Tanzania birding & safari blog

From the Serengeti and Ngorongoro to Rubondo Island and the Usambara Mountains, these are the twelve best places for birding in Tanzania and what to see at each.

From 1 October 2026 most foreign visitors need NIC inbound travel insurance to enter mainland Tanzania. What it costs, who is exempt, how to buy it and why you should keep your own cover too.

If you’ve only done a regular safari, a birding day will feel different. Here’s one, hour by hour.

Safari prices can look confusing. Here’s where the money goes, and where you can save.

Tanzania is good for birds all year. When you go decides which birds you see, what they look like and how hard you’ll work for them.

How many days you need, which parks to pick, and the mistakes first-timers make most often.

Both are about two hours from Arusha and both are good. They’re also very different.

Tanzania has more than 20 birds found nowhere else on earth. Some are easy, and some take days. Here’s where we look.

The crater can be crowded and cold, and it’s still one of the best wildlife days in Africa. A few tips make a big difference.

Some of the Big Five are easy. Others need luck, time and the right park.

A small, plain-looking lark on a patch of Maasai grassland, and one of the most wanted birds in Africa.

One of our guests saw 22 raptor species in two days near Arusha. Here’s why the birding is so good.

Most safari bird photos are taken from a vehicle. Here’s how to make that work for you.

The short list our guides give every guest, plus the things people forget most often.

Plenty of our guests travel alone, especially birders. Here’s what to expect.

Children usually love safari, as long as the trip is planned around them.

The herds keep moving, and each month has its own best area. Here’s a rough map of the year.

The rainy season puts a lot of people off. It shouldn’t, at least not everyone.

Forty-five minutes from town, and one of the most varied days you can have in Tanzania.

Pink lines on a soda lake are one of the classic East African sights. Here’s where to find them.

A few small habits make a big difference to your guide, the people you meet and the animals you watch.

Most northern Tanzania safaris start in Arusha. Here’s how the first day works.

Even people who say they’re not interested in birds tend to stop for these.

Each cat lives differently, and knowing that is how guides find them.

The Usambaras are where Tanzania’s hardest and most sought-after birds live.