Bushbuck Safaris

If you’re a traveler who would like to experience the wildlife, the first place that you would need to consider going is Africa. It homes thousands of wildlife animals and has great accommodations when it comes to travelers and explorers.

If you want to experience holidays in Tanzania, then you would need to book yourself a flight and contact a guide to accommodate you while you’re there. When going to safaris Tanzania you would need to know a couple of things before you go there.

Best Months to go for a Safari

The best time to explore Tanzania is in the months of December to March. It’s the time when mammals go in a calving season and people will be able to see all the animals clearly. During the months of June to October, Tanzania experience blowing dusts and drought seasons. It can be very dangerous for travelers and guides to explore during these seasons because the dusts could easily get inside the ears, nose, eyes, throat, etc.

4 Classifications of a Safari

When you’re spending your holiday in Tanzania, you need to know where you will stay there. Here are 4 classifications of a safari accommodation:

Budget – It is the least expensive out of the four. Camping equipment should be carried or you can include it in your accommodations with a cook or cleaning service.
First Class – The expense is moderate. The stay is more comfortable because of hotels, restaurants and amenities. If you want more activities, you would need to pay more for you to enjoy them.
Deluxe – It is more expensive than the other two because it is more upscale. It has gourmet dining, you can travel in small groups and all meals and activities are included in the total cost.
Luxury – It is the most expensive of all. It focuses in self-pampering rather than travelling and exploring the wildlife. It includes golf courses; meals include liquors and wines, spa treatments and private butlers.

Choosing your Safari Guide

There are more or less 400 tour guides in safaris Tanzania and you would really have a hard time choosing one that would meet all your expectations. To make your decision easier, here is a simple guide for you to follow:

Use the internet to research about safari guides, look at their proposed itineraries, and compare their prices, read the reviews and recommendations.
Look at websites where they give summaries about travel guides and information about places to go.
Ask several safari companies for their brochures and pamphlets; compare the services that they offer.
Choose an itinerary that you liked.
Email the itineraries to the companies and ask for a complete price list of all your accommodation choices and their policies.
Inform the operators if you have any medical conditions that may affect your tour like allergies, heart conditions, motion sickness, etc.
Ask the safari companies about the extra details about your tour like the vehicle that will be used, the lodging, etc.
Ask the companies about other information of their business like how long have been they working in the industry.
Evaluate the companies and choose a company.

Modes of Transportation in a Safari

The wildlife has unique landscaping, that’s why it is important that you know what to expect about your travel while you’re there. The usual transportations in the safari are by the following:

4WD vehicles
Planes which have single engines
Buses like motor coach
Motorized boats
Non-motorized boats which includes kayaks or canoes
Minivans
Animals like elephants, camels or horses
Foot

Flying Safari: Its Pros and Cons

The pros of travelling with a flying safari are the following: no driving in a dusty, unpaved and potholed terrain, much lesser of a bone-crashing ride, lesser movement of side to side compared to 4WD cars and saves more time in touring the safari. The cons are: gives you lesser flexibility on the game drive sessions, you may share a vehicle with other travelers.

Things to Pack When Going to a Safari trip

When going to a safari trip, here is a list of the common things that you would need to bring with you:

Camera, batteries, memory cards and other tools for your photography
Zip lock bags to protect your belongings from dust or moisture
Flashlight
Hand sanitizer or anti-bacterial wipes
Insect repellent
Medical prescriptions
Suntan lotion, sunglasses, lip balm, hats
Pillow
Slippers
Bandana
Hard candies for your throat
Eye protection

Qualities that a Game Spotter Should Have

As a traveler, you would need to know what animals you are looking at and their characteristics. Make sure that when you’re going to travel, your guide should have the following qualities:

They should be willing to share information and their knowledge about the mammals, flying creatures and the overall environment of the place.
They should immediately identify and explain the characteristics of the animals that you will be seeing and compare them to other animals.
They should be able to distinguish a female animal from a male one.
They should also know where certain animals usually hide and their habits as unique specie.
If you want an animal for you to observe, they should be willing to take you to them.
Your game spotter should also know how certain animals mate and interact with each other.
Lastly, they should be able to explain to you the social structure of the animals that you are encountering. This may include the gestation period of the animal, do they travel by individuals or as a pack, is the head of the group a male or female, etc.

