5 Insider tips for a legendary safari in Tanzania
After saving money for a long time and flipping through endless travel magazines, you have made your decision: your next adventure is a Tanzania vacation package! Diverse, authentic and beautiful national parks home to wild animals. But what should you know to make your Tanzania safari even more special and memorable? We will give you 5 must-know safari tips to ensure you will have a trip of a lifetime!
1. Don’t rush your safari
The first trap is that you want to see and do as much as possible in the travel time you have. Which often means waking up early, spending a lot of time in the car and reaching your safari accommodation late. And at the end of the trip you can hardly remember what you did two days ago.
Don’t try to see it all during your (first) trip to Tanzania. You will enjoy your safari so much more by taking it easy and stay two or three nights at each lodge or tented camp. Take a lazy afternoon by the pool, soak in the view over the Serengeti plains. Just do nothing. And realize that you are at one of the most magical places on earth!
2. Go glamping in the wild
Who says that camping can’t be comfortable? You will probably envision difficult-to-put-up tents with too little space and inconvenient walks to the nearest toilet building. But camping can actually be very stylish and add an extra touch to your safari experience. Tented camps in Tanzania are small and intimate, as opposed to the large international hotel chains. The mobile camps even move with the Great Migration, placing you right at the heart of the action.
Luxury safari Tanzania experiences often involve stylish tented camps with comfortable king-size beds and en-suite bathrooms. Enjoy a well prepared dinner by candle light in the big ‘mess tent’ (restaurant) before retiring to your room. No walls, only a kaki canvas that separates you from the wilderness around you. Hearing lions roaring at night or elephants ambling through the scrubs nearby is just the ultimate bush experience. So if you are after Serengeti hotels with soul, skip the big brands and go for a tented safari camp!
3. Spice up your Serengeti travel package
Whilst our 4WD safari vehicles are comfortable and perfectly suited for photographic safaris, with large windows and a pop-up roof, we encourage you to come out of the car and explore the destination in a different way. Stretch your legs on a walking safari in Tanzania and discover the hidden beauties of nature, which you otherwise would have passed unnoticed. Go canoeing on a crater lake to observe the numerous colorful birds. Enjoy breathtaking views from a hot air balloon in the Serengeti. Stream down the Rufiji River while witnessing quietly elephants coming to take a drink. And what could be more memorable than approaching wild animals from the back of a horse?
4. Don’t be afraid to go local
A safari in Tanzania is not just about animals. It is about people too. With over 120 tribes, including the iconic Maasai tribe, Tanzania’s cultural diversity is incredible. During your safari and Zanzibar combination, there are plenty of opportunities to meet the inhabitants, who are often as curious about you as you are about them. Don’t be afraid to give a friendly smile or start a conversation. And don’t hesitate to taste local food; the most basic looking dishes often taste surprisingly well! Learn about their cultures and traditions, and a whole new world will open up for you.
5. It’s the small things that count
Yes, seeing the Big 5 is a bucket list experience. But don’t let that be your only focus. Try to be open-minded when you come on safari and also look for the beauty in small things. Some of the most magical safari moments come from the nature’s hidden gems, like spotting a Lilac-breasted Roller flash its colors or catching a glimpse of a rare honey badger.
Have you ever heard of the “Small 5”? Not so well known are the Elephant Shrew, the Antlion, the Buffalo Weaver, the Leopard Tortoise and the Rhino Beetle. But these tiny creatures can be just as fascinating, adding unexpected joy to your Tanzania safari experience.
If you keep these 5 expert safari tips in mind, you will definitely intensify your Africa experience. And give yourself a good reason to come back!