Close to Arusha (only 118km away), the park gets its name from the river that threads its way through the length of the reserve. It is famous for its dense wildlife population which is most spectacular between June and September, the dry season. During this time thousands of animals, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, eland, hartebeests, kudus, Wildebeests and the rarely seen oryx, migrate from the dry Maasai Steppe to the Tarangire River looking for water. Lion, leopard and other predators follow the herds.
Tarangire has the largest population of elephants of any park in the Northern Circuit. It is also home to 550 varieties of birds -the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world.
Getting there: a 2½ hour drive or 30mins flight from Arusha