Tanzania is the east African country which is known for its state of the art beautiful wildlife. Though it is smaller than Egypt and of the same size as that of Nigeria, it is one of the richest wildlife areas in Africa which provides a lot of diversity. At least half of the area of Tanzania is reserved for wildlife and it is the main aspect that draws a huge population of tourists throughout the year. Tanzania is a country which every tourist vies to visit once they plan on visiting Africa and it is for the simple reason that Tanzania offers a life changing experience. From the mountains to the beaches to the plains to the lush vegetation to the wildlife- you get it all in a very small package named Tanzania. Only a complete and detailed tour of Tanzania can quench a traveller’s true thirst for beauty.

The main attractions in Tanzania have to be divided by the sectors if we want to get detailed information as to how to explore the place properly. If you want to undertake Tanzania tours and safaris through the wildlife areas then there are three main regions that you should visit-

The northern Tanzania wildlife parks

Northern Tanzania is the place which attracts the most number of tourists throughout the year. Northern Tanzania has the famous mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, along with the rich wildlife that can be found at its plains. So not only the tourists get the beautiful view of the mountain and can enjoy mountaineering, but can also enjoy roaming around the national parks. Some of the famous national parks of northern Tanzania are-

Ngoro Ngoro conservation area- This conservation area is made on a crater which was formed during the formation of the Great Rift Valley. It is one of the best places in the world which can awe and inspire you at the same time. This UNESCO heritage site as forests, lakes, waterfalls, hills, wildlife and what not. The conservation areas consist of animals such as those that are referred to as the `Big Five’ consisting of buffalo, elephant, leopards, lion, and rhino. It is also filled with other species of wildlife such as cheetah, hippo, hyena, jackal, reedbuck, waterbuck, wildebeest, and zebra and many other birds and insect species.
The Serengeti plains- The savannah grasslands are the oldest and one of the most popular wildlife parks of Tanzania if you want to engage in game viewing. Apart from the wide variety of mammals, you will get to see lizards and crocodiles as well in this national park. This is one of the best places to engage in safaris as they provide you with one of the truest and the most scintillating visions of the animal world. From grazing to migrating to preying, you get to see it all when you visit this grassland. One of the most exciting and unique feature of this grassland is that you can even get to experience a hot air balloon ride over here.

Southern Tanzania wildlife parks

Southern Tanzania also abounds in national parks such as those of-

Mikumi national park- This is one of the most beautiful national parks for wildlife in southern Tanzania. Located in the floodplains, the main attraction of this national park are the hippos, rhinos, antelopes and many other diverse varieties of wildlife. Other than that, you can also notice a great variety of birds such as those of lilac-breasted roller and yellow-throated long claw which are the locals. You can also view the migratory European birds in the summers as well. A safari through this floodplain is impossible to miss.
Selous game reserve- This is the largest national park in Africa, which accounts for about 6 % of Tanzania’s lands. You can get to view many kinds of mammals and birds in this game reserve and can hence undertake a lot of safaris. You get about three options of safaris here- walking safari, driving safari and also a river safari. Located on the banks of a river, this reserve has something more to offer other than just visual pleasure.

Tanzania tours and safaris do not only end here. As it is a country located on the east coast of Africa, you can also get to enjoy a lot of beaches too. Some of the exquisite beach holidays in Tanzania can be experience at the gorgeous beaches of the east coast.

Enjoy a beach vacation in Tanzania

Zanzibar beaches- The coastline of Zanzibar offers some of the best beaches in the entire Africa and you and you can easily enjoy a great vacation over here. Other than swimming and surfing, you can also observe the great marine reserve through snorkelling. The nearby area of stone town has many places of historical importance such as those of the slave caves and the prisons which make up for an exciting afternoon. There are also many nearby marine wildlife conservatories to explore.
Mafia island- Another fast becoming a popular beach in Tanzania, this one is custom made for the tourists who are tired after a day of safaris. It also is rich in coral and marine reserves and has a conservatory protecting the same. Mafia Island is one place that you will want to be if you are looking for some great beach holidays in Tanzania.

So go and visit Tanzania once in your lifetime and you will never regret the memories and the experiences that you will get there.