Tanzania General Information

Main Attractions in Tanzania

Dar Es Salaam is a warm city with no evidence of slums. The city's nearest beach is Oyster Bay - which is a beautiful piece of tropical coastline.

Dar es Salaam is known for its history, architecture, and its diverse cultural mix of African, German, Asian and British influences. Like most African cities, there are substantial contrasts between the various parts of the city. There are busy central streets that run pass the colourful Kariakoo Market and clock tower, and very quiet areas with tree-lined boulevards to the north.

The shopping, restaurants, and bustling activity in Dar es Salaam is, at its best, in the Asian business district, and visitors can find carvings, paintings, pottery, batiks and clothing, as well as some of the best restaurants in East Africa.
 

  Zanzibar is famous for once being the commercial centre of East Africa and has been known as " the Spice Island" because of its many spice plantations and spice tours. It combines ancient Islamic ruins, noble Arabic houses with miles of white sandy palm fringed beaches and coves. The ocean offers warm clear blue waters with excellent reefs for; snorkelling and diving, fantastic deep sea fishing, water sports and delicious fresh fish! The activities available on Zanzibar include: spice tours, dhow trips, diving, deep sea fishing, sailing, walking safaris, ballooning, bird watching, dolphin-watching, and visiting a number of interesting sites such as Jozani Forest, Chumbe Islands, or the historical ruins of Mbweni Palace.

Diving and snorkelling can be extraordinary in this part of the world. The seas around Zanzibar, Mafia, Chole Bay and the Pemba Channel are considered among the best waters for diving in the Indian Ocean. Chole Bay is part of a protected marine park, with an unbroken reef running the length of the Mafia Island. The diving here is spectacular and includes colourful coral gardens, walls at various levels and many shelves and coral heads. The coral keeps many colourful fish, including hawksbill and sea turtles - for exceptional diving opportunities and experiences. Mafia is a perfect destination for divers seeking adventure and beauty, or for those who just want to relax in this idyllic tropical setting.
 

Selous holds over 350 species of birds and reptiles,  2 000  species of plants, and a wide range of wildlife. This area was once home to the largest concentration of elephant on the continent (over 110,000)... The ‘Ivory Wars' of the late 70s and early 80s had a devastating effect on the herds, reducing numbers to an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 today.

Famous for its elephant, hippopotamus and rhino (although now few remain), Selous has a broad range of game, including the largest population of buffalo in Africa, Nyasaland gnu, brindled gnu, hartebeest, Greater Kudu, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, zebras, giraffe, wildebeest, lion, leopard, spotted hyena and hunting dog.
 

In addition to the Wildebeest, the Serengeti National Park holds many types of large antelopes, including zebra, impala, eland, klipspringer, dik dik, and several different kinds of buck.

The Serengeti also has lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, hippos, hyenas, bat eared foxes, jackals, warthogs, porcupines, crocodiles, baboons, mongoose's and different types of monkey.

There are also almost 500 different bird species, including; vultures, storks, flamingos, martial and fish eagles and ostrichs.
 

Mount Kilimanjaro is located at the north-eastern tip of Tanzania. Climbing this mountain is an adventurous journey through the mists of an equatorial jungle, which reach the snowy peaks and breath-taking summit views. The ascent weaves through forests that vary in altitude, and opens into open moorlands below a rocky, snow-covered plateau. It has 3 volcanic centres, Shira, Kibo, and Mawenzi.

Climbing Kilimanjaro can be done any time of the year, but January, February and September are the best months. July, August, November and December are also good months to climb. The rainiest period is March to June, but even then most months of the year have few rainy days - which makes it possible to climb in relatively good conditions all year round. During the rainy period of March to May, clouds tend to pile up over the summit, dropping snow on top and rain at the base of this mountain.

