Tanzania Christmas Safari: What To See And Expect

Tanzania Christmas Safari: What To See And Expect. If Tanzania is the Christmas holiday destination you choose for the festive season, some of the options of activities to indulge in as tourists include game safaris, chimpanzee trekking, water activities, cultural experience, visiting the museums, Dodoma city tour and much more.

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Tanzania being a vast country, connecting from one destination to another may take hours or days, so you need to put into consideration the means to get around the country, choose the Tanzania safari destination to visit, identify people to travel with and much more. Christmas is a time to make merry so expect to share most of the Tanzania destinations with other tourists.

Some of the notable Tanzania safari destinations to visit include Serengeti National Park, Mahale National Park and Gombe National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro National Park, Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park to mention but a few. other than the Tanzania National Parks, tourists may also visit Zanzibar Island, do a Dodoma or Mombasa city tour and others.

Accommodation to use during the Tanzania Safari in Christmas season is very important because this being a festive season where people from world over the world want to make memories for the next year, the demand for destinations in like Tanzania in Africa is over the top. Chances of finding accommodation availability at the last minute is next to none.  

What To See And Expect On Tanzania Christmas Safari

Game Drives on Tanzania Safari

The game drives in the Tanzania National Parks are exceptional with chances of spotting huge population of wild animals that traverse the vast plains. The most notable Tanzania National Park is Serengeti National Park where the Great Wildebeest Migration starts and ends. During the Christmas season, the returnees from this great Wildebeest Migration can be spotted in the park during the game drives.

Other optional game Parks to visit in Tanzania during Christmas include Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro National Park, Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park. Note that these game parks are far from each other so you need to plan on how to get from one park to another without backtracking.

During the game drive on the tracks of the Tanzania game parks, some of the animals to possibly spot include gazelles, lions, wildebeests, cheetahs, leopards, cheetahs, waterbucks, bushbucks, zebras, kudus, elephants, buffaloes and others. All these wild animals are not found in all game parks but some can only be particularly spotted in few destinations in Tanzania so seek advice from the safari consultant about where to specifically find a particular animal before confirming the itinerary.  

The game drives in Tanzania National Parks are best done starting early morning when most wild animals emerge from the high hideouts and late afternoon as they return and nocturnal start there time. Using a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle with a pop up roof for the Tanzania safaris is very helpful to catch a clear view of the surrounding.

Visit Zanzibar Island During Tanzania Christmas Safari.

Zanzibar Island in the Indian ocean is part of Tanzania and a hot spot to relax from during the Christmas holiday. While on safari in Zanzibar Island, you do scuba diving, beach walks, snorkeling, boat cruising, spice market tour, sports fishing, meditating by the beach, swimming and much more. Zanzibar has some of the leftover sites where slaves were gathered and later sold to their masters and these sites still whisper those tragic times.

Zanzibar offers a variety of accommodation to book for the Christmas holiday ranging from luxury to basic. Before booking the accommodation facility at Zanzibar, you need to request for the inclusions and exclusions in the cost of the facility so that you can plan in advance because a good night sleep equals great holiday memories.

From the mainland, the two main means to get to Zanzibar Island are air transport where daily domestic flights can be arranged or water transport.

Other water activities to do on Tanzania Christmas safari

Tanzania has a coastline which separates it from the Indian Ocean. The main port of Tanzania is at Dar-es-Salaam where most ships with merchandise dock. You may visit this Tanzanian main port during the festive season. A number of beaches are situated along the India ocean coast of Tanzania and you may plan to spend your festive season by the coast.

Note that the population at most beaches of Tanzania during the festive season normally high, so expect to share space with multitudes of locals especially at the free beaches or those with low cost entrance fees.

Destination functions can be arranged by the Indian Ocean including weddings, vow renewal, anniversaries and many others. It is a great safari destination to mark those moments that impact your life.

Chimpanzees Trekking During Tanzania Safari

Chimpanzee trekking in Mahale National Park and Gombe National Park is a great choice to enjoy while on Tanzania safari on the festive season. Chimpanzees are the closest human relatives with about 98% human DNA. They live in communities of over 100 members with the Alpha male as their leader. Choosing chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania as one of the activities to do during Christmas is like taking good tidings to the lost relatives.

As you search for the chimpanzees in the forest, you may encounter other primates including black and white colobus, olive baboons, vervet monkeys and others. Enjoy the whistling birds that are common to these forests. Botanists have so much to identify while on the way to find the chimpanzees. Finally, when you meet the chimpanzees only one hour is allowed with them.

Cultural Experience on Tanzania Christmas Tour.

Tanzania is a multi-tribal nation but local Kiswahili is spoken in most parts of the country especially the coastal areas. To immerse yourself into the culture of some of the indigenous people in Tanzania during Christmas season, you may visit the Masai community who are the most notable. The Masai tribe are some of the conservative tribe that have stuck to their culture even when there is modern influence.  

