Why Tanzania is the perfect destination for a luxury family safari holiday

Why Tanzania is the perfect destination for a luxury family safari holiday

When planning a luxury family safari holiday, it’s important to know where on the vast African continent will be best to visit. In the second of our blog series on our favourite countries to visit for a luxury safari holiday with your family, we focus on Tanzania.

Tanzania luxury family safari holidays

We met in Tanzania, so we’re more than a little biased in our opinion of how incredible a destination it is. Both Tess and I have spent many years living and working in Tanzania (10 between us at last count), so we feel we are qualified to get you excited about arguably the most spectacular luxury family safari holiday destination in Africa.

Tanzania, more than any country is the quintessential home of the luxury safari holiday. From the bountiful north, to the more rugged south, the remote west, and the azure waters of the Zanzibar islands, the beauty of a luxury family safari holiday to Tanzania is the sheer amount of choice and diversity when it comes to planning.

Home to possibly the most famous wildlife epicentre on the planet, Seregenti National Park, Tanzania is blessed by geography, as many of the wildlife areas are easy to combine in a circuit. Which means, less hopping around and more time to enjoy the reasons you booked a luxury family safari holiday in the first place.

A classic ‘Northern circuit’ combines Serengeti National Park with Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire National Park. If you’re an especially active type of family, you can even include a hike up Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak.

Ngorongoro Crater has to be seen to be believed: an ancient volcano that collapsed in on itself millions of years ago, to form the world’s largest intact caldera. The bowl is now home to an abundance of wildlife who thrive in the symbiotic ecosystem supported by the rich, fertile, volcanic soil.

Lake Manyara National Park is often visited as a day-trip but we’d always recommend spending the night if you can, as the most interesting (and lesser-visited) areas are only accessible to overnight visitors. Unusually, the lions in this park climb trees and relax in the canopy, providing unique photo opportunities.

Tarangire National Park is the best place to be if you want to see BIG herds of elephants. The park is best visited in the dry season (June to October), when herbivores and carnivores from miles around flock to riverbed that dissects the park down the middle.

The greatest wildlife show on earth

You may already have heard of the Great Wildebeest Migration, the name given to the mega herds of wildebeest and zebra, over 1 million strong, that traverse the Serengeti throughout the year.

If dramatic river crossings are your cup of tea then we’ll plan your luxury family safari holiday to give you the best possible chance of witnessing this truly awe-inspiring spectacle between July and October. Many people don’t realise that the Great Migration can be viewed at any time of year and the less popular, but equally enthralling calving season of December to March is not to be missed.

Hidden gems

Often overlooked (mistakenly, in our humble opinion) by first-time visitors, the parks of Southern Tanzania, particularly Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) and Ruaha National Park, offer a phenomenal wildlife experience with a fraction of the visitors of the more famous northern parks.

Historically, difficult to access, these wilderness areas are now opening up with ever-improving transport links and a growing range of accommodation, which means many in the know are heading here before they become as popular as the north.

Furthermore, the topography of both Ruaha and Nyerere are unique within Tanzania and they perfectly complement each other. Our view is that a Southern Tanzania luxury family safari holiday is an experience not to be missed.

Azure waters and a diverse history

Finally, as with neighbouring Kenya, it couldn’t be easier to combine some time on the white sand beaches of the Swahili coast, in particular Zanzibar, which is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.

Not only will you be mesmerised by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and the impossibly bright sand, Zanzibar is home to a fascinating history and played a pivotal role in shaping the melting pot of cultures in this part of the world. A walk through the crumbling streets of Stone Town is akin to stepping back in time.

Furthermore, for those looking for more then just relaxing at the beach, there is so much to do to finish off your luxury safari holiday – SCUBA diving, snorkelling, swimming with whale sharks and dolphins, kite-surfing and deep sea fishing. If you head to the right places, you may even be lucky enough to see baby turtles hatching.

I lived in Zanzibar for five years, managing one of Africa’s top private islands, so it’s a destination very close to my heart. I’d love to share it with you.

We pride ourselves on designing unique family safari holidays and every trip is tailored with your individual brief in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of approach, then please get in touch with us here at Coral Tree and we’d love to get the ball rolling for you.

Author: Mike