Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is built around a river that keeps running when the surrounding country dries out, so between June and October it concentrates elephant in numbers that rival anywhere in Africa. It is also the baobab park, and the landscape is nothing like the open Serengeti plains a few hours away. Most northern-circuit itineraries give it a single night, which is usually one night too few.

Best from June to October; in the green season much of the game disperses out of the park entirely. It is the closest of the northern parks to Arusha, which makes it the logical first or last stop rather than a detour.