Tanzania Safari Photo Essay
Images Showcasing Tanzania's Attractions, Inspiring Travel Enthusiasts Worldwide!
Here's a collection of my favorite snaps from our exciting safari trip in Tanzania. We managed to catch a glimpse of all the big five safari animals, explored verdant forests, hiked to a magnificent waterfall, and interacted with local tribes.
My wife Anna and I embarked on an unforgettable adventure in Tanzania last December, traveling with Soul Of Tanzania. Our journey commenced from the bustling town of Arusha, where we hopped onto a tiny plane and soared into the breathtaking Serengeti.
We spent a week traversing Africa's mesmerizing Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara, and Lake Eyasi, in a tough-as-nails Land Rover. During our excursion, we were fortunate enough to encounter all the elusive "Big Five" safari animals, journeyed through the savannah, into lush forests, an extinct volcanic crater, and along vast, shallow lakes.
Tanzania's wildlife and natural landscapes are as diverse as its people, and venturing into the Serengeti itself was a real treat, as it's the world's most famous National Park.
If you've ever dreamed about embarking on a safari in Tanzania, these images should provide a tantalizing peek into the experience!
1: Hues of Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park defies the Rift Valley's edge, drawing thousands of elegant, pink flamingos to its alkaline waters. The park's expanse encompasses a vast grassy floodplain and verdant forests beyond.
We stopped for lunch near some algae-streaked hot springs, boasting a boardwalk that stretched out over the lake. From this vantage point, you could watch the vast flocks of flamingos bend and graze in the water.
At times, they'd rise up in unison and take flight like a moving canvas of pink and black feathers. The sight was truly captivating!
Did you know that flamingos are actually grey in color? Their diet of brine shrimp and blue-green algae imbues them with their iconic pink hue. The alpha and beta carotenoids in their food provide the pink tint.
2: The Fiery Maasai People
An estimated 800,000 Maasai Mara dwell in Tanzania, many around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. I've longed to meet the Maasai, so we visited the village of Endyoi Nasiyi as we departed the Serengeti.
As their pastoral lifestyle becomes increasingly challenging, the Maasai are growing increasingly dependent on purchasing staples like sorghum, rice, potatoes, and cabbage. Tourist visits help provide the tribe with much-needed cash to make these purchases. Each village (boma) has a few college-educated and English-speaking members who can offer insight into their culture.
These village visits can feel a tad awkward, as it may seem like everyone is putting on a show. However, it's one of the scant ways the Maasai can earn a living while preserving their traditional way of life.
3: Lush Escapades in Materuni
Beyond the towering slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro lies a beautiful and impressive 150-meter-high waterfall named Materuni, hidden deep within the lush jungle. Local guides lead hikes to this enchanting locale, often in combination with a coffee tour.
The waterfall hike takes roughly an hour. Throughout the journey, we spotted vibrant chameleons and butterflies flitting amongst the foliage.
One can even swim beneath these powerful falls, though be warned – the water is incredibly cold! I took the plunge without a second thought, thriving on the sensation of being alive!
After our Materuni waterfall excursion, we learned how to create coffee from scratch with a group of Chagga boys, one of Tanzania's largest ethnic groups. Together, we separated the beans from their husks, roasted them over an open flame, and ground them into powder for brewing – all while singing to maintain a rhythm. The java we brewed was easily the freshest I've ever tasted!
4: Kings of Ngorongoro
The Ngorongoro Crater is a haven for wildlife, particularly lions. Tanzania is home to approximately one-third of the world's remaining lions.
We stumbled upon a pride of 8 East African lions idling beside the road, lazing in the sun and playing like oversized house felines.
Remarkably, a group of antelope was just 200 feet away, but the lions seemed disinterested. These lions were just a few of the many we encountered during our time in Tanzania, and the closest we managed to get to them.
