Tanzania
Tanzania, the largest country in east Africa, is a tourist jewel that is too often overlooked by visitors to Africa. Home to the continent’s highest peak (in the form of Mount Kilimanjaro), its lowest depression (the bed of Lake Tanganyika), its most famous national park (the Serengeti) and part of its largest lake (Lake Victoria), Tanzania’s natural wonders are perfectly complemented by its excellent range of tourist sites and activities.
Visitors to Tanzania usually seek out one (or more) of four distinct and memorable travel experiences. Many travel to the island paradise of Zanzibar for an exotic beach vacation, a sun-soaked getaway spent lounging on the white sands of Zanzibar’s northern coast and rambling around its historic Stone Town district (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Others travel to Tanzania for snorkelling or diving in the Spice Islands (especially Mafia Island), where a gorgeous coral reef system and the opportunity to swim with whale sharks draws divers from all over the world.
Even more popular are safari tours of Tanzania’s world-famous game and wildlife parks. The largest and best-known of these, the Serengeti National Park, annually plays host to the largest mammal migration in the world – where millions of animals move northward in the search for greener pastures in an event that has been termed a ‘natural travel wonder of the world’.
Finally, many holidaymakers choose Tanzania for the express purpose of visiting Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, and climbing the mighty peak. An awesome sight, the snow-capped mountain rises unexpectedly from lush rainforest surroundings, and is the only mountain of its stature in the world that can be climbed my relatively inexperienced hikers.
Synonymous with the Serengeti and the magical and tropical island of Zanzibar, Tanzania is an eco-tourist’s dream and a great place to see sights of a wilder variety.
With so many wonderful game-viewing opportunities abounding in Tanzania, the most popular parks include the Mt Kilimanjaro Game Park and the Serengeti National Park. Off the shore of mainland Africa, Zanzibar is known for crystalline turquoise waters and sandy white beaches on its north shore. And while you’re there, be sure to stop off at the National Museum and the Palace Museum.
