Tanzania Walking Safaris
Tanzania Walking Tours in the National Parks have to abide by the strict rules laid out by TANAPA (Tanzanian National Park Authorities) these rules have been put in place to make walking as safe as possible. No more than six guests are able to go on a walk at any one time and they must be accompanied by at least one TANAPA qualified armed ranger, who must stick to specific walking routes. These regulations are however relatively new to Tanzania’s national parks; and so we would only recommend walking from camps that we know have a consistent record for reliably good walking safaris, and well established guides.
Tanzania’s Game Reserves are run by a slightly more relaxed organization called the Game Division whose regulations are less clear – this has created a disparity in walking safari standards. Walking Safaris are hugely dependent on how experienced and knowledgeable the guide is – they can therefore be a bit hit-and-miss. All of our recommended Camps use their own highly qualified guides who stick to rules, which have been set by their specific camp – these walking safaris are very good. So do
Walking safaris in Tanzania are about the authentic eminence of your game-watching experience. Depending on the fitness of the individual and the nature of the terrain, a bush walk can be a gentle amble for around one to two hours to half a day, immersing yourself in the natural world, or it can be a more demanding adventure during fly camping expeditions lasting multiple days, in which you confront yourself and achieve a specific target. The key to a successful African walking safari is being in the presence of a specialist walking guide and also in a strategic game walk location, and not any other but also the realistic assessment of your own capabilities including your open-mindedness of safety and dangers being out in the wild on foot. It is far better to enjoy an experience well within your capabilities than to subject yourself to an ordeal that may detract from the overall quality of your Tanzanian wilderness vacation. The prime reason to walk on safari is to become one with the landscape and the wildlife, disturbing it as little as possible, and becoming just another animal, alert and aware of every nuance of wilderness: sight, sound, texture and smell. Guided walking safaris close to most luxury, deluxe and value accommodations enable you to become familiar with ambient wildlife, birds, insects, plants, and larger animals from their scat, footprints and reverberations. Walks can be best taken in the early morning as life begins to stir. Botanical walks, elephant caves visits, bird watching or butterfly expeditions are available at specialized locations, such as Gibb’s Farm in the Ngorongoro Highlands.
The northern parks, Serengeti and Tarangire, are accessible on foot only to certain specialized camp operators who must take experienced walking guides and an armed park ranger. The Great Migration can be observed from rocky kopjes rising above the plain, but it is never advisable to get close to wild animals which are easily spooked. You may walk only on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater with its montane forest and fantastic views amidst resident highlands game. The Rift Valley Escarpment, including Mount Meru and Ol Doinyo Lengai, offers demanding and rewarding treks to mountain ridges, soda lakes and magma craters in breath-taking wild beauty. Lake Manyara has superlative birding experience. Take a cultural walking tour with Hadzabe bushmen around Lake Eyasi, or with the Maasai in their northern Tanzania homelands. A Mount Kilimanjaro climbing trip presents a choice of tropical forest walks of varying lengths and difficulty, or several days of acclimatization and trekking to its snow-crowned peak — Uhuru. Further south and west of Tanzania, dry season walking tours are permitted in remote locations such as Selous, Ruaha and Katavi, with fly camping from Jongomero. From December to March, bird watching is fantastic. In Mahale and Gombe Parks, mountain-side hikes of several hours may be undertaken in search of chimpanzees and other primates. Whatever your choice, AfricanMecca Safaris can organize your Tanzanian walking vacation of your dreams based on your preference, comfort and safety threshold.
Walking safaris in the Selous are permitted for those over the age of 16, and morning walks from Lake Manze last around two hours. The guide will explain tracks and droppings, while pointing out the smaller insects and plants to you
Chada Fly Camping
Walking safaris are usually integral to fly-camping trips – and both combined give a really great sense of this amazing wilderness area
