Tanzania Tourism
• Introduction
Step
out into the vast open plains of Tanzania and you suddenly feel very, very small.
And so you should. You've just joined one of the largest, wildest animal populations
in the world. Wildebeest, monkey, antelope, lion, cheetah, crocodile, gazelle,
flamingo - they're all out there.
An economically poor country troubled by rowdy neighbours and opportunistic
colonial powers, Tanzania offers some of the best wildlife spotting opportunities
on the continent. Its famous parks make the many drab towns here well worth
the stopover.
• When to Visit Tanzania
The standard tourist season is in January and February, when the hot, dry weather
at this time of year is generally considered to be the most pleasant. But to
catch the Serengeti at its best you want to avoid the dry season when virtually
all the animals go on holiday to Kenya. Be prepared if you're heading into the
big wet, as many roads - particularly on the south coast - can become too squishy
to drive on. One of the best times to go is late-June to October, when the rains
have finished and the air is coolest.
• Attraction
in Tanzania
» Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's premier city. The 'Haven of Peace' started life
as a fishing village in the mid-19th century when the Sultan of Zanzibar got
the urge to turn a creek (now a harbour) into a safe port and trading centre.
Now it's a teeming metropolis of 1.5 million people.
Like most African cities, there are substantial contrasts between the various
parts of the city. But while the busy central streets around the Kariakoo
Market and clock tower are a world away from the tree-lined boulevards of
the government quarters to the north, there's no evidence of slums.
» Mt Kilimanjaro National Park
An almost perfectly shaped volcano rising sheer from Tanzania's far northeast
plains, the fabled Mt Kilimanjaro is one of Africa's most magnificent sights.
Snowcapped and not yet extinct, at 5895m (19,335ft) it's the highest peak
on the continent.
From cultivated farmlands on the lower levels, the mountain rises through
lush rainforest to alpine meadow and finally across a barren lunar landscape
to the twin summits. The rainforest is home to animals including elephant,
buffalo, rhino, leopard and monkey.
» Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The views from the 600m (1968ft) Ngorongoro Crater rim are spectacular, but
the real treasure lies on its 20km (12.4mi)-wide floor. The area has been
compared to Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden - but has the added advantage
of actually existing.
, Numbers have dwindled, but Noah would have no trouble finding lion, elephant,
rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's
gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as countless flamingo wading in the shallows
of Lake Magadi, the soda lake on the floor of the crater.
» Serengeti National Park
Sprawling across
14,763 sq km (5757 sq mi), Serengeti is Tanzania's most famous game park. Here
you can get a glimpse of what much of East Africa may have been like in the
days before the 'great White hunters'. The mindless slaughter of the plains
animals reached its nadir in the late-19th century.
More recently, trophy hunters and poachers in search of ivory have added to
the sickening toll. There are literally millions of hoofed animals on the
vast Serengeti plains. They're constantly on the move in search of grassland
and are watched and preyed upon by a varied parade of predators.
» Zanzibar
Low in political coups and high in bliss-charged activities, the Zanzibar
Archipelago is a mere hop, skip and a jump from the Tanzanian mainland. Its
heady lure has tempted travellers, traders, slave-traders and colonists for
centuries, and the archipelago continues to reflect this tumultuous past.
Zanzibar Island (known locally as Unguja) gets most of the headlines, but
the archipelago also consists of lush Pemba to the north and numerous smaller
islands and islets poised in luxuriously turquoise seas. There are countless
unexplored pockets and loads of opportunities for flat-out hedonism.
• Off the Beaten
Track
» Makonde Plateau
Few travellers visit the southeastern part of Tanzania adjacent to the Mozambique
border, but this is where the famous makonde carvings originally came from (they've
since been copied by artisans all over East Africa).
It's
also a beautiful part of the country.
Getting there involves a series of bus journeys and overnight stays in the
towns en route, but there's no shortage of transport. The first leg is a bus
from Mbeya to Njombe, one of the highest and coldest parts of the country.
Then it's on to the rowdy town of Songea.
» Pemba
Although it gets just as much sunlight, Pemba has long been overshadowed by
Zanzibar, its larger and more politically powerful neighbour to the south.
The two are only separated by about 50km (31mi) of water, and yet relatively
few travellers venture across to Pemba.
Those who do aren't disappointed; verdant and hilly, while the water has some
of the best diving in the archipelago. The island smells good too, as cloves
are still the main crop. Pemba also has long been renowned for its voodoo
and traditional healers.
» Selous Game Reserve
At 54,600 sq km (21,294 sq mi), this huge, rarely visited slab of wilderness
is said to be the world's largest game reserve. One of the reserve's main
features is the huge Rufiji River. In the northern end of the reserve is the
lodge area of Stiegler's Gorge, which is spanned by a cable car.
More or less untouched by people, some estimates suggest it contains the world's
largest concentration of elephant, buffalo, crocodile, hippo and hunting dog,
as well as plenty of lion, rhino and antelope and thousands of dazzling bird
species.
• Reaching Tanzania
Cheap, reliable flights are plentiful between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, as
are flights between Zanzibar and Mombasa. By land, there are several connections
between Tanzania and Kenya. These include Mombasa to Dar es Salaam, Nairobi
to Dar es Salaam, Nairobi to Arusha, and Voi to Moshi. Buses between Rwanda
and Uganda can never be entirely relied on, but they're there all right. It's
possible to go by dhow between Mombasa, Pemba and Zanzibar but sailings are
very infrequent these days. More regular are the lake services between Port
Bell (Kampala) and Mwanza (Tanzania). For Zambia the best option is definitely
the rather plush Tazara railway, with trains that run overnight between Dar
es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, via Mbeya and the border posts at Tunduma
and Nakonde.
—›
Attraction in Tanzania —›
Off the Beaten Track —›
Reaching Tanzania —› Tour
Packages of Tanzania 
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