Walking Safari Tanzania

1. Walking safaris in Tanzania

You can explore the spectacular wilderness areas on foot with a company of the maasai warriors or the park ranger guide. This activity costs $5-$15 per person. The activity is available in and around most Tanzania national parks, these include; Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Mara River within the Northern Serengeti, Tarangire National Park, Mbalageti River with in the western Serengeti and the Empakaai crater. This activity takes 1-3 hours and can be half day, full day or multi day.

After many days in the vehicle, most of the people find it refreshing to get out for a walk even for 1 hour. There is a variety of walking safaris in Tanzania that are available and these can be adjusted to match with your interest. In Lake Manyara, you can enjoy a short walk on the edge of the great Rift valley with the beautiful views of the lake and the parks below or you can get chance to move through the dense ground water forests as you view the birds, monkeys, bush buck and many other forest animals.

At Ngorongoro crater, you will take a round trip hike, starting and ending at the Serena reception. You will enjoy a three house walk with the Masai warrior and a safari guide and also learn more about this culture and the Ngorongoro wildlife. You can choose an alternative 1 hour walk around the serena Ngorongoro safari lodge. The hike is carried out on a well maintained trail with stunning views of the crater floor. The guide will explain the interesting facts about nature.

You can also take more rigorous day long walks into the Olmoti crater. From the rim, you will see many maasai Bomas villages that are tucked away in different corners of the crater. You can descend into the crater and if want, you take a refreshing shower in the spectacular waterfall that pours through a notch within the rim.

Walking Safaris Tanzania – The Background

You will experience a unique sight, smell and the sounds of Africa that are unconstrained by the vehicle. You will immerse yourself into the subtle which is a beautiful detail of the wild place. You learn to recognize the different plants that form the bottom level of the food chain. You will watch curiously as a dung beetle that recycles waste from the plains or take a minute to see a butterflying or hummingbird that moves from flower to flower. You will learn about the ancient medicinal plants that have been used for many years to cure many ailments.

On foot, you can take notice of the things that are passed quickly while driving. Walking in the bush can be the highlight of your safari as you track the animal footprints, game viewing and also learn about the ecology and culture from the maasai warriors or the park ranger guide.

• Mara River:

You can view crocodiles and hippos on a 30 minute walk along the banks of the River in the remote reaches of the northern Serengeti. This is also one of the favourite walks and it provides an opportunity for great game viewing on foot as you are surrounded by one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the Serengeti. With luck, you might witness the famous wildebeest crossing. In case you stay at Migration tented lodge, calabash tented lodge and the lobo Wildlife lodge, and you can enjoy the walking safari along Mara River.

• Mbalageti River:

You can also cross the Mbalageti river swing bridge for 1.5 hour walking safari from the Mbalageti tented Lodge. This walk starts from the lodge and ends down the Mwamneyi hill to the Dutwa plains. This is a short crossing across the Dutwa plains in order to get the Mbalegeti River, which is enclosed within the thick canopy of the gallery forest. Bird life here is so amazing by the river and it feels like being with in the rain forest. Immediately after crossing the bridge, refreshments are offered before you embark on the return route back to the lodge. The walk is a great experience year round and a night at Mbalageti tented lodge is required.

• The Olduvai Gorge & the Maasai Boma

You walk through the southern Serengeti plains that is near the Olduvai Gorge that is in the company of the massai warrior. This is a special safari walk that takes 1 hour to complete and includes a tour to the local maasai  Boma village and also have an optional visit to the olduvai Gorge Museum. You can take your time on the walk as you track the foot prints and also enjoy the scenery and wildlife. The maasai guide will try to explain many things about the bush and culture. In the dry season, you can have a good chance to encounter the giraffes and the grant’s gazelles. In the green season, the migratory animals might be seen including the zebras, wildebeests and the Thomson’s gazelles.

• Tarangire national park

You can encounter big game on foot including the elephants, giraffes on a walking safari throughout Tarangire National Park. One of the highlight in this park is a walking safari which is an opportunity of viewing the rare and beautiful lesser kudu antelope. The kudus are so notoriously shy and can hide at the sound of the vehicle. Walking safaris produce frequent sightings of the elegant antelope as one changes the thick bush habitat where they live. The walking safaris can be conducted year round from the tarangire treetops lodge, Oliver’s tented lodge, and Kikoti Tented Lodge. Each of the lodges has got a house guide that we can arrange to lead a walking tour in the park.

• Angata Kiti

You can walk through a beautiful valley with in the remote areas of the eastern Serengeti plains. The Angata kiti is a small valley which passes through the ancient Gol Mountains. The Nasera Rock which I s a huge granite monolith marks the main entrance to Angata Kiti walk and makes an ideal starting point for the 2 to 4 hour walking tour. This walk is an amazing adventure and is perhaps the favourite walking safari. You will view spectacular wildlife during the green season and the main goal of this walk is to witness the great wildebeest migration on foot. Due to the remote location, you will have an overstay at the nearby Nasera Rock Private Luxury camp. Another thing to note is that, these eastern plains, receive the least amount of rain fall in the entire ecosystem.  The small amounts of rain are combined with the shallow soil base that allows water to dry quickly making wildlife viewing unpredictable at times. The activity is only recommended during the green season.

• The Okarien Gorge

You will hike through the massive cliff gorge which is the lowest nesting site of the Ruppell’s Griffon vulture. These vultures are the cliff nesters and breed once one chick per year in March when the great wildebeest migration is located within the immediate area. It’s so fascinating to watch the vultures soaring overhead as you walk through the gorge. The walking safari at Olkarien Gorge provides an opportunity for the interactions with the Maasai who bring their cattle to drink at the base of the gorge. The gorge also rests at the eastern edge of the Gol Mountains and is only recommended to be visited in the green season.

• The Empakaai Crater

This is also the most adventurous walk and takes a full day hike to the floor of the crater, which is 4 miles wide. These steep walls of this caldera go above the crater floor and are approximately 1,000 ft. the trail in to this crater leads from the eastern rim down through the forest to the Empakaai’s floor as well as the lake that is home to flamingos. You can be on look for the buffalos, rare bushbuck, and blue monkeys as you come down through the lush green forest. There are also beautiful and the colourful birds   like the Turacos and the sun birds that might be seen in the forest. You will require two nights in Sopa Ngorongoro Lodge to facilitate this full day Hike.

Bush Dinners and Breakfast

You will enjoy this bush dinner and the breakfast and it will make your safari so unique and interesting. It’s located within the scenic spot, and most of the bush meals feature fish, meat which is cooked on the spot as well as lots of fruits, and salads. There will also be a safari bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. There is always presentation of the highest quality and in case the meal is needed in the evening, there is always a campfire and the hurricane lanterns provided. Some lodges also provide entertainment in form of dancing or music. Come and dine in the wild and taste safari wilderness life at its best quality.

Some of the accommodation facilities that can arrange bush dinners and breakfast include;

• Ikomo Bush camp in Serengeti national park
• Kijereshi tented camp in Serengeti national park
• Arusha Mountain Village lodge- Arusha
• Lake Manyara Serena lodge- lake Manyara national park
• Kirawira Luxury tented Camp in Serengeti national park
• Mbalageti Serengeti camp in Serengeti national park
• Lake Manyara tree lodge in lake Manyara national park
• Mbuzi Mawe tented camp in Serengeti national park
• Migration camp in Serengeti national park
• Serengeti Four seasons Bilila Lodge
• Serengeti Serena Lodge in Serengeti national Park