Best places to see/view the big five in Tanzania

Best places to see/ view the big five in Tanzania. Tanzania is an East African country known for its abundant wildlife which attracts thousands of visitors per year. A safari to Tanzania is an experience like no other as tourists get to see wild animals in their natural habitat. The chances of seeing the Big Five in Tanzania are higher during the dry season from June to September and December to February. Note that this is the peak season, and it tends to get extremely busy, and the prices also go up during this period.

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The rainy season and low season from March to May, is also a good time to see the big Five, especially the carnivores, as they hunt down the unsuspecting claves during the calving season. The best places to see the Big Five in Tanzania include Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Tarangire National Park and Nyerere National Park.

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is part of the Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit and is not only home to the famous annual wildebeest migration, it is also home to the big five, one of the many reasons why the national park receives the largest number of tourists in Tanzania. Serengeti is one of Tanzania’s premium destinations where millions of wildebeests and thousands of gazelles and zebras embark on a round trip covering over 1000 kilometers as they cross into Masai Mara in Kenya and then back to Serengeti. The migration takes the animals through different terrain, including grasslands, rock islands, forests, and crocodile-infested rivers, all the way to Kenya and then back to Serengeti.

There are so many challenges that are faced by the animals throughout the migration like predators, diseases, crocodiles, treacherous waters filled with crocodiles and destruction of the natural habitat. The Great Migration attracts several predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles and wild dogs, among others and animals like elephants, rhinos, giraffes and buffaloes keep clear of the migration to avoid being attacked.

• Lions are commonly sighted in Serengeti National Park and it should be noted that Serengeti has the highest number of lions in Tanzania and the African continent.
• Elephants are also commonly seen in Serengeti National Park most especially in the northern part of the park
• Serengeti National Park offers excellent sightings of leopards, especially in the Seronera Valley (Central region), although they can still be found in other parts of the national park.
• There are a few rhinos that are found in Serengeti National Park and these are mainly found in the central part of the National Park.
• Serengeti is home to large herds of buffaloes sighted regularly in the different parts of Serengeti National Park.

There is a high probability of seeing the big five in Serengeti National Park on your game viewing safari. There are other highlights like watching the wildebeest migration, hot air balloon rides and bird watching among others. The best time to visit Serengeti National Park for a Big Five safari is from June to July, December to February and August to September.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is one of the most visited National parks in Tanzania and home to the Big Four in Tanzania minus the rhinos. The unique ecosystem within the national park has made it one of the best homes to a wide range of wildlife species. The stunning baobab trees, acacia trees and the Tarangire River have made it easy to spot the animals, especially during the dry season.

• The Tarangire lions can easily be seen along the Tarangire River during both the dry and rainy season
• Leopards are fair in number and seeing them is a 50/50 chance
• There are large herds of buffaloes in Tarangire National Park and these can be seen in the different parts of the national park
• Elephants are abundant in Tarangire National Parka and the park is famously known for the large elephant crowds.
• Rhinos are absent in Tarangire

While on your safari to Tarangire, you will be able to see lions, buffaloes and elephants on your game drive; however, you may or might not be able to see leopards depending on your luck.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Crater is home to all the Big Five, including lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants. Ngorongoro Crater is found in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to hundreds of wildlife species, including animals and bird species. Located near Serengeti National Park, the crater is part of the northern circuit parks and home to a large concentration of animals that can be seen both during the dry and wet seasons. The wildebeest migration starts from the Ndutu Area, which is found in Ngorongoro, and the calving season of many of the wildebeests and other animals takes place here during the rainy season (November towards April).

• Ngorongoro has over 75 lions as of 2020, and these belong to different lion prideluding Mungedge, Munge, Munge Taki, Lucia, Lakes and Munge Mabinti pride are common around the crater and can be seen throughout the year.
• The leopards of Ngorongoro are best spotted in the northern highland forests that are found in the southern part. The northern highland forests cover almost 20% of Ngorongoro and are considered to be the best place to see the leopards as they hunt both during the day and night.
• Ngorongoro has large tusk elephants that are believed to have lived in the crater floor for over 50 years. These elephants have large tusks that almost reach the ground and there are more than 300 elephants in Ngorongoro crater.
• This is home to the black rhinos an extinct species in most parts of the world. These can be found on the swamp side of the crater with other large animals.
• The African buffalo is a common sight in Ngorongoro visibly seen during a game drive in the conservation Area.

