Ngorongoro vs Tarangire: Which Park Is Better for First Timers?
When you are planning your trip to a safari in Tanzania, you have to choose between two of the most famous places to see wild animals in the country: the Ngorongoro Crater and the Tarangire National Park. Both of these parks are great for safaris. They are very different in terms of what the land looks like, the animals you can see, and the overall feel of the place. If you only have time to go to one of them, it can be hard to decide.
The good thing is that you cannot make a choice. Both parks are always ranked as two of the best places to go on a safari in Tanzania, and they are often included in the Northern Safari Circuit. If you know what makes each park special, you can pick the one that is best for you.
A Quick Look at Both Parks
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area has the Ngorongoro Crater, which is the biggest volcanic crater in the world that is still intact. The floor of the crater is 260 square kilometers and has a huge number of animals living inside its steep walls. Because animals do not often leave the crater, you can see them well all year round.
The Tarangire National Park is two hours southwest of Arusha and covers about 2,850 square kilometers. It is famous for having lots of elephants, baobab trees, a river that sometimes flows, and a quieter safari experience than some of the other parks in Tanzania.
Even though both parks are in the Northern Circuit, the safari experience is totally different.
Seeing Wild Animals
For a lot of people who are going on a safari for the first time, seeing wild animals is the most important thing.
Ngorongoro is usually better for seeing lots of animals in one day. The crater has lions, spotted hyenas, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, jackals, warthogs, and many kinds of antelopes. It is also one of the places in Tanzania to see black rhinos because they are protected inside the crater.
You usually start your safari early in the morning. It is common to see many animals that eat meat before lunchtime. Because the animals stay inside the crater, your guide does not have to drive far to find them.
Tarangire also has wild animals, but they are spread out over a much bigger area. During the season, thousands of animals come to the Tarangire River, which makes for really great animal watching.
Even though Tarangire has fewer rhinos than Ngorongoro, you can see the animals acting more naturally because they have so much space.
If you want to see as many different animals as possible on your first safari, Ngorongoro is better.
Seeing Elephants
If you love elephants, Tarangire is the choice.
The park has one of the largest groups of elephants in Tanzania, with thousands of them moving around. During the season, you can often see big groups of elephants with 50 to 200 of them near the river.
Ngorongoro also has elephants, including some big old bulls with huge tusks, but you will not see as many big groups as you do in Tarangire.
The Scenery
The scenery in the two parks is very different.
Ngorongoro has one of the most beautiful landscapes in Africa. Going down into the crater feels like you are entering a world. The crater floor has grasslands, swamps, forests, lakes, and rivers all surrounded by high crater walls.
Every place you look has really great opportunities for taking pictures.
Tarangire has an African landscape with:
* Old baobab trees
* grasslands
* Woodlands
* Seasonal marshes
* River valleys
* Rocky ridges
The scenery changes a lot between the dry seasons. During the months, the dusty landscape makes for really great safari pictures, and during the rainy season, the park becomes a green and lush wilderness.
If you want to see cool scenery, Ngorongoro usually makes a stronger impression.
Leopards can be hard to find. Guides who know the area often know where to look.
Tarangire often has lions, elephants, buffaloes, and sometimes leopards. It does not have rhinos, so you cannot see all of the Big Five animals there.
If you want to see the Big Five, Ngorongoro is the choice.
Seeing Animals That Eat Meat
Ngorongoro is famous for having a lot of animals that eat meat.
There are groups of lions that live on the crater floor all year round, and spotted hyenas are often seen hunting or eating animals that are already dead. Jackals are often seen walking around in the grasslands, and cheetahs sometimes appear in areas that are suitable for them.
Because there are many animals to eat inside the crater, it is relatively easy to see animals that eat meat.
Tarangire also has groups of animals that eat meat, but it can take more time to find them.
Lions in Tarangire sometimes climb trees, which’s really cool for photographers to see. Leopards hide in the forests near the river, which makes seeing them really exciting, but not as often.
People who are going on a safari for the first time and want to see animals that eat meat quickly will usually have more luck in Ngorongoro.
Bird Watching
People who like birds can enjoy both parks.
Ngorongoro has more than 500 kinds of birds, including:
* Flamingos
* Crowned cranes
* Secretary birds
* Ostriches
* Kori bustards
* Augur buzzards
Tarangire has more than 550 kinds of birds, which makes it one of the best places in Tanzania to watch birds.
