Tanzania on the east coast of Africa has an abundance of environments to explore and wildlife to encounter: from flamingoes in Lake Manyara, to big tuskers in the Ngorongoro Crater and the great migration in the Serengeti. Tanzania is home to the highest mountain on the continent: Mount Kilimanjaro and some of the most celebrated beaches and pristine coral reefs in Africa across Zanzibar.

On the limitless plains of the Serengeti, visitors witness the ebb and flow of the annual migration as millions of wildebeest cover thousands of miles in their constant search for water and grazing. Tanzania’s vastness encompasses a great diversity of habitats and each region is famous for particular species, from the chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains, to the desert-adapted antelope of Ruaha, and the flamingoes and famous tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara, to the crocodiles and hippo in the mighty Rufiji River in Selous.

Zanzibar and its surrounding islands off the east coast of Tanzania have stunning white sand beaches and excellent coral reefs. The warm Indian Ocean makes Zanzibar a perfect relaxing getaway, and a stunning change of scenery from Tanzania’s game reserves and national parks.

TANZANIA TOURIST CIRCUITS

  • Lake Tanganyika and Western Tanzania
  • Selous and Southern Tanzania
  • Serengeti and Northern Tanzania
  • Zanzibar and the coast.

Lake Tanganyika and Western Tanzania

The Mahale Mountains is an extraordinarily beautiful national park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Chimp tracking is the chief attraction here, and thanks to Jane Goodall’s pioneering research in the 1960s, the wild chimpanzees are habituated, and guided walks offer a good chance of encountering them.

Katavi National Park is a remote classic dry season reserve. It contains large tracts of Miombo woodland crossed by a number of rivers, each with wide floodplains. Between May and November, these open floodplains attract abundant game, allowing for superb wildlife viewing.

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Selous and Southern Tanzania

The Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa, covering 52,000km­2 of pristine wilderness. The park supports a wide variety of wildlife including elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, crocodile and many antelope and bird species. The Rufiji River flows through the park and the terrain varies from riverine forest and alluvial flood plains with oxbow lagoons, to low mopane forest.

Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s second largest, covering 13,000 sq kms, and home to huge herds of elephant and buffalo. The central spine of the park is the watershed between the Nzombe and Ruaha rivers, with a dramatic escarpment, above which lie enormous stretches of miombo woodland. The dry climate means that certain species not found elsewhere in Tanzania, such as the greater kudu, can be seen in Ruaha.

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Serengeti and Northern Tanzania

The Serengeti, meaning ‘endless plain’, entirely lives up to its name. Famed for its abundance of wildlife, it’s perhaps best known for the annual migration of over a million wildebeest and zebra. This is best viewed in the Serengeti and Grumeti when the herds are on the move from the end of June to September, and from November to February.

The Ngorongoro Crater was once a huge active volcano – probably as large as Kilimanjaro. After its eruption, its cone collapsed inwards leaving the caldera which, at over 10km wide, forms a natural home to an estimated 30,000 animals. This unique conservation area offers some of East Africa’s very best game viewing opportunities.

Lake Manyara National Park is relatively small (325 sq km) but stunningly beautiful. Bordered on one side by the lake and on the other by the dramatic rift valley escarpment, it has a large elephant and hippo population and its lion are famous for climbing trees. Birding is also excellent.

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Zanzibar and the Coast

The south coast of Tanzania is a wild and beautiful region with miles of unspoilt beaches, spectacular coastal forest, river estuaries and ancient Arabic settlements. The islands of Zanzibar lie in the Indian Ocean. Stone Town, the capital, has a distinct Arabic feel, having risen to prominence as the ancient spice and slave capital of the East African coast.

The Zanzibar archipelago is just 20 minutes flight from the coast of Tanzania. To the north and south of Unguja, the main island of Zanzibar, are Pemba Island and Mafia Island. Both offer excellent diving and are great destinations for those wanting to get away from it all.

Stone Town itself is a fascinating old town is a maze of narrow streets, old leaning houses and colourful spice markets.

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