
The best Hippo filming places in Tanzania
What are some of the best Hippo filming places in Tanzania? Hippos are one of the amazing animals that enjoy going on adventures. Most visitors love spotting hippos during their safari adventure in Tanzania. Hippos are abundant in several destinations in Africa, where hunting and habitat devastation have reduced their population. Most of the hippos in the whole world are best found in east African countries, that is, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite being the second-largest land creature on the planet (after elephants), hippos are exceptional swimmers. They can hold their breath for up to five minutes while submerged. Their noses, eyes, and ears are located at the highest point of their heads, allowing them to breathe, see, and hear ashore while being lowered into the water. Hippos spend their days submerged in cool water. When night falls, these heavy creatures emerge from their water beds and brush against starlight in the cool relief of the night. Hippos, despite their bulky appearance, are extremely fast on the ground.
Filming the hippos in Tanzania is one of the most wonderful and successful adventures that you could ever wish to get involved in. In Tanzania, the hippos are found mostly in the wetlands and rivers, and you can film them from the wetlands of Lake Victoria, and then to the wetlands and the swamps of the Ngorongoro crater lake, through the water holes of Lake Manyara, then to Katavi National Park, and in Tarangire National Park, among other areas, and this is very interesting. Let’s explore the best filming places for hippos in Tanzania.

hippos captured in Tanzania
The best hippo filming locations in Tanzania
Filming hippos in Katavi National Park: This is one of the best and most seasonal national parks in Tanzania. One of the best unique features, which I think will be in the wonderful filming documentary in Katavi National Park, is the schools of hippos, which are commonly seen in the seasonal lakes, but the filming of hippos is best filmed towards the end of the dry season. The presence of the riverine pool in the Katavi national park that is deep enough will offer the chance to film more than 200 hippos gathering in this river pool.
Filming the hippo pool in Serengeti National Park: The Serengeti National Park is known as the best destination for the big five animals, but the park is also the best destination for filming hippos, and here you will get a chance to film these hippos as they are gathering in their natural pool in large numbers. Don’t worry, you can film these hippos while on the walking safaris or even when doing the game drive safari. Some of the other wildlife animals that you can see while filming the hippos include giraffes, elephants, spotted hyenas, secretary birds, rhinoceros, cheetahs, jackals, and elephants, among others.
Filming the hippos in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area: The Ngorongoro Conservation is another place where you can go and have the best hippo filming moments in Tanzania. The hippos are found within the swamps of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and, as with the filming, you can find other animals including the zebras, spotted hyenas, gazelles, and the wildebeest migration, leopards, elephants, hartebeest, the mountain reedbuck, buffaloes, and endangered black rhinos.
Filming hippos in Lake Manyara National Park: At this park, you can also film lions, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, servals, honey badgers, African wild cats, spotted hyenas, African civets, genet (Genetta) species, and several mongoose species. Cheetah and African golden cat sightings are uncommon. Elephant, baboon, lesser flamingo, greater flamingo, Cape buffalo, leopard, wildebeest, bushbuck, impala, giraffe, zebra, white pelican, yellow-billed stork, Ayres’s hawk-eagle, Nile monitor, white-breasted cormorant, palm-nut vulture, and cobra are among the other notable mammals. Selous Game Reserve, Arusha National Park, Rubondo Island National Park, Saadani National Park, Katavi National Park, and Mikumi National Park are among the other notable national parks in Tanzania to film hippos.

