Tanzania Budget safari

Tanzania is the ultimate safari destination that holds UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites: world-famous Serengeti National Park, breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, snowcapped Mt Kilimanjaro, and vast Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) where visitors can enjoy and learn about African wildlife and biodiversity.

Tanzania is an outstanding safari destination famous for its medley of wildlife, hiking, and cultural safaris.

As much as you’d find many affordable safari options in Tanzania, it doesn’t even bring the experience below standard. The fun and adventure remain top-notch.

Tanzania is home to astonishing budget safari options almost everyone can afford. With budget safaris, the main focus is on the Northern circuit that entails the famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro, as well as Arusha, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara National Parks. Offshore, the spice island of Zanzibar is the ideal place to round off your holiday. Spend a few days here chilling and snorkeling on a palm-lined beach.

These small group safaris generally combine comfortable camping and lodge or tented camp accommodation, which offer a good balance between camping and lodging, putting you close to the wildlife safari action.

In addition, the southern safari circuit also offers budget safaris to Tanzania Game Parks, including Mikumi Park, Ruaha National Park, Udzungwa Mountains, and Nyerere National Park that offer affordable epic and wildlife safari experiences that will get you close to nature, staying in or near game parks and places of interest.

Tanzania Holidays are for fun and relaxation and at a cheaper cost, no doubt about this. For budget safari, keep in mind the time/period of travel, always opt to visit during the low season, when the park fees are lower, and most lodges normally offer discounts on accommodations.

When planning for a budget safari to Tanzania, you must choose a low-cost tour operator because some companies specialize in luxury trips, you have to minimize the number of days (3-5) of your stay and also go for cheap tourist activities like game drives in less expensive national parks that will offer the best unforgettable wildlife experience.

Where to go for a budget safari in Tanzania?

Tanzania has three safari circuits that take you to several wildlife parks at affordable prices.

One point to keep in mind is that when you’re planning a budget safari in Tanzania to see wild animals and birds, you have to go for less cheap parks.

Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation charge high fees instead go to Tarangire, Mikumi, Ruaha, Mkomazi, and others because they are less expensive and have a medley of wildlife.
These include.

Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit

The northern safari circuit is the main route to northern Tanzania through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro as well as Arusha, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire national parks.

Serengeti National Park

The word Serengeti is a Maasai word meaning endless plains. The park is well known for its great Migration and wide-open savannah grasslands teeming with wildlife.

The most iconic African landscape, the plains of the Serengeti roll on in a seemingly endless sea.

This world heritage site offers an arena for the World Cup of Nature between wildebeests and predators like lions and crocodiles.
Witnessing the Great Wildebeest Migration is one of the most thrilling, exhilarating, and unforgettable wildlife viewing as million wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and other antelopes cross the vast plains.

These herbivores in turn attract an array of predators, making this one of the best places in Africa to witness this daily life-and-death struggle.
Ngorongoro Crater – The Garden of Eden

The Ngorongoro Crater holds the world’s largest unflooded caldera.
It harbors the highest number of wild animals like lions, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, giraffes, and warthogs, making it a must-see safari experience.

Zanzibar

Zanzibar is a true beach paradise with an incredible cultural mosaic that stretches back through history. From its mix of African, Eastern, Arabic, and European influences to the warm tropical climate and clear blue waters, there’s no better place for a relaxing vacation.

Zanzibar has something for everyone, from secluded honeymoon getaways to a plethora of water sports, or just endless stretches of white coral sand. You are sure to find an activity that suits your preference.

Tarangire National Park

A family of elephants in Tarangire National park, Tanzania.

Tarangire is well known for its huge elephant population and tree-climbing lions, as well as being home to a huge variety of birds, including the Superb Starling, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, and Pygmy falcon to mention a few.

Tarangire National Park is scattered with baobab trees and termite mounds, adding to its unique landscape.

Tarangire hosts one of the world’s highest concentrations of elephants that are interesting to watch as they wander in the wilderness.

Lake Manyara National Park

This scenic national park includes diverse habitats supporting an incredible wildlife array. Famous for tree-climbing lions, Lake Manyara is also known for huge flamingo flocks and other birds attracted to the shallow lake.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is located in the northern part of Tanzania and just south of the Kenyan border.

Well known as the ‘Roof of Africa,’ Mount Kilimanjaro is the continent’s highest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing peak, topping out at 5895m (19,341ft).

The mountain enthusiast with passion, determination, and ambitions to climb the seven summits, hiking Kilimanjaro will undoubtedly be on your bucket list. It offers a captivating and breathtaking hike to the peak enjoying sweeping vistas of Mt. Meru in Arusha and a spectacular view of the world.

While meandering around the mountain, you come across curious monkeys along your route, and a few mountaineers have spotted Cape buffalo, eland, leopard, and elephants among others.

Southern Tanzanian Safari Circuit

The Southern Tanzanian Safari circuit is vast, untouched, remote, and teeming with a diverse array of wildlife.

The Southern Safari Circuit budget safari tours to Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, Selous/Nyerere Game Reserve, and the

Mikumi National Park

The park is located in southern Tanzania and can easily be accessible from Dar es Salaam.

Mikumi’s main safari circuit crosses the Mkata Floodplain, an area known locally as the ‘little Serengeti’ because of the open grasslands punctuated by stands of acacia and baobabs. Often quiet, visitors to Mikumi can expect good game viewing including elephants, buffalo, giraffes, Eland, zebras, lions, and spotted hyenas.

Ruaha National Park

The park has dramatic scenery defined by the Ruaha River on the southern border, which is the lifeblood of the reserve the Buffaloes, zebra, impala, giraffe, greater and lesser kudu as well as roan and sable antelope are some of the species you will encounter, in amongst the largest elephant population in Tanzania.

Ruaha is also famous for unusually large prides of lions, leopards, cheetahs, striped and spotted hyenas as well as the endangered African wild dog.

Ruaha is a popular safari destination with regular safari enthusiasts who want to escape the crowds of the Northern Safari Circuit, and for those in the know, it is considered to be Tanzania’s best-kept safari secret.

Nyerere National Park

Nyerere National Park, in Tanzania, is a remote and underrated paradise. Nyerere forms part of the largest wilderness areas in Africa and is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its biodiversity.

It is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of big game, including elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos, and buffaloes. Nyerere is considered one of the last true wilderness areas, and a haven for those looking to get off the beaten track.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park

The Udzungwa Mountains National Park is home to a large diversity of indigenous species.

This majestic mountainous region of rich rainforests and beautiful scenery is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.

The Udzungwa Mountains are sometimes referred to as the Galapagos Islands of Africa for the incredible number of unique plants and animals that can only be found in this region.

When to go for a budget safari in Tanzania

Tanzania is a fascinating wildlife destination that can be visited at any time of the year.

However, the wildlife enthusiasts who are planning a budget safari to Tanzania, it would be best to travel during the Low season which is March-May, A number of the lodges, camps and national parks charge lower fees and normally offer generous off-season discounts that are affordable for tourist on budget safari.

In conclusion

Tanzania is one of the must-visit countries in Africa with outstanding natural beauty that offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience on a tourist-friendly budget. Regards! Nata adventure.