This Royal tour was first carried out by an American journalist called Peter Green berg and, on this tour, he traveled along with Samia Suluhu Hassan the president of Tanzania to different destinations such as Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Mt. Kilimanjaro and through the Serengeti showcasing the history, culture, environment, food, music of Tanzania.

The Tanzania Royal Tour documentary by President SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN is the one of the best documentaries that shows true culture of Tanzania and opens the door to tourism, enjoyment and joyful make the Tanzanians and Tanzania to be known with its culture, beautiful creatures and land.

The Royal Tour, Tanzania’s official tourism campaign was launched after a trip that President Samia Suluhu took to the US. A documentary by the same name was launched to publicize the country’s tourism and investment opportunities.

The tourism campaign idea was mooted by Tanzanians living in the US. They suggested it to revamp the country’s tourism sector after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Royal Tour highlights Kilimanjaro National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti and Mkomazi nature reserves, Manyara and Arusha the gems of the northern tourist circuit, Indian Ocean beaches, and the cultural and historical heritage found in Bagamoyo and Zanzibar for southern tourist circuit.

The Northern Circuit is known for Tanzania’s most world-famous parks including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro National Park, Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Game Park, Arusha National Game Park, Olduvai Gorge and Mkomazi National Park and below are some of the destinations in the north that were visited by an American journalist Peter Green berg.

Serengeti National Game Park. It is one of the world’s most iconic wildlife conservation areas in Tanzania. The is endowed with a lot of wildlife like the “Big Five” such as Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Leopards and Cape Buffalo and all these can be seen while on a migration safari and game drive in all the sectors.

The terrain of the park varies from long and short grasslands, open plains in the south, acacia savanna in the central area, hilly, more densely wooded landscapes in the northern section and extensive woodland and black clay plains, dominated by the central ranges of mountains in the western corridor. The plains are dotted with rocky outcrops known as “Kopjes” and there are several rivers running through the park notably the Seronera river in the central area, the Grumeti river in the Western corridor and the Mara River in the north. The variety of landscapes keep you constantly in awe.

The birds of the Serengeti are just as spectacular and varied as are the larger animals. There are several types of eagles and vultures, ostrich, secretary birds, Kori bustards, horn bills, guinea fowl as well as a host of smaller birds. There have been almost 500 species of birds recorded in the park including several that migrate from Europe and Asia in the winter months.

Wildlife in Serengeti include large herds of antelopes such as Patterson’s eland, Klipspringer, Dik – dik, impala, gazelles, water-buck, bush-buck and reed-buck, Topis, kongoni, cotton’s oribi, grey bush dicker, roan antelope buffalo and wildebeests. Carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetah, hyena, bat eared fox, hunting dog and jackal. Smaller mammals include spring hare, porcupine, warthog, Hyrax, baboon, vervet monkey, Colobus monkey, patas monkey and mongooses. Larger mammals include herds of giraffes, rhinos, elephants, hippos among others. Reptiles include crocodiles, a number of species of snakes and lizards.

The park has a wide range of activities to be done from Game viewing, Balloon safaris, Birding, Wildebeest migration viewing among others.

While at the magnificent and beautiful Serengeti national Park, your comfort, relaxation and enjoyment will be taken care of at the following lodges; Serengeti Sopa lodge, Soroi Serengeti camp, Serians Serengeti camp, Seronera wildlife lodge, Serengeti Mawe tented camp, Serengeti heritage tented camp, Serengeti Halisi camp, Singita Mara river camp, Robanda tented camp, Mapito tented camp, Lobo wildlife lodge, Lake Masek tented camp among others.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located in Ngorongoro district. With an area of 8292 square kilometers, the area is a home to over 25000 animals and 550 bird species.

The entire Ngorongoro conservation area was part of Serengeti National Park before becoming a separate reserve in 1959.

The Ngorongoro conservation area contain 9 craters that’s to say Keramasi, Empakaai, Lolmalasin, Losirua, Olmoti, Ngorongoro, Oldean, Loroklukunya, Sadiman and Makaruti. The Ngorongoro Conservation’s main feature is Ngorongoro crater and it is the largest caldera in the world.

The Ngorongoro conservation area also protects the Olduvai Gorge in the plains. This where the first known specimens of human genus were discovered. Some of the most interesting features in this conservation area include; Ngorongoro crater, Olduvai Gorge and Lake Magadi.

It is estimated that over 24,000 large mammals live in the Ngorongoro Crater. They include water bucks, African leopards, black rhinos, buffaloes, cheetahs, crocodiles, East African wild dogs, elands, grant’s gazelle, zebra, hippopotamus, impala, lions, oribi, Thomson’s gazelles, topi and wildebeest. The big five include lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and the rhinos. The black rhinos in Ngorongoro Conservation Area are quite unique.