5: The Four Seasons Serengeti Pool Party
With our honeymoon in Tanzania, we decided to indulge in some luxury by staying at the grandiose The Four Seasons Serengeti. In addition to being a plush safari lodge nestled in the heart of the world-renowned national park, the resort's location ensures a constant presence of wildlife.
While the lodge offers various wildlife sightings during their game drives, you may also spot waterbuck, monkeys, antelope, elephants, and the occasional leopard as you roam the property's raised walkways.
A popular watering hole situated beside the pool often attracts large elephant groups in search of a drink. It offers a once-in-a-lifetime hotel experience!
6: Tiny Wonders: The Dik-dik
Standing just over a foot tall, the Dik-dik might just be the cutest safari animal you'll encounter in Africa – and it's got quite the amusing name! These diminutive antelope boast long noses and large, expressive eyes.
They travel in pairs as opposed to herds, and the male Dik-diks may have horns, but the females are larger and wield the upper hand in their relationships.
These agile creatures are quite fast! It was entertaining to watch them dart off as our safari vehicle approached. Dik-diks are typically shy, preferring to hide from others most of the time.
When startled, they launch into a series of zigzag leaps and utter "zik-zik" – hence their funny name. They also mark their territory using "tears" that drip from the unique black spot in the corner of their eyes.
7: The Sunset Serenade of Lake Eyasi
We spent a night by the shores of Lake Eyasi, a sizable salt lake nestled within the Fertile Great Rift Valley. Our accommodations at Kisima Ngeda Tent Camp provided the opportunity to embark on a hike to the cliffs overlooking the lake, offering a picturesque view of the region.
The scenery surrounding Lake Eyasi feels distinctly different from the arid grasslands we traversed prior to this enclave. It's lush and tropical, with tall palm trees housing a chorus of screeching birds.
Animal life is less dense in this locality, but visitors flock here primarily to meet with the local Hadza and Datoga tribes, eager to witness their ancient hunting and blacksmithing abilities in person.
I hiked to a high vantage point to witness the sunset over the largely dry lake. During the wet season, the lake can expand considerably and attract groups of cooling-off hippos in the saline waters.
8: Hunting with the Hadzabe
The Hadza Bushmen are among the last true hunter-gatherer tribes remaining in the world. Approximately 800 of them live semi-nomadically in the dry woodlands of remote Lake Eyasi, surviving on wild game, berries, and root vegetables.
We woke early to visit a Hadza encampment, learn about their culture, and participate in their hunting exercises using primitive bows and poisoned arrowheads.
The story of the Hadza is both compelling and tragic. Their land has been gradually taken away from them by commercial agriculture, the government, and wealthy Arab trophy hunters. Their traditional way of life, which persisted unchanged for thousands of years, is under threat.
Like the Maasai, some Hadza have turned to tourism to support their families, with limited other options available. Efforts to relocate them to more modern farming communities have largely failed.
9: Grubby Hippopotamus
Anna developed a fondness for hippopotamuses during our journey, so it was essential that we encountered them at least once! Luckily, she caught her fill of these massive, mucky water pigs in the Serengeti and at Lake Manyara.
Admittedly, they aren't pigs but rather aquatic mammals. However, they do share a bad habit of belching, snorting, and forcefully expelling explosive diarrhea. They are Africa's deadliest animal, claiming an estimated 500 lives each year.
Their territory can be quite vast, and they can run surprisingly fast for their size – close to 30 miles per hour! I've experienced up-close encounters with them before, while kayaking in South Africa, and the sensation was more than a little unnerving. While it's enjoyable to watch them prance about in the water and spread terror, always maintain a keen awareness of your surroundings.
10: Stealthy Tigers of Tanzania
The one animal I desperaely yearned to see in Tanzania was the leopard. Spotting leopards can be a bit of a challenge at times, which is why they're often referred to as Africa's most elusive big cat.
We traversed the Serengeti's Seronera River Valley, one of the top places to find leopards in the wilderness. After some perseverance, we laid eyes on four different leopards perched atop yellow-barked acacia trees.
