Firstly, we love Tanzania as a first-timer’s safari destination. Most people going on safari for the first time are excited about the incredible wildlife they hope to encounter during their trip. Tanzania and parts of Kenya are great first-time destinations because of the high density of wildlife available, especially during the incredible Great Migration, where over two million wildebeest venture from the south of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, all the way up to the Masai Mara in Kenya! Depending on the time of year you plan on visiting, you’ll want to be in different parts of the Serengeti and Masai Mara:

During February and March, the herd can be found in the Ndutu Plains in the south of the Serengeti National park, where they give birth to their young. As April and May roll along, the migration moves through the central Grumeti region of the park. These months are marked by the rainy season though, so be careful when planning around this time of year.

June sees the herd crossing the mighty Grumeti river, battling strong currents and many crocodiles who lie in wait. During July and August, you’ll need to be in the north of the Serengeti to see the herds. Towards the end of these months, the millions of wildebeest will cross the Mara river and make their way into Kenya’s Masai Mara. Here, they’ll find good grazing throughout September and October, before they’ll begin the long journey back, this time on a steady trail along the eastern strip of the parks, during November. Finally, the herd will complete the trip to end up back in the south of the Serengeti for December and January.

Witnessing the sheer size of the migration is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one you won’t ever forget, so we definitely recommend including the Serengeti in your Tanzania safari. But a Tanzanian safari does not end in the Serengeti. There are many other parks packed with wildlife waiting for you to explore!

Also in northern Tanzania along with the Serengeti, there’s Lake Manyara National Park, a small reserve located in the Great Rift Valley. The park is known for incredible elephant, buffalo, and leopard sightings, as well as the famous lions that seem to imitate leopards by climbing trees! Next to Manyara is Tarangire National Park, easily accessible from Arusha. This reserve has good sightings of cheetah, lions, and leopards. Also in the vicinity, is the Ngorongoro Crater National Park. A volcanic eruption 2 million years ago created the 20km crater, where all the action happens. It’s home to Africa’s “Big Five”, and because the ecosystem is so concentrated, the chances of sightings here are excellent!

More south in Tanzania, you’ll find Nyerere, Ruaha, Katavi, and Mahale Mountains National Parks. These parks are all less popular than their northern cousins, but we feel that this is what Africa is all about. The best wildlife sightings are the ones you don’t have to share with a crowd of people, and these parks provide the privacy that you may not find elsewhere without paying highly for it. Nyerere offers excellent wild dog sightings; Ruaha is great for walking safaris through Baobab dotted plains; Katavi is known for huge pods of hippos, sometimes numbering in the thousands, that squeeze into small pools during the dry season; and the Mahale Mountains is where you’ll find some of the best chimpanzee tracking in the world.

Another reason we love Tanzania for a first-time safari is that it’s so easy to combine your safari with some rest and relaxation at the beach. The islands off Tanzania’s coast offer pristine beaches and beautiful coral reefs, ideal for catching your breath after the excitement of your safari. There’s Zanzibar, the most well-known and developed of the islands; Pemba, more secluded and private, as well as Mafia and Fanjove, both seemingly untouched by humans and busy tourism. From the parks of the mainland, these islands are easily accessible via plane, meaning there aren’t too many connecting flights to concern yourself with, and because the islands are part of Tanzania, you don’t need to worry about additional visas either!

We recommend combining two or three different safari locations during your trip, before making your way to the islands for some much-needed relaxation. Tanzania is perfect for this. Internal flights are simple, and everything is relatively close!