Some of the bird species include; Flamingos, pelicans, heroes, ibises, ostriches, crown cranes, Kori bustards, secretary birds, hammerkops and European strain vultures.

Some of the tourist activities that one can engage in while in Ngorongoro Conservation Area include game drives, walking safaris, cultural tours, bird watching, Olduvai visit among others.

Accommodation in Ngorongoro Conservation Area include; The Manor at Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Lodge Meliá Collection, Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge, Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge, Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp, Kitela Lodge, Ngorongoro Kuhama Camp, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge among others.

Lake Manyara National Game Park. Lake Manyara National Park is an attractive and amazingly diverse park for its size of 325 square kilometers. The park is well known for the drama of its terrain, quickly changing from a shallow soda lake covered in flamingos to acacia woodland housing large concentrations of baboons’ troops, giraffe and elephant herds and a birding paradise for than 400 bird species to the Great Rift Valley escarpment with its famous tree-climbing lions. The park also boasts an underground water forest. Other species include giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impala, water buck, warthog, the Cape clawless otter and Egyptian mongoose.

A Lake Manyara safari is a fascinating experience, as the park also features a ground-water forest, Vachellia Tortilis woodland and hot springs called Maji Moto. Troops of several hundred olive baboon appear alongside Sykes monkey and short-eared galago. Cape clawless otter, Egyptian mongoose, hippo and klipspringer are other park residents.

The large number of birds found in Lake Manyara National Parks differs basing on one habitat to another. Often you will be able to see huge flocks of pelicans and pink flamingoes on the lake while close to the park borders and floodplains you will enjoy views of many egrets, stilts erons, spoonbills, stalks and other waders.

Lake Manyara National Park is considered as an all-year-round game park however the dry season from July to November is considered the best time for game viewing.

Some of the accommodation facilities in Lake Manyara National Park include; Escarpment Luxury Lodge Manyara, Suricata Boma Lodge, Mawe Mawe Manyara Lodge, well worth Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge, Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge and many others.

The park can be accessed either through the southern or northern gates. The northern gate is more commonly used since most accommodation is located in its vicinity. The distance from Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park is 126 km which about 90 minutes’ drive.

Tarangire National Game Park. Tarangire National Park is home to an astonishing diversity of species and is remarkable for its concentration of Elephants. Tarangire derives its name from the Tarangire River that flows through the center of the park from the southern side towards the northwest outlet in lake Burungi. Tarangire National Game Park is part of the larger Tarangire – Manyara Ecosystem covering a total area of about 35,000 km2.

From the magnificent savannah landscapes to the vast number of Baobabs that form the habitat for diverse species of birds and bats, this is a park offers a truly sublime experience.

Tarangire is located in an arid geographical belt that supports growth of a wooded savannah that is dominated by Acacia, Terminalia, Combretum and commiphora species. The most remarkable vegetation types in the area include: riverine woodlands, Acacia Tortilis Park land, wetlands and seasonal flood plains, acacia-commiphora woodlands, riverine grasslands, combretum-dalbergia woodlands, acacia drepanolobium woodlands, rocky hilltop (Kopjes) vegetation, deep gully vegetation and grasslands with scattered Baobab trees. The park serves as a dry season refuge for a majority of diverse migratory wildlife in the Tarangire-Maasai Steppe ecosystem. The park has about more than 500 bird species such as Crowned hornbill, Little bee-eater, Palm-nut vulture, Pink-backed pelican, Silvery-cheeked horn bill, Black heron, Blue-billed Teal, Spatula hottentota, Northern Shoveler, Spatula clypeata, African Black Duck, Anas sparsa, Yellow-billed Duck among others.

Particularly rich bird life occurs in the open Acacia woodlands, in and along the wetland (Silale Swamp), and in the flood plains of the Tarangire River.

Activities carried out in Lake Manyara National Park include; Bird watching, Tarangire Balloon Safaris, game drives, walking tours among others.

Accommodation in Tarangire National Park include; Tarangire Sopa Lodge, Tarangire treetops, Elephant rock camp, Tarangire Simba lodge, Nimali Tarangire Lodge, Sangaiwe tented lodge, Tarangire safari lodge, Maramboi tented camp, Kirurumu Tarangire Lodge, Swala camp, Tarangire river camp, Lake Burunge tented camp among others.

The best time to visit Tarangire National Game Park is during the dry season from June to October. These are the best months for wildlife due to migratory patterns and the short grasses make game viewing even easier. During dry seasons, the animals flock towards the Tarangire River for water allowing for easy sightings. In order to see the big herds of elephants, you are required to visit the park towards the latter period of the dry season between September and October.

