The flight from Italy takes us to Nairobi and from there we catch a bus that in a few
hours will take us to Arusha.
Once in Arusha we go to the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), where the majority
of the travel agency are, to rent a vehicle.
The bargaining on the price and the discussion about the itinerary of our trip takes a few
hours. The following day we are ready to leave; together with Adam (our driver) and Innocent
(our cook) we load provisions and equipment. |
These pictures have been taken on the way from Arusha to the Tarangire National Park.
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In the picture on the side our vehicle parked in
the tent camp of the Tarangire National Park. |
| Our friend Innocent prepares us a healthy breakfast in the kitchen of the tent camp. |
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The baths of the tent camp offer all the comforts, including hot water. |
The Tarangire National Park occupies a vast territory southeast of the Lake Manyara and it
is just a hundred kilometres from Arusha.
In the park is rather easy to see, particularly in the
dry season, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, zebras, gnu, dik-diks, gazelles and lions. |
| Our tent |
Innocent, our cook, preparing lunch |
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The Serengeti National Park is one of the most important National Parks in Tanzania and one
of the most beautiful in the whole Africa both for the concentration of animals and for the
natural environment. It has been declared patrimony of the humanity by UNESCO.
The park is situated in the north part of the country, between the Victoria Lake and the Masai
Mara in Kenya, and it has a surface of almost 15.000 km²s.
In Swahili language Serengeti means "great flatland", in fact the greater part of the Park’s
territory is a huge flatland with some low hills (kopje). |
The ecosystem of the Serengeti is characterized by the seasonal rains (great rains: April -
June, small rains: October - December) and the consequent migration of the herbivores always in
search of new pastures.
The southern part of the Serengeti is a grassy and arid prairie where in the period between
January and March there are huge herds of ungulate (gnu, zebras, Thompson’s gazelles). In the
rest of the year the herds migrate towards the north.
Moving north the landscape changes very much: the presence of permanent little rivers and the
greater rains facilitate the growth of gallery forests and of areas of savannah and trees. |
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However is the annual migration of the ungulate that makes the Serengeti famous.
Around a million Gnu and 200.000 zebras move south from the hills of the north during the season
of the small rains every October and November, the migration brings then the game west and then
north again after the season of the great rains in April, May and June. |
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A cheetah over a Kopje |
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area |
| The map of the Ngorongoro Crater |
Our tent camp on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater |
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The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is situated between the Serengeti and the Lake Manyara
and covers an extension of 8300 Km²s.
The most famous and spectacular part of the park is Ngorongoro Crater (610 meters deep and with
an extension of 260 km²s).
The crater’s rim is quite high: 2200 mt over sea level and is there that lodges and tent
camp are located.
About 25.000 wild animals made their home inside the crater; the largest part of wildlife
population is zebras and gnus. This is the most appropriate place in Africa to sight the
black rhino.
In the crater also live; lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, elephants, impala, eland, antelopes
and many species of birds among which the pink flamingos. |
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The Arusha National Park is situated at the feet of the Meru Mountain, 32 Kms from Arusha.
With its 137 km²s it is the smallest National Park in Tanzania and it is often neglected in
favor of Serengeti and Ngorongoro, but because of the rich flora and fauna it is certainly worth
a visit.
The park is one of the few that can be visited afoot, accompanied by a Ranger.
Wildlife is abundant in the park, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, wild pigs, elephants, hyenas,
hippos and antelopes are all easily sighted in the Park. |
| Waterfall next to the Momela Lakes. |
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At the end of our trip we return to Nairobi, where before going back home we get some lunch
in a well known restaurant of the city. |
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Tanzania
