Tanzania and Kenya are classic African safari destinations. Some of the greatest African savannas are in these two countries, Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve. The highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, is located in Kenya. Ngorongoro Crater is one of earliest places human were developed. There are many reserves scattered in these two countries. I was lucky enough to visit the following.

Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park sits at the foothill below Mount Kilimanjaro. It is famous for large herds of elephants and water buffalos. The classic scene is a photo of hundreds of elephants under a snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro.

Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park

Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park are both in Tanzania, not far from Arusha with major international airport. Tarangire National Park is not that big so not a good to hunt the BIG FIVEs. Tarangire National Park is famous for its huge giraffe population. The major animal in Lake Manyara National Park is the elephant; the park is particularly known for its large population of elephants, alongside its famous tree-climbing lions and large flocks of flamingos.

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, between Arusha City and the Serengeti National Park. The conservation area also contains Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world. The gorge is nicknamed the “Cradle of Mankind” because it is believed to be the site of found remains of the first human beings to walk on Earth. There is a huge lake in the middle of crater. There are plenty of lions, black rhinos, elephants, African buffalo, cheetahs, flamingos, and ostriches. I had a fantastic African sunset captured on the edge of the Crater.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 containing over 1,500,000 ha (3,700,000 acres) of virgin savanna. The Serengeti is well known for the largest annual animal migration in the world of over 1.5 million blue wildebeest and 250,000 zebra along with smaller herds of Thomson’s gazelle and eland. The national park is also home to the largest lion population in Africa. The Serengeti National Park is divided into South, Central and Northern regions. The Great Migration happens at the northern border close to Mara Mara Reserve. There is a specific time of the year the Great Migration will happen. The most dramatic places are along the Mara River.