5 Top Tips To Find Your Secret Tanzania

5 Top Tips To Find Your Secret Tanzania

Home of iconic destinations like the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Zanzibar, Tanzania provides some of the greatest game and beach experiences in Africa. However, one of the most frequent questions that our experts get asked by customers is “How do we avoid the big crowds in Tanzania?” Well, read our blog and you’ll discover exactly how to get off the beaten track and find your secret Tanzania.


1. Don’t follow the herds
The wildebeest migration follows an annual cycle seeking out the best grazing. They head to the north of the Serengeti between June and October and to the south from December to March. The Serengeti has fantastic resident wildlife even when the herds are elsewhere. So we recommend heading north in our Winter and south in our Summer. You’ll see a rich diversity of animals and few other people – game viewing at its very finest.



2.  Visit Selous and Ruaha
If you want to avoid the big crowds of Tanzania’s Northern safari circuit why not consider the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park, which form part of the less celebrated Southern safari circuit, a  route increasing in popularity, with seasoned safari goers who are looking for a more wild experience off the beaten track. The Selous is Africa's largest game reserve and has few lodges, and the low number of flights to Ruaha means that you will find far fewer visitors in these parks compared to those further north giving a true feeling of getting away from it all. The game viewing in both is extraordinary and the Selous in particular offers a fantastic variety of activities such as walking and boat trips, whilst Ruaha offers the chance for extended walking and fly camping safaris. Despite their isolated locations, both parks also offer a fantastic range of luxury accommodation to rival the choices in the more popular parks to the North.



3. Stay on a private reserve
Private reserves offer a more exclusive safari experience, where it is possible to escape the crowds and experience the true African wilderness. Only game viewing vehicles belonging to the lodges situated in the reserve are allowed to drive on the land and because you are outside the boundaries of the National Parks, the rules governing where and when you can drive are not applicable meaning the guides can drive off road in search of big cats, and night drives from the camp after dinner in search leopards hunting by moonlight. Many private reserves also have a rule that only 2 or 3 vehicles are allowed at any one wildlife sighting, so although you may have to wait your turn, it is definitely worth it as the animals tend to not get stressed and disappear off into the bush. In terms of accommodation, we would recommend Singita Sabora or Singita Sasakwa which are both located on the private Singita Grumeti Reserve in Northern Tanzania.



4. Stay on the east rim of the Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is both stunningly beautiful and a haven for all sorts of wildlife. The crater's open plains make game viewing relatively straightforward and the wide variety of wildlife make it an extremely rewarding experience. The majority of visitors to the crater descend into in the morning down the western ‘descent road’. They stay for the day and then exit on the southern ‘ascent road’ in the afternoon. We would recommend staying on the east of the Crater rim and following a traditional safari day with both a morning and afternoon game drive. Not only do you start and finish your drives in an area that has fewer visitors, but your timings also mean you avoid the busier times of day.



5. Hire your own private island
If you really want to get away from the crowds of Zanzibar and budget is no issue then why not hire your own private island. Thanda Island is located off the East coast of Tanzania and is one of the world’s most exclusive island getaways. Thanda consists of a five bedroom villa featuring everything you would want from an extravagant beach house, including an indoor aquarium, Steinway grand piano, wine collection, cigar humidor, glass rim-flow swimming pool and wrap-around dining area with an 180-degree view of the ocean. In addition to all these incredible amenities, looking after your every need on Thanda Island is a select team dedicated entirely to you, including your own Executive Chef, Hostess, Housekeeper and Boatman. Luxury at its finest.



If our blog has inspired you to discover Tanzania for yourself then get in touch with us on 020 7843 3500 and our experts can start planning your dream holiday to this incredible country today.