Tarangire National Park is a one and half hour drive from Arusha making it very popular for day trips. Tarangire is a park of giant baobab trees, rolling savannah and acacia parkland. It is famous for its dense wildlife population, which is most spectacular in dry season between June and September. It is during this period that thousands of animals- wildebeest, zebra, eland, hartebeest, waterbuck, giraffe, impala, gerenuk, buffalo and oryx migrate from dry Maasai steppe to Tarangire River in search of water. The predators -lion, leopard and others- as is custom in savanna follow closely by. If lucky, you will spot peculiar tree-climbing python, kudu and roan antelope, a rare experience in northern safari circuit. Birds are also abundant here and over 550 species have been recorded.

Serengeti National Park is Africa's most famous wildlife sanctuary and Tanzania's largest national park. The park is located 6 hours by road from Arusha or one hour by air. It lies in a high plateau between Ngorongoro highlands and Kenya/Tanzania border and almost touches Lake Victoria in west. Appropriately named "endless plains" by Maasai people, it features short and long grass plains, acacia savanna and woodland in parts of north and east.

Within its 15,000 sq km area, Serengeti hosts 3 million large mammals. More than 35 species of plain animals- zebra, wildebeest, eland, giraffe, and others are found here. And so for big five: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino. The park is staging-zone for one most spectacular events in natural world-the annual migration of wildebeest. This commences around June when over 1 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle head for Maasai Mara in Kenya in search of pasture. Following on their heels are predators of savanna- lion, cheetah, wild dog, jackal, hyena and vultures.

If you can spare money, viewing migration afloat a balloon is an unforgettable experience. The best time to view game is from December to May when grass is short. Avoid late June-October, when most of animals will have evacuated with migration and are best seen in adjacent Maasai Mara in Kenya. The keen ornithologist will have a good time trying to sight 500 species of birds on record.

Camping sites can be found in Ngorongoro Conservation Area and all national parks of northern circuit. Facilities are pretty basic and this is where budget travelers prefer to spend their safari nights. If you can afford it, overnight at luxury safari lodges and tented camps. In this class of accommodation expect to find all creature comforts associated with rated accommodation. You can check online some of Tanzania hotels and lodges available for your safari.

It is generally recommended to take an escorted Tanzania safari package that includes transport, guide, park fees and accommodation. Tour guides have valuable local knowledge about animals, where to find them and how to get where you are going. But if you know country well and have good knowledge of animals, then self-drive car rental in Tanzania is an option.

The relatively high elevation in northern Tanzania means that it never gets too hot. Indeed nights and early mornings can be quite chilly. You are well advised to take along a heavy sweater and a windbreaker or jacket. Expect temperatures to average from 15°C in May to August and 22°C over December to March. The weather is best between June and September, but do not bet on seeing any animals in Serengeti. For a safari covering all parks of northern Tanzania, September to March is a good time. But remember that some of other parks in region offer nearly year round game viewing opportunities. April and May can be a challenging period for doing a safari for it is when weather is at its rainiest.

On safari, bright coloured clothing may get you in trouble with wild animals. If you are wise you will pack brown, beige and khaki clothing. Short sleeve shirts, shorts and trousers for men are adequate. For ladies, short sleeve blouses, slacks and skirts are ideal. Though northern region is well outside predominantly Muslim coast areas and ladies do not have to dress too conservatively, modest attire is still a good idea. Remember to bring along a pair of sunglasses to shield you from sometimes harsh tropical glare. Binoculars will come in very handy for spotting animals.

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The best place to see wildlife in Okavango is within spectacular Moremi Wildlife Reserve. The reserve lies in centre of delta and occupies 3,000 square kilometres. In Moremi you view game aboard a vehicle or by gliding on a makoro (dugout canoe) or other type of canoe. Accommodation is available in camps and lodges within delta area. In Moremi itself, you can stay in tented campsites but no permanent camps or lodges are allowed.

