Northern versus Southern Tanzania

When most people think of going on safari in Tanzania they often associate it with a northern circuit safari which takes in either all or a combination of the following: Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and the famous Serengeti National Park. In fact, this was my first proper safari experience too!

Offering some of the most iconic safari experiences to be had in all of Africa with the vast herds of elephants intermingled with baobab trees in Tarangire, the flamingos, pelicans and famous (if elusive) tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara, the unique crater at Ngorongoro (often thought of as the eighth wonder of the world) and of course the savannahs of the Serengeti – host of the annual wildebeest migration and some of the best game viewing on the Continent – the north is widely considered to be the place to go on safari in Tanzania.

It is undeniable that northern Tanzania offers a wonderful safari experience; one of the most impressive features being that no two days will be the same as you work your way from place to place encountering different landscapes, ecosystems and ultimately, animal sightings. Our most popular trips operate as a ‘circuit’ with a safari driver-guide meeting you on arrival at Kilimanjaro airport and expertly guiding you around a selection of the very best national parks that Tanzania has to offer. A private experience, it will only be your party in the vehicle and the guide will tailor your safari to your specific interests, making it an exclusive and memorable experience.

As I say, this was where I chose for my first safari, and for this reason it will have a very special place in my heart. On a recent return trip though it really struck me just how popular this region had become since I had first visited, 7 years before. It wasn’t unusual for us to queue to get into the parks and once inside we rarely were alone. Whilst we did escape the crowds at Moru Kopjies in the far south of the park and in the northern reaches of Kogatende, looking over the Mara River to Kenya and the Masai Mara, the most accessible area around Seronera was saturated with vehicles at times (and we weren’t even there in peak season) – it is harder and harder to get a wilderness experience here; although by no means impossible. Yes, the Serengeti is still amazing for game viewing but it has lost the feeling of being unchartered territory, and has become popular on the overland trail with it not being unusual to see a large 4x4 bus or to find yourselves sharing an animal sighting with a dozen or so other vehicles. Saying this, there are experiences that you can have in the Serengeti that you won’t find elsewhere in Tanzania, such as hot air balloon flights and of course the famous wildebeest migration!

The experience that you can have in southern Tanzania couldn’t be further away from this. This is a truly off-the-beaten-track safari which you will share with only a tiny proportion of those who visit the north. Although much less well-known than the Serengeti, the Selous Game Reserve (an hour’s flight from Dar es Salaam) is vastly bigger in area – around the size of Switzerland – but with only around 10% of the number of camps. This means that you will be sharing the experience with far few people than in the north of the country, allowing for a more exclusive and in my opinion, enjoyable safari experience.

Of course, like all things in life you cannot have it all. Whilst the Serengeti has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, the game in the Selous is more skittish. One of the main reasons for this is that as a safari destination it is far less developed, having previously played host to big game hunting blocks. Basically, the animals are far less used to human presence, at least for safari purposes. It doesn’t mean that the animals aren’t there, to the contrary we’ve had amazing animal sightings here, but traditionally they are more sporadic. You certainly have the thrill of the chase here though, and personally I’ve always found the game viewing more rewarding as you’ve actually had to look for it! If you are looking to just tick animals off the list though, then the Serengeti is probably a better fit for you, as the Selous doesn’t have all of the Big Five – although you will spot some animals here that you won’t elsewhere, such as the elusive African wild dog!

Another reason for the Selous being a wonderful choice for a Tanzanian safari is the variety of activities on offer with boat trips and bush walks as well as at some camps, fishing all being possible. This creates an incredibly diverse safari experience which is hard to beat – you have the chance to experience the bush on all different levels here! Remember that whilst you are enjoying these activities, the likelihood is that you will be sharing the experience with far fewer people! You will also find that you will get more bang for your buck in the Selous usually – the accommodation prices tend to be lower than in northern Tanzania and the camps of a higher quality.

The other real bonus of the Selous is its close proximity to Dar es Salaam (just an hour’s flight away) meaning that you can fly in overnight and be on safari by lunchtime. Similarly if you’re tempted to head over to Zanzibar for some beach time after your safari, it is just another hour in the air. By contrast we would usually recommend an overnight stay in Arusha before starting a northern safari circuit, this way you can recover from the overnight flight and means that you don’t have a long drive immediately after getting off the long flight. Similarly when flying onto Zanzibar you will find that you will leave the Serengeti mid-morning and not arrive onto Zanzibar until mid-afternoon – there is no way of avoiding the fact that there is considerably more travel involved in a northern circuit safari.

The other real bonus of the Selous is its close proximity to Dar es Salaam (just an hour’s flight away) meaning that you can fly in overnight and be on safari by lunchtime. Similarly if you’re tempted to head over to Zanzibar for some beach time after your safari, it is just another hour in the air. By contrast we would usually recommend an overnight stay in Arusha before starting a northern safari circuit, this way you can recover from the overnight flight and means that you don’t have a long drive immediately after getting off the long flight. Similarly when flying onto Zanzibar you will find that you will leave the Serengeti mid-morning and not arrive onto Zanzibar until mid-afternoon – there is no way of avoiding the fact that there is considerably more travel involved in a northern circuit safari.

It is impossible to say that a northern circuit safari in Tanzania is better than time spent in the Selous or vice versa. Ultimately they offer very different safari experiences and both have their benefits and more negative features. It really does come down to what is going to suit you best. If your image of a safari is wide open plains scattered with lions, cheetah and a vast herd of wildebeest or perhaps soaring above the savannah at sunrise in a hot air balloon, then the northern circuit is for you – just bear in mind that lots of others have this same image in mind too. The diversity of landscapes and range of animals is certainly hard to beat. Conversely, if you are keen to escape the crowds, have a unique experience in beautiful scenery, off the beaten track and with great game viewing then I’d urge you to head to the Selous, and fast, before everyone else realises how brilliant it is too!

All of our Tanzanian safaris are entirely tailor-made to your own requirements.

Call one of our Tanzanian specialists now on 020 3141 2810 to get started. As a starting point we recommend our Family Safari and Zanzibar itinerary starting or our Selous Game Reserve and Zanzibar itinerary.