My personal highlight was at Lake Manyara National Park, as we drove down one of the dusty roads. A baby leopard suddenly appeared on the brush's edge, about 50 feet away.
The leopard hesitated for a moment before vanishing back into the trees. However, it didn't disappear before I snapped the picture above. We continued our search for its mother, but alas, never found her.
11: The Steely Datoga People
Residing within the Rift Valley is the Datoga people. Originating from the Ethiopian highlands 3,000 years ago, this ancient tribe moved south into what is now Kenya and Tanzania.
The Datoga are skilled blacksmiths, forging arrows, bracelets, and knives from aluminum and brass over open fires. They barter these goods with their Hadza neighbors in exchange for meat, honey, and animal hides.
We visited with Narajah (pictured above) and gained insights into her family and culture. Narajah is just one of her husband's seven wives. Each has her own dwelling to raise her children.
Apparently, Narajah's husband gave her ten cows as a marriage gift. When Anna inquired about the number of cows I offered, she wasn't particularly impressed by learning all she received was a cat! Seems I'm cheap...
A prevalent body modification among women in the tribe involves tatooing circular patterns around the eyes. These tattoos help identify who belongs to a specific family and, more broadly, the Datoga ethnic group.
12: Magical Baobab Trees
Hyperbole aside, baobab trees are truly incredible. I'd heard about these ancient giants for years, never suspecting any grew in Tanzania. I'd assumed they only populated Madagascar.
Remarkably, there are actually eight species of baobab scattered around the world. The largest is Adansonia digitata, which can grow up to 30 meters tall in Tanzania. I believe baobabs are among Africa's most iconic trees.
These trees change size depending on the season, as they can hold up to 100,000 liters of water within their trunks.
In times of scarcity, hollowed-out baobab trunks serve as shelter for the Hadza Bushmen, accommodating up to 30 people!
13: Angry Blue Monkeys
Blue monkeys aren't truly blue, rather taking on a more olive or grey hue. They primarily reside in the forest canopy, feeding on fruits, figs, insects, leaves, twigs, and flowers.
We stumbled upon a group in the trees on the edge of Lake Manyara National Park, emitting calls to one another. Some families may consist of up to 40 members, primarily females, with one dominant male leader.
Other monkeys we encountered in Tanzania include vervet monkeys, baboons, and the black-and-white colobus. Behold those teeth! I wouldn't want to get too near, even though they prefer eating fruit.
14: Buffalo vs. Land Rover
I adore this shot at Lake Manyara. An aged Cape Buffalo stands resolute against a Land Rover, each awaiting the other's move.
Buffalo are quite successful in Africa due to their omnivorous diet. We observed hundreds of them during a week's worth of safari drives across Tanzania. They grazed peacefully on grasses or lounged in the mud.
However, they can become aggressive towards vehicles, charging them if they feel threatened. They have also been known to gore hunters following a wounding.
Buffalo herds stick together, and when attacked by predators, they will sometimes return to defend one of their own. They have no fear of engaging in combat with lions and incline to kill lion cubs in a preemptive measure.
15: The Endangered Black Rhino
The final of the big five animals we aspired to see in Tanzania resided within Ngorongoro Crater. The black rhinoceros is critically endangered, with only about 5,500 remaining globally.
Ngorongoro hosts approximately 26 of them, and since these enigmatic animals are at the top of everyone's sighting list, safari guides communicate with one another via radio for updates on recent sightings.
Although we couldn't venture off-road near the rhinos due to vehicle regulations within the crater, we did manage to spot a single rhino walking in the distance.
The poaching of these creatures for their horns remains a problem, though conservation efforts and security have improved in recent years.
1: Traveling through diverse landscapes, we found Lake Manyara National Park to be a marvel in Tanzania, with its alkaline waters attracting thousands of pink flamingos and verdant forests beyond.
2: In pursuit of learning about the local Maasai culture, our village visit at Endyoi Nasiyi offered insights into their pastoral lifestyle and struggles, while also providing valuable earnings through tourist visits.
