Nyerere National Park ranked among Africa’s leading safari destinations

Arusha. Nyerere National Park, Tanzania's largest protected area, has made a remarkable achievement by securing the 27th position in the 2024 Top-50 Best Safari Parks in Africa, according to global poll results from Safari Bookings.

This is an impressive feat for a park that was only established in 2019, reflecting its rapid growth and recognition on the global safari circuit.

Covering an expansive 30,893 square kilometres, Nyerere is not only the largest national park in Tanzania but also the biggest in East Africa.

This vast wilderness has now earned a spot among Africa’s premier safari destinations, based on 2,384 park reviews on the SafariBookings.com platform, which included input from 1,239 safari travellers from 74 countries and 1,145 expert reviews.

Ms Anita Kovalevska of SafariBookings.com noted that the study involved 196 parks from 15 African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, and others.

Serengeti National Park, also in Tanzania, topped the list for the fifth consecutive time, while other Tanzanian parks such as Ruaha, Katavi, and Tarangire also made the prestigious ranking. Nyerere, as the newest addition, proudly joined these renowned destinations.

Despite being a relatively young park, Nyerere is classified in the same premium category as the iconic Serengeti, known for the Great Wildebeest Migration.

The park has grown significantly, starting with only 151 visitors and now welcoming an average of 60,000 tourists annually, generating approximately 11 billion Tanzanian shillings in revenue.

Day-trippers

Most visitors to Nyerere are day-trippers flying in from Zanzibar for game drives before returning in the evening. However, the park management is working hard to enhance the visitor experience by encouraging longer stays.

As a result, prominent hotel brands like Serena, Asilia, and Nomads have already established properties in the park, and their accommodations are booked year-round.

Easily accessible from Dar es Salaam—just a three-hour drive via the Kisarawe route—Nyerere offers multiple travel options, including air, road, and rail. Once there, visitors can explore its diverse landscapes by road, air, or even water, thanks to the many rivers and lakes that grace the park.

Nyerere National Park was established in November 2019 after being carved out from part of the historic Selous Game Reserve.

In terms of size, the park exceeds the areas of both Belgium and Lesotho, making it a significant conservation area in Africa.

This incredible accomplishment not only highlights the beauty of Nyerere National Park but also its potential to become one of the top destinations for nature lovers worldwide.

Ms Kovalevska commended the team at Nyerere National Park for their ongoing efforts to make it a world-class safari destination.