Luxury & High-End Safaris in Tanzania

Luxury & High-End Safaris in Tanzania

Tanzania is a beautiful country with diverse landscapes ranging from imposing volcanic peaks to endless stretches of open plains to white sand beaches. From top to bottom and east to west, Tanzania offers an authentic East African safari experience: Big Five sightings, luxurious tented safari camps, and rich cultural encounters.

Home to famously large herds of migratory and resident wildlife, it’s also the setting for one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles: the Great Migration, a sight that attracts safari enthusiasts for its affirmation of life and timelessness.

In the north, beguiling icons like Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park headline the ‘Northern Circuit.’ Nearby, the Rift Valley, and Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park reward with equally memorable landscapes and adventures.

At the country’s western border, in two forested pockets along Lake Tanganyika’s shore, you’ll find chimpanzees—the only place in all of Tanzania where you can trek to them. Meanwhile, the country’s lesser-visited south is home to some truly wild tracts of remote wilderness. Step aboard a boat safari to ply the banks of the Rufiji River in Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) or join a research-integrated safari in reclusive Ruaha National Park.

Visiting the Ngorongoro Crater can get crowded at certain times of the year, yet it remains a sight to behold. We recommend Entamanu, an eco-camp situated near the rim of Maasai territory. (Pro tip: head out on game drives in the early morning rather than in the afternoon.)

Where to go on a luxury safari in Tanzania

In our opinion, Grumeti Game Reserve (sitting adjacent to Serengeti National Park and playing an integral component of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem) is the cream of the crop—one of the most unbelievable places in all of Africa. Faru Faru Lodge is a favourite contemporary camp.

If you’re not focused on the Great Migration, then we recommend visiting the northern Serengeti in the off-season (January to mid-March, June and November to mid-December). The scenery is simply spectacular and since most animals don’t migrate like the wildebeest, you’ll get uninterrupted time with resident wildlife like big cats and antelope herds.

What wildlife will I see on safari in Tanzania?

Lions, leopards, rhinos, elephant and African buffalo all call Tanzania home.

The East African nation is a lion stronghold, with sightings in many national parks, but especially in the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Ruaha National Park. Cheetahs and leopards can be spotted in the Serengeti, the latter favouring Nyerere National Park, too. Tanzania is also home to large herds of elephants, with productive viewing in Tarangire, Ruaha and the Serengeti.

Giraffes (Masai giraffe and Rothschild’s), zebra and buffalo can also be found in parks across the country. Tanzania’s waterways are populated with bloats of hippos and crocodiles. And depending on the season, millions of wildebeest can be found touring the country during the Great Migration, alongside zebra and gazelle—and the predators who stalk them.