Tarangire moves at a slower pace than its neighbours, and that’s exactly its appeal. Enormous baobab trees, some of them centuries old, punctuate a landscape of golden grassland and dense woodland along the river. Through the dry season, elephant herds gather here in numbers you won’t see anywhere else in the region, sometimes several hundred strong, moving together toward the last remaining water.

Lion and leopard are well established here too, along with a striking density of birdlife, and because far fewer visitors make it out this way, game drives often feel wonderfully private. It’s a favourite of ours to pair alongside the busier northern parks, giving a trip real contrast and breathing room.