Arusha National Game Park. Arusha National Park is among of the smallest parks in Tanzania covering only 137 square kilometers. It is situated a short distance from the city of Arusha making it easy to visit on a day or half day adventure and it gives great views of the Mount Kilimanjaro.

The park has several completely different micro-habitats within its confines from a soda lake which outfit a large number of flamingos to dense forest habitat for black and white colobus monkeys, a plain, a crater, and the hikable Mount Meru.

Arusha National Park is a scenic and diverse park which offers a wide range of animal and plant species.  And it also has a rich diversity of landscapes. From lakes, waterfalls and swamps to volcanoes, mountains and tropical rain forest, the ideal reserve for all kind of animals. The swamps, rainforest and lakes attract many beautiful birds including silvery-cheeked horn bill and thousands of pink-hued flamingos. This park is also the only place in northern Tanzania where you can easily spot the black-and-white colobus monkey.

At just over 200 square miles, Arusha National Park has great wildlife densities and it is home to the world’s largest population of giraffe. Cape buffalo, elephants, hippos, zebra, lion and leopard can be sighted on a game drive.

Attractions in Arusha National Park include; Mount Meru, Ngurdoto crater, Momela lakes among others.

With Arusha National Park, you do not have to travel too far after landing to find yourself surrounded by the African bush. Canoeing, walking safaris and game drives are some of the best things to do here and it can make a perfect start to any northern circuit safari.

Accommodation in Arusha National Game Park include; Ngurdoto mountain lodge, Arusha coffee lodge, Hatari Lodge, Lake Duluti Lodge, River trees Country Inn, Four Points by Sheraton Arusha Hotel, Arusha Serena Hotel and many others.

Olduvai Gorge. Olduvai Gorge is the birthplace of human kind. It is where the famous archaeologist Dr. Louis Leakey uncovered some of the earliest remains of fossil hominids. Olduvai gives us a better understanding of our evolutionary history and thus ensures our future success and well-being as a species.

The name Olduvai originated from a European misspelling of Oldupai, the correct Maasai word for this region of great historical importance named after the wild sisal plants growing in abundance in the gorge. The gorge is a very steep-sided ravine roughly 30 (48 km) miles long and 295 ft (90 m) deep. According to paleoanthropologists, the deposits show rich fossil fauna that cover a time span from about 2,100,000 to 15,000 years ago. While you are on your Northern Circuit tour, you should consider making a stop at this famous archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti Plains and within the Ngorongoro Conservation area authority.

However, the parks included in the southern safari circuit are Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park, and Udzungwa Mountains National Park and below are some parks which were visited by an American journalist Peter Green berg on his research;

Selous Game Reserve. The reserve is located in the southern part of Tanzania along the southern Tanzania safari circuit and offers the best escape from the large tourist crowds. Selous is one of the largest game reserves in the world. It is widely popular for being the home to the world’s largest population of wild dogs as well as some of the country’s last remaining black rhinos. Considered a hidden gem of Africa, Selous boasts of a variety of vegetation zones ranging from dense thickets to riverine forests and swamps to open wooded grasslands.

This reserve was named after Frederick Selous Courtney who was a great Hunter and explorer. Selous Safari Holidays are highly recommended as in size this reserve is twice the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and three times Kruger National Park in South Africa. This reserve was established in 1922 and in 1982 it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site and it has rich diversity of wildlife and uninterrupted nature.

The Tanzanian national park authority in 2019 proposed and declared a change of identity of the northern sector of this reserve such that it is known as The Nyerere National Park as a way of honoring President Julius Nyerere who was the first president of Tanzania. Today the boundaries of this Nyerere National Park are being properly established but according to sources it is believed that this park will encompass the photographic sector in the northern part of the reserve and stretch out all the way to the wilderness area of River Rufiji to the south.

There are a number of wildlife mammals found within this national reserve among which are: approximately 145,000 buffaloes, 4,000 Lions, 100,000 wildebeests, large hands of giraffes, 35000 zebras, 40000 hippos, 250,000 impalas, large numbers of Lichtenstein’s hartebeests, water bucks, elands, bush bucks, leopards, crocodiles and hyenas and all these can be seen during the game drives.

This game reserve is a home to over 445 different bird species and these have been recorded to live in the various habitats within the reserve for instance along the lake areas are the giant kingfishers, the pink backed pelican as well as the African skimmer; along the sandbanks you will see the white-fronted bee-eater, fish eagle, carmine, ibises and palmnut vultures. The purple-crested turaco, yellow-billed stork, trumpeter horn bill, white-crowned spur-winged plovers, malachite kingfishers and various small waders plus other water birds.

