Tanzania is the largest East African country and interestingly about 38% of its total land is demarcated as conservation area. Tanzania has a coastline touching the Indian Ocean waters and its capital is Dodoma, though it has other cities like Dar es Salaam. Most people in Tanzania are Muslims due to the influence of Arabs who settled along Indian Ocean hence influencing the locals to convert to Islam.
Tanzania is majorly known for Mount. Kilimanjaro which happens to be its iconic landmark. It is Africa’s highest mountain and can be seen from as far as Kenya. Tanzanians speak Kiswahili and English as their official languages.
Most of the famous National Parks in Africa are located in Tanzania, and this is why it is among the most visited countries in Africa for safari adventures. Not only do tourists visit the game parks but also have long stays at the beautiful beaches along the Indian Ocean, in Zanzibar.
Explore some of the best places to visit and activities to do while in Tanzania.
At 5,895m above sea level, this is Africa’s highest mountain; it has a snow-capped peak which is its major attraction. It is a volcanic mountain located within the rift valley area, most people who visit it are interested in climbing rather than visiting wildlife there such as buffaloes, monkeys, elands and elephants.
This mountain is surrounded by farmlands at its foothills, as you slightly rise you do come across the rainforests, alpine meadow and the areas above 3000 meters have barren landscapes with very less vegetation. Hiking to the highest peak, Uhuru can take about 10-12 days. Bird lovers will come across different birds as they climb especially at the alpine zone.
Famous for its annual wildebeest migration, Serengeti is a grassland area with scattered savannah trees, it hosts the big five animals, variety of herbivorous animals like antelopes, gazelles, buffaloes and about 500 bird species make this park ideal for game drives. The annual wildebeest migration occurs in May or early June and involves over 1.5 million wildebeests in company of Zebras and gazelles moving from Serengeti to Masai Mara National Park. The impressive movement attracts many visitors to witness the natural occurrence of this event.
This is an archeological site where the oldest early man skull was discovered. The skull and remains discovered by a German professor who was looking for butterflies were estimated to be about 2 million years old. Other hunting tools used by early man were also discovered, interesting discoveries are the footprints of a man, woman and child located at Laetoli that is close to Olduvai gorge. For those interested in history, this is a perfect destination to find out more.
Africa’s largest fresh water body shared between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is a source of income for the locals through fishing, transport and boat cruises.
Though Tanzania takes the smallest portion of the lake, the towns of Bukoba, Mwanza and Musoma highly attract tourists to them. Birding can also be carried out here.
Surrounded by coral gardens, this area is perfect for divers and snorkelers, the underworld features are protected and conserved by the Mafia Island Marine Park. There also about 400 fish species that can be fished such as tuna, sailfish and marlins, abundant species of birds are also noticed flying over the island. Mafia Island is a known place for breeding green turtles that are currently facing a threat of extinction.
Known for having the largest baboon population in the world, the larger area of the park is covered by water, forests, grasslands and woodlands, wetlands and swamps. The Park has tree climbing lions, hippos found in the lake and wetlands, elephants in the grasslands and a variety of bird species inclusive of over 1000 flamingoes. Visitors can embark on Wildlife drives, mountain biking, birding and canoeing on the lake.
This area is in between Serengeti and Lake Manyara national Parks, the Ngorongoro Crater, a volcanic water catchment area is located within this park, it is the main source of water to the park’s animals and hence less of them migrate due to lack of water. The crater is almost three millions years old making it the oldest crater in the world.
Zanzibar is an island located in the Indian ocean, it is a holiday destination for most people and all credit goes to its white sand beaches, the sand is soft and thin, the area has clear shallow waters where visitors can swim. It has some of the oldest architectural buildings that were owned by Arabs like mosques especially in the historic town known as Stone Town.
Visitors can also enjoy surfing, kite skiing but this depends on the waters and waves found on which part of the island you at. This area is favorite among couples as a honeymoon destination.
This is one of the best spots to watch wildlife animals, it is known for its large elephant population. The savanna plains made up of short baobab trees and short grasses enable tourist to have a clear view of the animals like gazelles, elands grazing in the fields, wildebeests, zebras, impalas are just a few of the animals you are likely to come across while in the park.
The Park is a bird’s haven with over 300 species of birds like the vultures, eagles, storks, buzzards and more enjoyed by bird enthusiasts.
The best time to visit Tanzania is during the dry season – July to September when animals are usually gathered near water sources in the game parks, for hikes the trails are not muddy and beach is also most enjoyed when the sun is shining. However, the country can be visited at any time of the year.
