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.
» 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. |
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