Tanzania is the rhythm of life, a wilderness continually evolving. The big five? Set your sights higher than five. There are more wild land mammals here than anywhere else in Africa. The scale is unfathomable.
Tanzania is home to the great wildebeest migration. The world’s largest freestanding mountain? That’s Mount Kiliimanjaro in Tanzania. The Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar (psst, the beaches are as good as Maldives and Mauritius). That’s also Tanzania. Are you ready to explore?
1. Mount Kilimanjaro
First up from Tanzania’s natural wonders is Africa’s highest mountain. It takes a week to climb to the roof of Africa, almost 6000 metres above sea level. It’s tough, rough and magnificent. Even if you don’t climb, it’s still magnificent to see this snow-capped volcano standing above the great grassy plains of East Africa.
2. Mobile camping with the great wildebeest migration
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It’s surreal, more than a million wildebeest and zebras carpeting the plains before your eyes. The sounds of lions and hyenas meeting the drumbeat of wildebeest hooves. This is the greatest concentration of large wild mammals, anywhere. You can stay at a mobile camp that moves with the migration. That means you’ll literally be surrounded by nature’s greatest show.
3. Ngorongoro Crater
If you’ve never been on safari there’s a good chance you can picture Ngorongoro Crater. Lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, zebra, hippos…all the different animals side by side, like The Lion King. That scene almost never happens in Africa, because different species live in different places. Ngorongoro Crater is the epic exception, a complete animal world inside the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera.
4. Tanzania is very accessible
How easy is it to reach these natural wonders? Not as difficult as exploring the Congo. Kilimanjaro has an international airport with direct connections including Amsterdam (KLM), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Doha (Qatar Airways), and Dubai (Fly Dubai). After Tanzania why not fly straight to the gorillas!
5. Zanzibar’s Stone Town
Stone Town is the most evocative of all Africa’s historic destinations. It’s a vibrant living museum, where the maze-like streets hold over 1000 years of heritage and secrets. Imagine a town constructed from coral, shaped by pirates, conquerors, artisans, slave traders, Arabs, Indians, Africans, Muslims, Christians and so many more.
6. Safari in Southern Tanzania
It’s wild in Southern Tanzania, a land of thick wilderness and wandering giants. Selous is one of Africa’s biggest game reserves. Ruaha is one of the continent’s true hidden gems. Katavi is like the Serengeti on a smaller scale. You won’t find other people down here. But you can fly in and out for a really raw safari experience.
7. Fly-in Safari
In Tanzania you can fly anywhere by light aircraft. You can touch down on dusty airstrips that are first cleared of elephants; fly between Zanzibar and the Serengeti; connect any two of Tanzania’s many safari destinations. Don’t go by road, because Tanzanian roads are beyond challenging. Just fly instead.
8. Chimpanzees
Take the Mahale Mountains for example. Go there by road from just about anywhere in Tanzania and it will take about a month. This is a remote, middle of nowhere place your friends have never heard of. So fly. And come face to face with large troops of wild chimpanzees. It’s another world.
9. Beaches
Tanzania has a 1500-kilometre coastline. On the Indian Ocean (yes the same ocean as the Seychelles and Oman). And then there are the islands, where white sand stretches on and on. Islands like Zanzibar and Pemba are superb beach holiday destinations, perfect for before or after your exploring. Stay at Tulia Zanzibar. Or maybe an underwater suite on Pemba island.
10. Great safari lodges and camps
You can’t go camping in lion country without knowing a little about camping. And the Tanzanians know how to set up a camp. In the land of elephants they’ve created magical places to stay, where you are absolutely safe and comfortable. These are five-star hotel rooms in the bush, with canvas walls so you can be fully immersed in nature.
11. A unique holiday
In some countries everybody does the same itinerary – the same places, experiences and accommodations. In Tanzania you can explore your way. Elephant conversation? Scuba diving? Walking safari? Meeting the Masai?
With so many varied destinations and experiences the holiday can be designed exactly to your interests and needs.