If you are interested culture, take a break at Chief's Island, largest in delta, and see ancient rock paintings. The painting were presumably executed by artistically inclined fore bearers on San people. The Okavango Delta should be avoided in summer, especially December to March, when most of camps are closed down. At that time, it is very hot and humid- temperatures rise above 38°C, and thunderstorms unleash daily. You enter Okavango through Maun - deltas' principal town, by flying or taking a bus from Gaborone, 600 km away.

Visitors to either Chobe or Okavango may wish to add on a visit to Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is actually in Zimbabwe but is easily accessible from northern part of Botswana. Victoria Falls is one of most spectacular waterfalls in world and one of Africa's prime attractions. Situated on border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, falls occur where steadily flowing Zambezi River, unwarned, casually approaches and then suddenly plunges down a series of basalt gorges in a breathtaking display of several waterfalls. Mist and thunder emanating from falls can be witnessed from far off.

The spray from falls sustains rain forest on opposite wall of basalt and creates an almost constant rainbow visible even by light of moon. The falls are best seen from air, thus activities such as helicopter flights, balloon rides and micro-lighting over falls are a must do. Other exciting activities available are bungee jumping off bridge - which also gives a spectacular view down gorge, canoeing, white water rafting, river safaris, elephant back safaris and many more.

Adventure seekers, who travel not merely to convenient places, may wish to check out Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The shallow saltpans cover about 6,500 square kilometres and rank among largest in world. The atmosphere here is admittedly surreal, with shimmering mirages in a vast open terrain broken only by a few baobab trees. Bird watchers in particular will be intrigued at unusual environment as they watch numerous flamingos and pelicans. The pans occupy area between Francistown (410 km north east of Gaborone) and Okavango Delta. There is plenty of wildlife, in Makgadikgadi National Park, but not as much as Chobe- so this will not be your only reason for coming here.

Botswana is site of a unique wildlife conservation initiative in Southern Africa- concept of cross border parks. The initiative is anchored on common sense observation that wildlife does not recognise international borders. Successful conservation efforts in an area bordering another country can be reduced to naught if neighbouring countries do not collaborate. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a combination of two parks -the former Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa.

Covering over 36,000 sq km, Kgalagadi is one of biggest wildlife conservation areas anywhere in world. Botswana contributes about 75% of park in southern Kalahari Desert. The park is a unique conservation area for it allows large-scale wildlife migratory movements that were once common in savanna grasslands of Africa, but are sadly not possible any more. The appeal of harsh beauty of Kalahari aside, scientists are extremely curious to find out secret story of flora and fauna that has adapted to what appears to be a very difficult environment.

For ordinary folks, park is host to famous black-maned Kalahari lions. You will also see gemsbok, springbok, eland, blue wildebeest, cheetahs, wild dogs, jackals, bat-eared foxes and leopards. Birding is also excellent and of 297 species recorded, 96 are resident. It is difficult to get to Kgalagadi. From Gaborone, you drive for 860 km, of which 550 km is tarred and rest gravel. Being a cross border park, you can also access it through South Africa. The park has no permanent tented campsites and on safari you must bring in everything you need.

The dry season, especially between April and October, is best time to visit Botswana on safari. It is then easy to spot wildlife gathered near water sources. The rains come over southern summer months of November to March. The roads are then difficult to use and with abundance of water and pasture, animals tend to scatter. Early morning and night temperatures in winter (May to August) can drop below freezing, especially in southwest. But days are then cool to warm. The summer experiences high daytime temperatures of up to 38°C. The cloud cover, though, and rains tend to cool things a little bit. Beware that August is very dry and dust and sand storms tends to rise from west.

Remember to pack a pair of binoculars- they bring animals closer without usual risks. A pair of decent sunglasses is a good idea, especially if you travel to Kalahari, where glare can be somewhat unsettling. Also pack photographic and video equipment to record your safari for sake of those of your unlucky friends who may not have been to Botswana. On safari, you are advised not to wear white or bright clothing to avoid exciting animals. Light cottons and linens are adequate for summer. To survive winter mornings and evenings, you need warmer wraps and sweaters. Women should avoid wearing scanty beachwear in rural areas away from hotels and campsites to avoid offending locals.

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