Activities done in Selous Game Reserve include game drives, bird watching, Boat Safaris, Hot Air Balloon Safaris, Selous Fly-camping Tours and many other activities.

Accommodation facilities include; Siwandu Camp, Lake Manze Camp, Beho Beho, Sable Mountain Lodge and many more.

 Ruaha National Game Park. Located in central to southern Tanzania, Ruaha National Park is around 130km west of Iringa. Covering 20,226 square kilometers of savannah, Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s and East Africa’s largest park. It hosts 10% of the planet’s lion population as well as one of the largest elephant populations anywhere.

The park derives its name from the Great Ruaha River which flows through the south-eastern section of the park and attracts a broad range of wildlife.

Ruaha is an integral part of the Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi ecosystem. The ecosystem spans across an area of 45,000km² and it includes the Rungwa Game Reserve, the Kizigo and Muhesi Game Reserves and the Mbomipa Wildlife Management Area.

The Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi ecosystem fuses the best of Southern and East African nature.

Ruaha has a stunning and diverse landscape with a vast savannah, a river which attracts a plethora of wildlife, and mountains in the south and west. Ruaha is home to rare species, including wild dogs, cheetahs, and leopards.

Bird species in Ruaha National Park include; Long-crested eagle, Meyer’s parrot, Namaqua dove, Sooty falcon, Southern ground hornbill among others.

Ruaha National Park thrills with plenty of accommodation facilities including camps, hotels and lodges available to cater for both budget, midrange and luxury travelers which include; Ikuka camp, Ruaha River Lodge, Kigelia camp, Ruaha hilltop lodge, Jongomero camp, Mwagusi safari camp, Mdonya old river, Kwihala camp, Kichaka camp and many more.

The park can be reached by car on a dirt road from Iringa or by light aircraft in Dar es Salaam.

Mikumi National Game Park. Mikumi National Park is the fourth largest park in the entire country. Since its road improvements connecting Dar es Salaam, Mikumi has become a hot spot for Tanzania tourism. Elephants, wildebeest, zebras, and buffaloes along with other mammals are abundant in this park. Although occasional, you can also spot lions potentially preying on other animals, giraffes browsing on the leaves of the acacia trees and hippos resting on the Mkata River.

Mikumi National Park is only 3 to 4 hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam, lying astride the main highway to Zambia, and en route to the National Parks of Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha and Kitulo. The main feature of the park is the Mikumi flood plain, along with the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides. Open grasslands dominate in the flood plain, eventually merging with the miombo woodland covering the lower hills.

Mikumi National Park covers an area of 3,230 sq km, and is rich in wildlife including buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lion, elephant, impala, hippos, baboon, giraffe, warthog, water buck and eland which can be viewed throughout the year. Reptiles including crocodile, monitor lizard and python are also resident in the park. Other animals that can be sighted although rare are the Sable Antelope resident in the southern part of the park bordering the Selous, the Greater Kudu, leopard, and the wild dog also known as the African Hunting Dog. More than 400 bird species have been recorded, including European migrants during the rainy season.

Accommodation facilities in this park include; Camp Bastian Mikumi, Vuma Hills Tented Camp, Tan Swiss Lodge, Angalia Tented camp, Mikumi Safari Lodge, Matembezi Safari Lodge, Mikumi Adventure Lodge among others.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Udzungwa Mountains National Park is also known as the Galapagos of Africa is one of the most scenic national parks in the southern safari circuit situated in the southern region of Tanzania near mikumi city. This park covers an area of 1990 square kilometers of the eastern Arc mountains and it extends from Taita hills in Kenya to pare, Usambara, Nguru, Ukaguru, Rubeho, Ulguru and Udzungwa Mountains.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park’s landscape is generally mountainous dominated by tropical rain forest, mountain forest, miombo woodland and grassland vegetation. The park consists of many attractions which are encountered on your visit in the park. The park is endowed with a variety of plant and bird species. Bird species include; Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Columba delegorguei, Dusky Turtle Dove, Streptopelia lugens, Mourning Collared Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Turtur chalcospilos, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove among others.

Udzungwa Mountains National Park also consists of Magombereka cave, Bokela, Mwanaruvele cave, Ndundulu, Nyumbanitu mountains and the main highlights of this park is hiking and trekking. Accommodation in Udzungwa Mountains National Park include Udzungwa Forest Tented Camp, Udzungwa Falls Lodge, Twiga Hote, Vuma Hills Tented Camp, Genesis Motel, Mikumi Resort and Campsite among others.