The birds that come to the park at certain times of the year make the park even more fun for bird watchers between November and April.
People who like birds often prefer Tarangire because it has different kinds of habitats and birds that come at different times of the year.
Crowds
This is one area where Tarangire’s better.
Ngorongoro is one of the most popular safari destinations in Tanzania. During the peak season, there can be safari vehicles around the animals that eat meat.
Because the crater floor has limited roads, there can be traffic sometimes.
Tarangire usually feels quieter.
The park is bigger, so the vehicles can spread out. You often do not see another safari vehicle for a long time.
If you want to have a safari, Tarangire is the better choice.
Safari Photography
Both parks are great for taking pictures. They are better for different things.
Ngorongoro has cool views of the whole area, and you can get really close to the animals. The light in the morning inside the crater is perfect for taking pictures of the landscape and the animals.
Tarangire has African safari pictures with elephants walking under big baobab trees, dust clouds shining in the golden sunlight and animals gathering near the river.
Photographers often like Tarangire because there are vehicles in the background.
The Best Time to Visit
Ngorongoro is great to visit all year round
Because there is always water inside the crater, you can see animals really well no matter what time of year you visit.
Tarangire changes a lot with the seasons.
During the season from June to October, the animals gather near the water, which makes for really great animal watching.
The rainy season has scenery, more birds, baby animals, and fewer visitors.
If you want to see animals all year, Ngorongoro is easier to recommend.
Safari Activities
Ngorongoro is mostly about driving around the crater.
You can also:
* Visit Maasai communities
* Explore the highlands of the conservation area
* Hike on some trails outside the crater
* Visit Olduvai Gorge
Tarangire has:
* Traditional safaris
* Night safaris in areas
* Walking safaris
* Visits to communities
* Bird watching
* Photography safaris
Tarangire has things to do, which makes it more fun for travelers who want to try different things.
Getting There
Both parks are easy to get to from Arusha.
Tarangire is about a two- to three-hour drive, which makes it one of the safari parks to get to in Tanzania.
Ngorongoro usually takes four to five hours to get to from Arusha, depending on traffic and the roads.
Many people visit both parks on the safari trip.
Cost
Ngorongoro is usually more expensive.
You have to pay to get into the conservation area. You also have to pay to drive down into the crater, which makes it one of the most expensive safari experiences in Tanzania for one day.
The places to stay near the rim are also expensive because they are in such a great location.
Tarangire usually has fees to get into the park, and it has more options for places to stay, including lodges and tented camps that are not too expensive.
Travelers who do not have a lot of money often find that Tarangire is a great value.
Which Park Is Better for Families?
Families can have fun at both parks.
Ngorongoro has animals that’re easy to see, and the drives between sightings are not too long, which makes it easier to keep kids interested.
Tarangire gives kids the chance to see elephant families playing and enjoy the surroundings with fewer safari vehicles.
For kids who are going on a safari for the first time, Ngorongoro often has more animals to see and is more fun.
Which Park Feels More Wild?
Even though Ngorongoro has cool scenery, it can feel less wild during busy times.
Tarangire often feels more like you are in the wilderness.
Driving through the baobab forests with other vehicles makes you feel like you are exploring Africa in a more real way.
Travelers who want to be alone usually prefer Tarangire.
The Best Park for Different Kinds of Travelers
Ngorongoro is the choice if you:
* Want to see as many animals as possible in one day. Want to see the Big Five.
* Are visiting Tanzania for the time.
* Do not have a lot of time for your safari.
* Want to see rhinos.
* Want to see animals all year
Tarangire is better if you:
* Love elephants. Want a safari experience. Like taking pictures. Do not have a lot of money. Do not like crowds. Like watching birds. Want to try safari activities.
Can You Visit Both Parks?
Many safari experts think that you should visit both parks because they go together well.
When you go to the Northern Circuit, you usually visit Tarangire, Ngorongoro, the Serengeti National Park and sometimes Lake Manyara National Park. If you start in Tarangire, you get to see big landscapes and lots of elephants before you go to the Ngorongoro Crater, which has a lot of animals in one place.
The Tarangire and Ngorongoro parks together give you an idea of the amazing animals and landscapes that Tanzania has.
If you only have t