Named after the river that courses through it, Tarangire National Park is home to more than 550 species of bird including the Yellow-collared Lovebirds and the heaviest flying bird, the Kori Bustard. With a size of over 1,000 square miles, the national park attracts large quantities of game during the driest periods of the year including around 300 elephants and quite a few of the migratory wildebeest so eagerly sought after. With open woodlands and pockets of acacia trees feeding the animals that lust for the shade, the landscape is remarkably reminiscent of ‘the typical Africa scene’. Baobab trees can be seen flowering in the right season and occasionally attract bats to the sweet flowers but in the south, there are also thick woodlands falling into flat swampland.

Cats are common in Tarangire and are often seen stalking the huge herds of plains game that wonder through this open landscape. The park sometimes gets overlooked on the popular ‘northern circuit’ which opens up the chance for you to experience some quality game without the traffic of other lodges. You do need to come here at the right time of year however, as the game disperses quite considerably once the lands turn greener and really only returns in its masses when the sliver of river that continues to flow during the dry season bring them bacl. Although it might be harder to find the game during the wetter times of the year, you will still see some great game that is resident and get some superb shots of a greener and potentially wilder Africa.