The Northern Circuit
covers the majority and the most common tourist
attractions. It is the busiest touring circuit through
out the year. The sites we are looking at are:
Í
Mount Kilimanjaro
Í
Serengeti National Park
Í
Ngorongoro Crater
Í
Olduvai Gorge
Í
Lake Manyara National Park
Í
Arusha National Park
Í
Mkomazi Game Reserve
Í
Tarangire National Park
Mount
Kilimanjaro-the roof of Africa
Mount Kilimanjaro is the crown of Tanzania. Rising
abruptly from the open plains, capped by snow and
frequently fringed by clouds, it is one of Africa's
classic images.
At 5,895 metres, it is the highest mountain in Africa
and the highest walk able summit in the world.
The diameter of its base is an incredible 40 miles.
Kilimanjaro is a dormant, but extinct volcano. Ominous
rumbles can sometimes be heard and the gases emerge from
the fume holes in the crater. Although just three
degrees south of Equator, the peaks of both Kibo
and Mawenzi have a permanent caps of snow and
ice.
Routes at Mt. Kilimanjaro Climbing
There are several routes including
·
Marangu the easiest climb and therefore the most popular,
·
Machame
·
Shira
·
Umbwe
·
Rongai
·
The total climb normally takes 5 to 6 days and involves 4
or 5 overnight stays in comfortable mountain huts.
Fees payable in US dollars include park entrance and
accommodation for climbers, guides and the porters
but not food and equipment.
Many thousands of trekkers reach Gillman's Point
or Uhuru Peak successfully each year without any real
difficulty.
...........Mt. Kilimanjaro WITHOUT THE CLIMB
It is not necessary to be a climber to
enjoy the visit to the stunning Mount Kilimanjaro.
Indeed visitors can ascend 12,000 feet to the Shira
plateau off West Kilimanjaro by four
wheel-drive vehicle!
Tours can be arranged which pass through beautiful
country side on the way. The climate at the altitude is
conducive to gentle walks through the flowering
vegetation, past small settlements.
Walkers will be entranced by the birdlife, with its
vivid plumage, which can be seen all around them. If
they head for the rainforest which circles the mountain
visitors will find themselves in a world of enchantment
and mystery. Monkeys, birds and antelopes abound.
Elephants and buffalo range through the forest and even
leopards can occasionally be seen.
Close to the road between Moshi and Taveta, is
Lake Chala, an azure crater -lake formed from the
waters that drain off Mount Kilimanjaro. Lake Jipe
also lies in the same road. There are great places in
which to relax and unwind -and to view the colours of
the sunset reflected on the snow-capped peaks of magical
Mount Kilimanjaro.
Serengeti National
Park
The park covers 14,763 sq km of endless rolling plains
(see map), which reach up to the Kenyan border and
extends almost to Lake Victoria. The park is teaming
with stunning wildlife - it is thought that over 3
million large mammals roam the plains.
In May or early June you can witness the annual
migration of millions of zebra and wildebeest in search
of water and forage as the seasons change.
Ngorongoro Crater
The park is located between the Serengeti and Lake
Manyara (see map). It is home to the famous volcanic
Ngorongoro crater which is the largest unbroken caldera
in the world.
The crater (610 metres deep and 260 km squared) is a
microcosm of East African scenery and game and is
usually visited on the way back from the Serengeti to
Arusha. Scenic grandeur and stunning views are the
hallmark of this wonder of the world.
All the lodges are built high on the crater rim and
afford amazing views over and into the crater - the
perfect setting for a well deserved sun downer.
Olduvai Gorge
Located within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area,
180 km from Arusha. It was here that Dr Louis Leakey
discovered the remains of Homo habilis or
'handy man' regarded as mankind's first step on the
ladder of human evolution.
But many more fossils have been discovered here
including those of prehistoric elephants,
giant horned sheep and enormous ostriches.
Guides operate lecture tours of the site.
Getting here: A four hour drive, or one
hour flight, from Arusha. A two hour drive from Manyara
or Tarangire.
Lake Manyara
National Park
The famous spectacles in Lake Manyara National Park are
the tree climbing lions, which spend most of the
day spread out along the branches of Acacia trees six to
seven metres above the ground, and tree climbing
pythons.
Nestling at the base of the Great Rift valley
escarpment the park is noted for its incredible
beauty.
As visitors enter the gate they pass into the lush
forest, home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys.
Further along, the forest opens up into woodlands,
grassland, swamps and beyond, the soda lake
itself, covering 390 sq km and sanctuary to over 400
species of birds including flamingo,
pelican, storks, sacred ibis,
cormorants and Egyptian geese.
The park is particularly noted for its huge herds of
buffalo and elephant. Also giraffe, impala, hippo and a
great variety of smaller animals.
Arusha National Park
Just 32 km away from the town of Arusha is the Arusha
National Park which was described by Sir Julian Huxley
as "a gem amongst parks. "It consists of three
spectacular features, the Momela lakes, Mount
Meru and the Ngurudoto Crater.
On clear days magnificent views on Mount Kilimanjaro can
be seen from almost any part of the park. The vegetation
and wildlife varies with the topography, which ranges
from forest to swamp.
The park is famous for its 400 species of birdlife, both
migrant and resident, and black and white colubus
monkey. Other animals frequently seen in the park are
baboon, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, leopard,
hyena, zebra and a wide range of antelope species.
Mkomazi Game Reserve
Mkomazi is a 3,700 sq. km game reserve in the northern
Tanzania. It is a spectacular wilderness of dry bush,
ancient baobab trees, isolated rocky hills, open
savannah, acacia and shallow valley of grassland.
Today the black rhino has returned to Mkomazi. In 1997
the 28 sq. miles Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary the
first in Tanzania, received its first four rhinos from
South Africa.
During the rainy season, close on 1,000 elephants range
freely across the reserve, including herds femsles with
their calves. Buffalo, eland, giraffe, gerenuk, Grant's
gazelle, hartebeest, impala, lesser kudu, Oryx,
steenbok, water buck and zebra share the reserve with
the elephant and large predators include numerous lion,
leopard, cheetah and hyena.
For tourists, Mkomazi offers abundant game viewing,
scenic beauty and a quality wilderness experience ideal
for game drives, walking safaris and hiking. It is an
ornithologist's and photographer's paradise.
Tarangire National
Park
The park is located 120km from Arusha south east of
Manyara (see map). This park has a particularly dense
wildlife population between June - October. This
national park is home to thousands of elephant, and in
the dry season game congregates along the river having
migrated from the Masai Mara.
This park is symbolised by the Baobab tree, growing in
open acacia woodland. Tarangire is an ornithologist’s
paradise rich in birds of prey and an incredible
diversity of avifauna.