The shorter rainy period of October to December often has storms that pass over the mountain, dropping rain as they go. The temperatures at this time of year is relatively warm. The dry season begins in late June and, through July can be very cold at night, but usually is clear of clouds. August and September are also cool and can have very clear days, but usually a cloud belt clings to the mountain above the forest. The Kilimanjaro summit can be totally clear and the view is a spectacular sea of clouds with distant mountain peaks poking through like islands.
 

There are many Baobab trees - which grow in the open acacia woodlands. Tarangire Park is full of birds of prey, and offers a rich variety of wildlife, including zebra, kudu, eland, impala, gazelle, buffalo, wildebeest, leopard, rhino and lots of smaller mammals.
 

At the top of the escarpment from the west side, the park stretches across a ribbon of green with the lake shining in the sun. And, like most Rift Valley lakes, the water is alkaline. This attracts loads of flocks of flamingos - which form a pink foam against the silver background of the water. Altogether, this area offers beautiful views as you take in the massive lake with its silver shimmer and surrounding vegetation.

The major landmark of this area is the spectacular rift wall, where the plains give way to the cultivated uplands of Mbululand. The Great Rift Valley is part of a fault in the earth's crust. This fault stretches 8,000 km from Turkey to the mouth of the Zambezi River in Mozambique. The fault is so massive that astronauts can see it clearly from space. It measures only 330 sq. km (of which the lake occupies 230 sq. km) and is located only 130KM from Arusha, this park often gets many day visitors, who come to enjoy the endless views and the variety of mammals, reptiles and birds, as well as, the varied vegetation, flora and fauna.

The diversity of its features makes the lake a particularly memorable place to visit. Animals found in the area include zebra, elephant, hippo, monkey, wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog, gazelle, impala, buffalo, wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog, hyena, baboon and giraffe. Manayara is also known for its tree-climbing lions. These majestic animals find shelter from the heat and biting flies in the branches of trees, and these lions can easily kill buffalo - which are far greater in weight and size than themselves. There are also over 350 species of bird life, with a variety of local species inhabiting the forest and bush, including pelicans that waddle around next to the short grasses on the shore of the lake.
 

The three distinct and spectacular features of this park include the Momela lakes, the Meru Crater, and the Ngurdoto Crater. Both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru can be seen from the park when the weather is clear. The vegetation in the Park is correlated to the altitude and geology of the area. Ngurdoto Crater is surrounded by forest whilst the crater floor consists of a swampy area. The Momela Lakes, like many in the Rift Valley, are alkaline, and Mt. Meru is a mixture of lush forests and bare rocks. Those who ascend the summit of the mountain will be rewarded with unparalleled views of the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Rift Valley.

There are different types of animals within the different vegetation zones of this area. Migrating water birds settle on the lakes, waterbuck and reedbuck are found near water, while the shy bushbuck and duikers keep to the forested areas. White and black colobus monkeys can be seen climbing the branches of ancient cedar trees. Arusha National Park is also home to buffalo, leopard, hyena, baboon, giraffe, rhino, elephant and hippo. Within this wide range of habitats almost 400 species of birds have been recorded in the Park. Some of these are migratory and present themselves between October and April, while others are permanent residents of the forests.
 

The Crater belongs to the Crater Highlands, with vast plains and stretches of bush and woodland areas - creating complex and interrelated ecosystems. The entire Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers about 8300 km 2 and next to the famous Crater is the Olduvai Gorge - a place (near its centre) were many fossils have been unearthed.

The alkaline Ndutu and Masek lakes in the west are particularly good areas for game viewing during the rainy season from March to May. In the east of the conservation area are a string of volcanoes and craters and along the southern border is Lake Eyai, a salt lake around which the Hadzabe people live - who are one of Tanzania's original ethnic groups. To the north-east on the Kenyan border is the beautiful Lake Natron.

Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's best known game viewing areas and is Tanzania's most visited. This crater is about 20 km wide and it is also one of the largest collapsed volcanoes in the world. In the Crater you may find a variety of animals and vegetation, including grasslands, swamps, forests, salt pans and a freshwater lake! You are likely to see lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as; the wildebeest, the Thomson's gazelle, the zebra and the reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingos wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi - the soda lake at the crater's base. Despite its steep walls, there's a considerable amount of movement of wildlife in and out of the crater – mostly to the Serengeti, since the land between the crater and Lake Manyara is intensively farmed. This area remains a favoured spot for wildlife because there's a permanent water supply and grassland on the crater floor.

The animals don't have the crater to themselves... The local Massai tribes have grazing rights and you may come across them tending their cattle in this area. During the German colonial era there were two settlers' farms in the crater; you can still see one of the huts..
 

Mikumi hosts populations of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, zebra, leopard, crocodile and many others. It is likely that you'll see at least some of these within just a short time of entering the park. Although Mikumi receives comparatively fewer visitors, those who do come never leave disappointed. In the section of the park to the west of the main road, there is a hippo pool which provides an excellent opportunity to watch the animals at close range. This is also a good place for observing varied water birds.

Mikumi is a significant educational and research centre. Among the various projects being carried out is an ongoing field study of yellow baboons, which are numerous here. It's one of just a handful of such long-term primate studies on the continent.

To the west of Mikumi, around Mbuyuni, is an enormous and striking collection of baobab trees stretching along the side of the main road.
 

In mid-1998 its park now measures and encompasses about 4500 km 2. Katavi is noted for its buffalo herds that are said to be among the largest in Tanzania. Other animals you are likely to see include zebra, giraffe, antelope, leopard, crocodile, elephant, lion and hippo. The park is also an excellent place for bird watching, particularly around its two lakes.
 

With an area of almost 13,000km 2, Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's second largest, and is part of an extended ecosystem that also encompasses the adjoining Rungwa and Kisigo game reserves. Much of the park is an undulating plateau averaging about 900m in height with occasional rocky outcrops, and mountains in the south and west reaching to about 1600m and 1900m, respectively.

Large areas of Ruaha are unexplored and undeveloped; one of park management's goals is to preserve as much of the territory as possible in a pristine and undisturbed state. Due to Ruaha's vastness and character, you should set aside as much time as you can spare to visit - it's not a place to be discovered on a quick in and out trip.
 

Among its residents are six species of primates, including the rare Iringa red colobus and the Sange crested mangabey monkeys, as well as populations of elephants, buffalos, leopards, and a rich variety of birdlife. The rare Udzungwa partridge is endemic to the area and has been sighted near the park's boundaries.

The high degree of endemism and biodiversity that characterises Udzungwa is due mainly to the area's constant climate over millions of years, which has given species a chance to evolve (Another factor is Udzungwa's altitudinal range). From the low-lying Kilombero Valley south-west of Udzungwa (at approximate 200m) to Luhombero peak (2579m), there is essentially a continuous forest. The area is one of the few places in Africa with a continuous rainforest over such a great span.

There are no roads in Udzungwa, instead, there are about four major and several lesser hiking paths winding through various sections of the park. Popular hikes include a short but steep half-day hike to Sange waterfalls, and a two day climb to the top of Luhombero, Udzungwa's highest peak.

Udzungwa, which has an area of 1900 km2, was gazetted in 1992 and is Tanzania's newest national park.
 

The area has been the site of an ongoing Japanese-sponsored primate research project since   1965  . It was gazetted as a national park in 1980 with an area of close to 1600 km 2. The park's highest peak is Mt Nkungwe (2462m) which was first climbed in 1939.
   

In 1960, the British researcher, Jane Goodall, arrived to begin her study of wild chimpanzees, and in 1968. Gombe was designated as a national park - Goodall's study is now in its fourth decade.

There are approximately 150 chimps in Gombe. They are well habituated, and you can sometimes get within 5m of them! In addition to observing the chimps, visitors can swim in the lake or hike in Gombe's forest. Other animals you may see in the park include the colobus and the vervet monkey, the bushbuck, the baboon, the bushpig, and a variety of birdlife. Gombe Streams is located on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, about 20km north of Kigoma.