Some Rules to Keep in Mind While Visiting National Parks in Tanzania
A BRIEF OVERVIEW:
Traveling, as an activity, entails a lot within it- exploring places, trying out new food, getting to know different languages and much more. But it is not an entirely unrestricted activity- there are certain regulations, which travelers often abide by- whether consciously or unconsciously. Some of these rules are followed almost everywhere in the world- independent of which country you’re traveling in., while some others are specific to certain places. In a country like Tanzania, dotted by wildlife like buffaloes, antelopes, lions, leopards and known for its thrilling wildlife safaris, hiking spots like the Kilimanjaro, also spots a number of national parks. If you’re planning a safari tour in Africa, best to set aside some time to visit some of the national parks too! However, there are certain rules that you must follow while you’re there, and if you’re wondering what they exactly are, then we’ve got you covered!
Tanzania has a number of (over 20) beautiful national parks that you must visit- including the Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Gombe National Park among many others. These parks are currently home to a wide variety of wildlife including antelopes, gazelles, wildebeests and many other species of animals, most of which are not found often anywhere else. There are also, however, certain rules that all visitors must abide by, which are meant to protect the environment, the wildlife, the plants and trees and also for the safety of the people:
RULES TO BE FOLLOWED AT TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS:
Foremost, people are not allowed to carry on with everyday activities on the land that has been demarcated as the ‘national park.’ They cannot build houses in that area, cannot occult it for the purposes of earning a livelihood or any other activity. Overall, no one is allowed to alter with the demarcated territory at all.
Most vehicles are banned at the national parks. Visitors cannot directly drive there via a private or hired vehicle, Mostly, people are allowed to visit these parks via what is called a ‘game drive’- which is basically a drive on an off-road vehicle. Like most Safari tours in africa, the route to the visit is usually pre-planned and active human presence is welcome only at a few particular spots.
Tourists are usually not allowed to get down from the vehicle during the ‘game drive’, but there are certain designated ‘picnic spots’ where this can happen. Here, people are allowed to get down to enjoy a quick bite or a few drinks before they carry on with the journey. People are safely seated in an SUV, generally with the windows shut, and visitors can generally admire the wildlife and natural scenery from a safe distance.
There are certain ‘eco-hotels’ present around the national parks, which allow the accommodation of people before they go on a ‘game drive’. This is necessary because game drives generally take place either early in the morning or during early dusk. It is efficient for travelers as well as the authorities if the time and distance between the place of accommodation and the spot where the drive begins is minimal.
The best safari tours in Tanzania are often a more elaborate version of the National Park visits in the country. Similar to many safari tours in Africa, people are not allowed to tamper with the plants, animals or the natural environment of the National Park at all. This is an extremely crucial restriction, for it is essential to safeguard the natural fauna and flora, and it is only after abiding these rules, that we can expect places like National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries to even survive after a few decades.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FLOUT THE RULES?
The experience of a safari in Tanzania can be extremely thrilling, owing to the wildlife that one gets to view and admire from such close proximity; and quite similar is the thrill you experience on a visit to one of the National Parka. In these situations, one can feel extremely tempted to bend the rules, but you must know that like all actions, even this does not come without consequences.
For instance, if you over speed on a game drive, you’re likely to chase away all the wild animals, which may panic at the high speeding vehicles, and run around unexpectedly, or harm themselves, fellow animals or plants and trees. Another flouting of these regulations often comes in the form of passengers of the game drive suddenly going off route, again increasing chances of causing panic among the animals. Going off route also causes problems for the authorities, for help and aid might not be available at points which are not a part of the designated routes. Finally, you should not try feeding the animals either, for this might be harmful for the animals, as well as the person feeding them. Firstly, not all food is suitable for wild animals, and the event of a person trying to feed the animals, can end dangerously in many ways, and is a serious violation of the National Park Rules.
CONCLUSION:
Now that we’ve had an overview of the rules and regulations that all visitors on a trip to one of the National Parks are expected to abide by, we hope you have an idea of proper code of conduct while on a safari tour in Africa or at one of the National Parks. It is extremely important that we, as responsible tourists, be mindful of what entails a safe travel experience, for us as well as the environment that we step in. By adhering to the rules of tourist spots, especially those that include wildlife and other flora and fauna, we not only allow others a safe traveling experience, but also play a role in being responsible towards our environment, our home.