A bloat captured in waters in Tanzania
The cost of filming hippos in Tanzania
Visitors who are interested in filming any destination in Tanzania are informed that there is some money that you will need to pay to do commercial filming in Tanzania. The filming permit will be issued by the Tanzanian government through the Tanzania Filming Board. Here at Africa Adventure Vacations, we will completely assist you in getting the filming permit in Tanzania and make sure that everything you need will be sorted in the quickest time possible. Once you have got the permit, which costs $1000, and this fee is for the regular permit, once you have this, then you will be able to go to the park where you will be filming, pay for the entrance, and immediately start the activity of filming.
What do you need to film hippos in Tanzania?
Requirement 1: Filming permits and their costs.
You will need a filming permit to film hippos in Tanzania. All those who are interested in filming in Tanzania will have to book their filming permits from the Tanzania Film Censorship Board and the Department of Antiquities in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Once you have this filming permit, then you can proceed and film hippos in Tanzania. It is very important to note that getting a filming permit in Tanzania might be expensive and time-consuming, and thus the visitors must ensure that they book early with us so that we can start the process of securing the filming permit for Tanzania early. Make sure that you undergo all the application forms for filming with the assistance of your local Tanzania production service film fixer. This is the step that you must take before anything. Once you have finished the application procedures, make sure that you submit the forms to your reputable local Tanzania Consulate. This will help to quicken and complete your application process. Later, after this exercise, you will be asked to send your original documents back to your Tanzania film fixer to finalize the process with the authorities in Tanzania.
Permits for filming can only be used for three months at a time. Giving oneself as much time as possible to accomplish this process is recommended. If you just have a short amount of time, you can get an expedited permit, but the expenses will be substantially higher. A standard permit costs $1,000. The film crew members who don’t have time and would like to book the last-minute filming permit in Tanzania will have to pay $3,000 each. Please contact us here at Africa Adventure Vacations as we can help to secure the filming permit to enable you to make and do filming in Tanzania.
Requirement 2: Other Permission and Filming Fees for Filming Hippos in Tanzania
The moment you are done with getting the filming permit, which is the core of filming in Tanzania, remember that you might need some other permissions that you will need to gain access to film hippos in Tanzania.
The other permissions that you might need may include filming inside the protected area or the national park, in case you need to do drone filming, as well as those interested in night filming safaris in Tanzania. Several laws and rules guide visitors or those who are interested in filming in Tanzania, and thus you must get the proper film fixer with high credentials to guide you so that you are not caught on the wrong side of the law. Please be reminded that you will also need to cover the accommodation costs, the visa, the film fixers’ fee, and the vehicle that you need to transport to the hippo filming locations in Tanzania.

a 4×4 vehicle that you will need when going to film hippos in Tanzania
Requirement 3: You need a 4×4 vehicle when going to film hippos in Tanzania.
When you trust Africa Adventure Vacations as your film fixer, then you will get the opportunity to book for yourself a strong vehicle that will transport the crew members to and from the hippo filming locations in Tanzania. We offer the vehicle based on the preferences of our clients and their budget, but also the location where you are going to film, because it may also determine the kind of vehicle that you might need. Because of the nature of the terrain, which might make you travel long distances, we kindly urge you to book our customized
Daily, these cost about $200 to $250 per vehicle, and this price includes the fuel and the driver. You can also opt for our 4×4 safari van, which is available for $200 daily. By contacting us, we shall make sure that we cost everything, and thus we shall inform you and give you the inclusive price. Each of our vehicles is accompanied by drivers who work as area fixers, and many of them have traveled to nearly every part of Tanzania, so they are familiar with the local conditions and can provide critical information and resolve any situation on the ground. While in Tanzania, these serve as intermediaries between you and our office. And please contact us for any film fixers in Tanzania. We are available 24 hours a day to be able to help you with all the information relating to filming hippos in Tanzania.
Filming equipment freight and customs
If you choose Tanzania as your recording destination, you will almost certainly need to bring film equipment with you. The most efficient method of air shipping freight is to “go with” the baggage on your aircraft. The alternative option is to convey it as “unaccompanied” cargo via airship. The last method is more expensive, and the hardware may spend some time in customs at the port of entry. In Tanzania, the temporary importation of film equipment is governed by a bond framework or system. You can save the entire value of the hardware with the Tanzanian government for the duration of the shoot. You can apply for a discount on this bond’s cash market value. In any event, film studios can pay a freight agent or specialist a non-refundable 10% of the total cost of the equipment in exchange for the use of his or her bond. This is a shorter and less complicated cycle.
The best time for filming hippos in Tanzania is now.
Filming hippos in Tanzania is an adventure that is done all year round, but the best times for filming are during December and then from June to October. This time, weather conditions are dry and this makes filming activities so much more fantastic. The ideal opportunity for filming hippos in Tanzania is during the dry season, which lasts from June to December. Filming in the rainy season is hectic and I would advise anyone to think of filming dry this time. However, the wet season is associated with the green color of nature because of the regeneration of vegetation, and this at times makes filming an adventure that is done all day or all year through. The wet season disturbs the film crew members, and it happens especially from March to May and November. Therefore, it is good that you film hippos from December to February and then June to October, which is relatively dry compared to March to May and November.
Why should you book your Tanzania filming safari with Africa Adventure Vacations?
Africa Adventure Vacations is a well-known tourist company based in Uganda that operates in East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa. We have more than ten years of experience assisting filming and production companies, particularly those interested in filming nature-related wildlife and African culture. We offer services such as obtaining filming permission, clearing filming equipment, reserving lodging, and arranging transportation to filming businesses, all in the shortest amount of time possible. Other wildlife tours are available in all of the countries mentioned above, including gorilla tours in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result, you should not hesitate to choose us as your East African film fixers.