Tanzania
Tanzania has spectacular tourist attractions in its game parks, the Indian Ocean coast and Islands,
large fresh water lakes and snow-capped mountains. It has a history embracing early relics of mankind, the African explorers,
and exotic Zanzibar with its Arabian influence. It is a large country, about four times the size of Great Britain, of enormous
diversity. From Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro (5895 mts, 19,158 ft), to sandy white beaches, coral reefs and
off shore islands. The wide open plains of the Serengeti National Park, where the famous wildebeest migration begins and ends,
the Selous and Ruaha National Parks in the south, the Rufiji River, and the fresh water lakes in the west. Lake Victoria,
the source of the Nile River and the largest lake in Africa, which shares its shores with Kenya and Uganda, and Lake Tanganyika,
teeming in tropical fish, is the 3rd deepest lake in the world, and shares its shores with Burundi, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo and Zambia. Zanzibar Island, off the coast, steeped in history, with the narrow winding streets of Stone Town,
fragrant spices and glorious beaches.
The
North - In the north of the country the "northern circuit" includes the best known of the national
parks in Tanzania. Serengeti, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area, with the prehistoric site Olduvai Gorge,
and Tarangire. All of which are popular tourist destinations and easy to visit. There are also the lesser known Mkomazi and
Umba game reserves. The mountain parks, Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha, with Mount Meru, offer climbing and trekking.
Central and southern parks – There are seven
parks and reserves in this large area. The two reasonably easy to access from Dar es Salaam by road are Mikumi National Park
and Saadani National Park. The main attractions in the southern region are the Selous Game Reserve, one of Africa's
largest National Parks, and Ruaha National Park, which have an unspoiled atmosphere that reflect their remote locations. Visiting
these parks is easiest by air, flying into the lodge airstrips; otherwise long journeys by road from Dar es Salaam are required.
Western parks – The parks in the west include two famous chimpanzee sanctuaries, Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains
National Park, situated on Lake Tanganyika. Access to both of these parks involves flying into an airstrip and a boat trip.
The other parks in this area are very remote and do not have accommodation for tourists
When to go - Tanzania has
much to offer all year round. Situated just south of the equator, temperatures average between 25-30C°. Humidity can be
very high along the coastal strip and on Zanzibar but much lower in the interior highlands. There long rains are from March
to May and short rains between October and December. In addition there are frequently heavy rains in the south of Tanzania
from December until April.
The wildebeest migration in the Serengeti occurs in June and July. If you are planning a
trekking or climbing holiday the best months are May to September. Traveling by road, especially in the more remote areas
or through the national parks, is easier during the dry months, as road conditions deteriorate significantly in the rain.
There is an average of 4-6 hours of sunshine each day.
Visas - Visa are required by
all visitors except citizens of the Commonwealth (excluding citizens of the UK, Australia, Canada, India and Nigeria who do
require visas).It is straight forward to obtain a visas at the point of entry (border crossing or airport). Please note that
requirement may change at any time, and check with your agent at time of booking.
Health - We recommend anti malarial profilactics, especially if you
are visiting the coast and during the wet seasons when malaria is more prolific. For more information on health issues please
consult your doctor.
Language The official language is Swahili, which is spoken by everyone. Most places on the tourist routes English
will be spoken
Read
more about Kenya Safari Destinations or visit our Safari pages to book or plan your Safari:
check out about the latest in the
wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara and Serengeti.