Tanzania is considered the “Cradle of Mankind” for it was here, in the Olduvai Gorge, that Dr Louis Leakey discovered the fossilized remains of the 1.75 million years old Homo habilis, the forerunner of modern man. Flanked by the Indian Ocean in the east, Tanzania is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and by Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, a splendid centre from which to explore eastern, central and southern Africa.

Through the interior runs the Great Rift Valley, that vast fault line down the spine of Africa that, in Tanzania, has created many topographical features such as the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Tanganyika. The central plateau (1200m above sea level) is a huge expanse of savannah and sparse woodland. To the north, the 5890m Mount Kilimanjaro rises, the highest mountain in Africa. While the interior is largely arid, the 800km coastline is lush and palm-fringed as are the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.

The coastal areas are hot and humid with an average day time temperature of 30°C. Sea breezes make the climate very pleasant from June to September. The central plateau experiences hot days and cool nights. The hilly country between the coast and the northern highlands has a pleasant climate from January to September, with temperatures averaging around 20°C. Temperatures vary around Kilimanjaro according to the season registering a low 15°C during May-August rising to 22°C during December-March. For the whole country the hottest months are from October to February. The main, long rainy season is from mid-March to late May.