeys, for snorkellers and divers Mnemba Island has a coral reef which is within a marine conservation area with great snorkelling and just off Stone Town Chumbe island is home to an eco-resort and has a perfectly preserved reef on which to snorkel.
When to go?
Tanzania has two rainy seasons, the heaviest rains (called masika ) usually fall from mid-March to May, and a shorter period of rain (called vuli ) occurs from November to mid-January. The best time to visit is between June - October.
How to get there?
It’s pretty straight forward to reach Tanzania from the UK and mainland Europe, however there are currently no direct flights. I flew from Heathrow into Kilimanjaro via Doha on Qatar Airways, and I’m flying back to London out of Zanzibar via Doha You can also fly KLM via Amsterdam into Dar es Salaam or BA or Kenya Airways via Nairobi and take a short flight across the border into Kilimanjaro. Internal flights are plentiful and frequent to fit in with safari logistics.
Obviously the main factor to consider for a family safari is the timing of school holidays. Luckily most holidays coincide with good weather for travel in Africa, with the possible exception of Easter for East Africa which can coincide with the rainy season.
Planning ahead is also key, if your children are small and you want them under the same (canvas) roof as you then it pays to remember that many camps just have one or two family tents so early booking is essential.
Safari days can be long so this will also affect the choice of camp and destination. Lots of camps are really child friendly with activities to keep small people occupied and happy between game drives, in Kenya and South Africa especially kids will be very well catered to with ‘little ranger’ activities, such as short nature walks around camp and target practice with bow and arrow featuring tuition from Maasai guides.
During the hotter parts of the year, choosing a camp with a pool can be a good idea for down time between game drives although gaps between safari activities and meals are short, and sometimes it’s good just to take a nap in the shade.
A lot of camps don’t take children under a certain age, and some camps only offer activities such as riding and walking safaris to children over 12 so it makes sense to check before setting your heart on a destination.
What about Malaria? Most anti-malarials these days have minimal side effects and can be taken safely by travelers of all ages, check here for more info on specific destinations, but if you would prefer a malaria free destination then choose a camp in South Africa, either in Madikwe or the Eastern Cape.
What about cost? The good news is that most camps discount heavily for children under 12 or 14, so taking a safari before your children are considered adults can make a significant difference to the cost of your trip. Conversely if your children are much younger camps may require you to book a private vehicle for your comfort and that of other guests. I heard a story a couple of days back where a guide had to keep returning to camp so that a child could pee, much to the annoyance of the other guests in the vehicle so being aware of children in vehicle policies is a very good idea!
🎺A little toot on my own trumpet! 🎺
A WhatsApp message from happy clients currently in Botswana! “Hi Lucie, I thought you’d like to know we’re having an amazing time. Absolutely love it. Thank you!”
What’s coming up in July’s blog?
I’ll be attending one of the UK’s biggest African Travel trade shows in early July and will share news, offers and updates from that.
Detailed reviews of some of the gorgeous lodges I’ve just visited.
Fresh special offers - what’s hot for October half term - Safari Q&A, What to pack and what NOT to pack!
Please don’t forget that I write this for you, so if there is anything you’d like to see more or less of please let me know!!