Nyerere National Park

Formerly known as Selous Game Reserve, Nyerere National Park is one of the top National parks where tourists get to see the Big Five. The National Park is an extremely large one (one of the largest wildlife areas in the world), and this makes it hard to track down many of the wildlife species, which results in fewer wildlife sightings. All the Big Five species are present in Nyerere National Park; however, note that rhinos are found in specific parts of the national park, leopards are rare sightings, and elephants are occasional sightings.

• Nyerere has a large population of lions that can be seen in the different parts of the park throughout the year
• Due to poaching, the elephant population in Nyerere has greatly reduced and sightings of the elephants are occasional. The government of Kenya is doing its best to reduce poaching and the destruction of the natural habitats of the elephants in Nyerere.
• Buffaloes are a common sight due to the large buffalo population in Nyerere National Park
• Rhinos are rare in Nyerere due to poaching and sightings are almost limited to the southern part of the park
• Leopards are available in Nyerere National Park although their sightings are rare. Because of the shy nature that leopards tend to exhibit, they tend to hide from humans, and it is by luck if one is spotted, especially when they are hunting.

Note that you will be able to see lions and buffaloes in Nyerere National Park but don’t count on seeing elephants, leopards and rhinos because of their low population. Nyerere National Park is part of the Southern Circuit and can be visited all year round; however, the best time to see the Big Five in Nyerere is during the dry season.

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park is home to four of the Big Five animal species and these are lions, leopards, buffaloes and elephants. While on your safari to Lake Manyara National Park, you will be able to see buffaloes and elephants. The lions are always in the trees, and it is unlikely that you will be able to spot leopards because of their shy nature.

• Lake Manyara National Park is home to the tree-climbing lions which can be spotted almost all year round. The lions, it is believed, climb trees to better spot and hunt their prey and to avoid the heat from the ground and tsetse fly bites.
• The national park is home to large herds of elephants as it was established to protect the elephants in the area
• There is a large population of leopards in Manyara; however, they are rare to see during a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park because they are shy.
• Buffaloes are commonly sighted in Lake Manyara National Park
• There are no rhinos in Lake Manyara National Park

On your safari to Lake Manyara National Park, you will be able to see elephants, buffaloes, and climbing lions, but it is on rare occasions that you will be able to see leopards.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is part of the Tanzania southern circuit and one of the least visited national parks in Tanzania. It is home to four of the Big Five animal species and you will be able to see lions, elephants, leopards and buffaloes. The park is not home to the rhinos.

• Lions are a common sight in Ruaha National Park with large pride
• There is a 70% chance of seeing leopards in Ruaha National Park while on your safari along the riverbanks
• Ruaha is home to a sizeable buffalo population  and these can easily be spotted during a game drive
• Ruaha National Park is home to a good elephant population and is considered to be one of the best safari destinations for spotting elephants
• Rhinos are absent in Ruaha National Park. Rhinos were poached into extinction from Duaha National Park by both local and international poachers, and this is the reason why they can't be seen in Ruaha on a game drive.

Ruaha National Park is, in most cases, described as Tanzania’s best-kept secret, with unspoiled wildlife covering over 20,000 square kilometres. During a game drive in Ruaha, tourists can see lions, buffaloes, leopards and elephants.

Summary of where to see the Big Five in Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater is overall the best place to see the Big Five in Tanzania. You will most likely get the chance to see all the Big Five in Ngorongoro, including leopards, which are rare. The reason why Ngorongoro is the best is because it is easier to see black rhinos in the Crater unlike anywhere else in the country.

Serengeti National Park is the second best place to see the Big Five because the chances of seeing all of the Big Five are high. Most of the Big Five can be seen in the Seronera Valley during a game drive although you can still see various wildlife species in other parts of the national park.

Tarangire National Park and Ruaha National Park are the best for seeing elephants, making Nyerere National Park come in last place with the least sightings of all the Big Five in Tanzania on a game drive safari. Nyerere National Park is the best place to see buffaloes.

Lake Manyara National Park is also a good destination for seeing the Big Five although it will be rare to see Rhinos. For the best leopard sightings, visit Tarangire, Ruaha National, and finally, Ngorongoro Crater.

The best way to increase sightings of the Big Five in Tanzania is by visiting Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park on your safari. These two national parks are close to each other making it easy to have a combined safari between the two. To be able to avoid crowds during your safari, you can visit the southern Tanzania safari circuit parks which include Nyerere National Park and Ruaha National Park.

For help in planning a Big Five Tanzania Safari, get in touch with us and talk to one of our travel advisors. If you are looking at a private Big Five safari or budget-friendly Big Five safari, our advisors are available to help. All our advisors are knowledgeable and have been on safaris across the African continent.