The Masai live in homesteads called Manyattas where they communally protect their herds of cattle. Their cattle is the most important possession and the products from their herds are their lifeblood. The Masai also make crafts and ornaments that you can purchase as souvenirs after your holiday in Tanzania.

You may get a chance to spend a day at a Masai home where you may engage in food preparations, participate in milking the cows, do crafts and much more. Sometimes they may perform some engaging local dance moves where they jump at the rhythm of a local drum.

Walking Safari In Tanzania

Experience Tanzania safaris in another style by embarking on a guided walking tour the wilderness.  where you may get to see a number of wild animals at a closer distance. Take photos and keep moving following the ranger guide.

Use the trails that were constructed by regular participants in the walking safaris in the park but do not try to deviate from the rest of the group in case you are moving with more people to avoid getting lost. Most of the safari destinations in Tanzania have predators that may be harmful to you.

Geological sites in Tanzania

Tanzania is where the skull of early man was discovered at Olduvai gorge in Ngorongoro National Park. You may choose to mark the Christmas season with a moment at this historical site. There are other fossils that are preserved in the museum that you may get chance to see.

City Tour of Dodoma or Dar Es Salaam During Christmas

The two main towns in Tanzania are Dodoma and Dar Es Salaam where most of the businesses for the people of Tanzania and beyond are found. Dodoma is the capital city of Tanzania worth visiting and Dar. Es salaam is the main port of the country. Taking a tour around these towns is exciting as you get a glimpse into how the people of Tanzania do business

You may enjoy a taste of the Tanzania cuisines and continental dishes served in the different food centers in these towns. Do not eat street food because you are not sure about their level of hygiene.

When is the best time to book the Tanzania Christmas Safari

It is best to start the planning for the Tanzania Christmas safari at least when the year is still young so that you can prepare in advance. Note that the Christmas season is always filled with holiday celebrations which are in different parts of Tanzania and safari destinations are no exception. It is best to make all necessary logistics to support the time on Tanzania safari atleast 6 months to a year in advance. You may even pay a commitment fee as a way to show your genuine intensions for booking.

During Christmas season, most safari destinations are overbooked and so chances for late comers to find availability of space in the best facilities within their budget in Tanzania may be quite challenging.

Do not be discouraged from trying to book the Tanzania safari at the last minute as Christmas festive opens because there those who may cancel their booking at the last minute and so you can also keep trying although confirmation is not guaranteed.

How Much Is The Cost Of Tanzania Christmas Safari.

The cost of Tanzania safari during the Christmas festivities is hard to determine as there are normally higher costs levied right from the safari destinations in the country to logistics that support tours. The Tanzania safari packages are categorized into luxury, mid-range and basic.

Park entrance fees are a must for every tourist on a Tanzania safari before entering the gates of any destination. This is used to support the conservation fund of these destinations and park maintenance.

At Encounter African safaris, we encourage our tourists to tip generously those who extend a great service to you as a token of appreciation.

In case you wish to return home with some souvenirs from Tanzania, carry some hard cash to use because credit cards are still challenging to use in Africa. It is more of direct cash transactions. Even banking services are not available in the Tanzanian destinations like game parks.

It is best to book the Tanzania Christmas safari in advance so that all necessary clearances can be made in advance. Contact us for your bookings.

What to Pack For a Tanzania Christmas safari

• Safari shoes especially if you have to walk as the ground is sometimes very hot and also your feet need to be protected from the rough surfaces in the wilderness.
• Insect repellent to keep away biting insects that may cross your way like tsetse flies
• If you have to trek the chimpanzees, ensure you carry the right safari boots that will protect your feet from the harsh conditions in the jungle.
• Safari hat or cap to protect your head from the dust and buzzing insects
• Sunglasses to protect your eyes from buzzing insects.
• Some warmers because most safari destinations in Tanzania experience cold conditions early morning and late afternoon.
• Safari wear in colors that are wilderness friendly in colors like khaki, tan and others. Try not to use colors that can attract stinging insects like blue, black and white.
• For chimpanzee trekking safaris in Tanzania, you need a mask as this is one adopted measure to prevent chimpanzees from catching human communicable infections. Chimpanzees have about 98% human DNA which makes them susceptible to human communicable infections which may lead to their massive death.
• Extra batteries fully charged to exchange with in case you one runs low.
• Duffel bag so that you can carry your belongings in case you have to help yourself.
• Some cash to use for on ground purchases as credit cards are no easy to use in Africa because of the lengthy process of collecting money from them.
• Snacks to munch on when you are on safari in case you get hungry.
•  A camera to keep memorable moment while on safari in Tanzania there are many moments that happen
• Travel Adapter and charger in case you need to recharge your gadgets.
• First aid kit in case of any emergency during your visit in Tanzania

For more information about a Tanzania Christmas safari, please contact our team.