During Tarangire's dry season, day after day of cloudless skies seem to suck all moisture from the landscape, turning the waving grasses to platinum blonde, brittle as straw. The Tarangire River is a mere shadow of itself, a trickle of water choked with wildlife. Thirsty antelope and elephant have wandered hundreds of kilometres to Tarangire's permanent water source.

Huge herds of elephants
Herds of elephant three hundred strong dig in the damp earth of the riverbed in search of underground springs, while wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and gazelle mingle with rarer species such as eland and oryx. Python climb into the shade of the trees that line Tarangire's massive southern swamps and hang there like giant malignant fruit.

Tarangire in the dry season
Tarangire in the dry season enjoys the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem. The best time to visit Tarangire for wildlife viewing or walking is the dry season, June to October.