Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is a two-hour drive from Arusha and is often the first stop on a northern safari. Ancient baobab trees dot the hills, and in the dry season hundreds of elephants gather along the Tarangire River, the only permanent water in the area.

Giraffe, zebra, buffalo, lion and more than 500 bird species are found here, and the park is noticeably quieter than the Serengeti.