BEST TIME TO VISIT TARANGIRE FOR A NORTHERN TANZANIA SAFARI

The best time for an adventurous safari in Tarangire is from June to October during the dry season, when migrant game congregate around the swamps and the Tarangire River valley. Migrating elephants can then be seen in good size herds, with a fine diversity of other large mammals. But the numbers of animals vary due to the timing of the rains.

If the long rains last later into the mid-year, migratory animals may not return by June as interior water holes will not dry out, and if the short rains arrive earlier than usual, game will start to disperse away in October from its lifeline as the Tarangire River will not be the only available water source, and at the same time, forage will start to renew from the surrounding arid lands allowing herbivores plenty to eat from. Stalking predators trail the migrating prey to survive.



From June to October, there is very little rain, if not none in July and August. The weather is sunny, cooler and conditions in general are excellent for an exploratory trip to Tarangire with AfricanMecca. There are very few mosquitoes due to the dry conditions. Vegetation becomes thinner and game is easier to spot on the plains and by waterholes, gouged out in dry riverbeds by accommodating herds of elephants.

Throughout the year, the Tarangire is mainly warm and dry, with daytime temperatures ranging from 75-85 F (24-30 C) and dropping between 55-65 F (13-18 C) at night. The temperatures are dependent on your month of travel. Historically, October to April are the warmer times and May to Sep are the cooler months. The “short” rains occur usually during November and December, with sporadic showers leading up to the “long” rains from the middle of March to the end of May, and sometimes sprinkling in the early parts of March and June.



March and April including parts of May are generally the wettest months, coinciding with the tourist low season, when accommodation may be low-priced while park fees, logistics and activity costs are unchanged. But at this time, vegetation is full and lush. Rain storms are short and dramatic; allowing plenty of time for game-viewing, but you may need to take extra precautions against mosquitoes or tsetse fly. Wear longs, light-colored clothes, avoid blue and black, and ensure you take prophylactics on time and have extra insect repellent.

Daytime skies are spectacular and sunsets are especially dramatic. In July and August, temperatures and rainfall are at their lowest. This is also the time when tourist activity is at its height, and it is best to be out early in the morning before the main contingent arrives, and more importantly, stay at a strategically located Tarangire accommodation that is away from the central tourist hotspot. From June to September, warm add on clothing is very necessary for morning and evening game drives. A light fleece should be sufficient.



From November to May, during pockets of the “green” season, dry season game migrate out of the park, so you are unlikely to see oryx or gerenuk, but this is still a good safari time for a connoisseur Tarangire vacation in northern Tanzania. You can have the park to yourselves and access the more remote wilderness areas in the south, where many animals remain year-round, especially in the Silale Swamp.

Here, you may be lucky enough to see a nocturnal striped hyena, or be startled to appreciate a huge, green tree python drop from its acacia tree roost to engulf an unwary impala or dik dik on the ground. It is an admirable time to see reptiles and bizarre insects too. But the main draw at this time is the seclusion, and it is the best time to go on a bird watching expedition with AfricanMecca, with vast flocks of migratory visitors and hundreds of species in magnificent breeding plumage on the marshes.