Difference Between a Game Reserve and National Park : Tanzania is a beautiful country for wildlife Tourism. By visiting the National Parks and Game Reserves in Tanzania, the tourists get a unique and unforgettable experience of wildlife viewing and many more safari activities. There is a difference between a national park and a game reserve. By starting with a National Park, this is simply an area of natural beauty. In Tanzania, this would be areas such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and many more. A national park usually has the wildest animals. It often has visitor areas, road access, recreational areas such as lakes, rock climbing, and many more. All park units come into existence through legislation. The designation of a National Park is the most restrictive. No hunting, no natural resource extraction, and more. The Tanzania National Park Authority (TANAPA) currently manages twenty two national Parks (22 National Parks).
On the other hand, a Game Reserve is a large land set aside for naturally occurring plants and animals. The game reserves provide an area of protection from hunting or allowing hunting at certain times of the year usually by license to preserve certain species in their Natural Habitat. Generally, a game reserve is a safe space for animals to live in normal circumstances without human interference. Here are the top National Parks and Game reserves to explore in Tanzania.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Serengeti National Park is the most well-known destination for African safari vacations due to the diversity of wildlife found within the park. It is among the Wonders of Africa and a World Heritage site, home to the Big Five and other more than 2000 species of animals and plants. It is also one of the cheapest National Parks in Tanzania. Serengeti National Park is best known as home to the world’s last remaining Large mammal migration. Among many other popular sites, the Serengeti National park is the most important and popular one. Serengeti National Park is the site of animal migration. Hundreds of wild zebras and Wildebeest come across the Serengeti national park. The Serengeti National Park is known for many exciting things. The game reserves in Serengeti include,
Gurumeti Game Reserve: Gurumeti Game Reserve is a prime private safari area adjoining the Serengeti National Park. It forms part of the Serengeti Mara ecosystem with beautiful sceneries, rich wildlife, and a small collection of high-quality camps.
The famous Gurumeti River is home to many enormous crocodiles, with the most exciting moment of crocodiles hunting a herd of wildebeest crossing the river and other animals coming to drink at a small oxbow off the main river. The reserve is the ideal escape for those yearning for an unfiltered African adventure, allowing them to connect with the Earth and wildlife in ways they’ve never done before.
Maswa Game Reserve: Maswa Game Reserve is in the Simiyu region. The Reserve ecosystem is the life support for both Serengeti National Park (the breeding ground of the wildebeest migration) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Moreover, Maswa reserve, located north of the lake victoria zone of Tanzania (simply the lake zone), is beautiful, rich in culture, and a unique tourist attraction.
Kijereshi Game Reserve: Kijereshi is one of the Reserves managed by the wildlife authority Tanzania (Tawa). This Reserve is in the two districts of Bariadi and Busega in the Simiyu region. This Reserve has 65.72 square kilometers. It was declared a reserve in 1994 due to its importance of wild animals and natural vegetation. While in the Reserve, you will meet animals such as elephants, antelopes, monkeys, zebras, buffaloes, ostriches, and various birds. The scenery of the Reserve is beautiful with greenness.
RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Ruaha National Park is in the southern part of Tanzania. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Tanzania. It is most likely from its Coolness, no traveler populations, and wildlife diversity. Located 130 kilometers from Iringa City, it is a reserve with 10 percent of all Lions in the World, large herds of elephants, different animals, and more than 500 species of birds.
Usangu Game Reserve: Usangu wetland in the southern part of Ruaha is an important bird area. It is recognized by birdlife internationally. Amazing birds live in the Usangu Wetland Reserve, where the birds migrate from Europe and enjoy the vast greenish wetland. It protects more than 570 bird species. Usangu Reserve is also important for breeding, feeding, and resting sites for a vast number of waterfalls. Whether for bird viewing, guided walks, or camping, all visitors are welcome to experience the activities. The best time for bird viewing in Usangu is the wet season in late February to early June.
BURIGI NATIONAL PARK
Burigi has an area of about 4,707 square kilometers. Among the touristic activities in Burigi National Park are, Game viewing, Fishing, and Trekking. Most importantly, Bugiri National Park is best for aTanzania honeymoon safari (couples get quality time to explore the wildlife), a photographic safari, a game drive safari, and a cultural safari in local areas.
The Park is rich in Natural Vegetation, which includes tall grasslands, wooded savannah (Miombo), and green forests. Other attractions related to natural vegetation include open plains, long hills, rocks, escarpments, flood plains, and deep-set valleys. Also, there are various species of flowers with attractive colors decorating the vegetation of those forests. The animals found in this Park, which are the main attraction, include elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, eland, warthog, waterbucks, wildebeests, leopards, cheetah, hyenas, lions, chimpanzees, Gorillas, and many other species regularly sported. In addition, some other animals and creatures live in water, including fish, crocodiles, hippos, and pythons. The birds in Bugiri Park include Saddles, Martial eagle, Sacred ibis, billed stork, Arabian bird, hawk, the eagle, the kanga, ducks, fish eagles, papyrus jailed, and bizarre shoebill stork, and many other species.
Ibanda Game Reserve: Iband Reserve is in the Bugiri National Park northwest of Tanzania. It has unique attractions. Ibanda Reserve is the border of three countries in the sense that if you are inside the Reserve, there is a viewpoint where you can stand to see the country of Rwanda and Uganda. Rumanyika reserve borders Ibanda Reserve with a dense, heavy, and attractive forest with six lakes that can’t find in any other Reserve in Tanzania. The activities in Ibanda reserve include boat safari, sport fishing, canoeing, and zipline.
