Top 10 Attractions
1. Kilimanjaro
Its indeed a facinating mountain and climbing it will take you through 5 different climatic changes as you push for africa's highest point named Uhuru peak "peak of freedom". It is a unique mountain with tempratures that range +20 degree celius in the cultivated zone to 10 degrees celius and even more in the artic zone.
Kilimanjaro is the highlight of many visitor's experince in Tanzania. Hiking on Africa's roof is the adventure of a lifetime any enthusiast can be able scale the snow peak, The most important thing about climbing Kilimanjaro is the level of time for altitude aclimatization, no matter how diffcult route may seem.
There are six official climbing routes by which to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, namely:
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Marangu,
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Rongai,
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Lemosho,
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Shira,
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Umbwe and Machame
2. Ngorongoro Crater Highlands
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is situated some 190 km. West of Arusha, between Lake Manyara and Serengeti National Parks. Covering approximately 8,288 square km, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area consists of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, the Olduvai Gorge and Ndutu, the Empakai crater and the Oldonyo Lengai Mountain. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land use where people (the Maasai), their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same protected habitat. The craters of Ngorongoro and Empakai are reserved exclusively for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation Area is shared by wildlife, people and livestock. The Maasai, the main residents of Ngorongoro, are pastoralists who move widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goat and donkeys in search of pasture and water. In recent years the Maasai have been encouraged to work on the land and supplement their traditional diet of milk, blood and meat. The Ngorongoro Crater, which is the central attraction in the area, is the largest Caldera in the world that has its walls intact. The Ngorongoro Crater floor, a sheer drop of 610 metres below the crater rim, has an area of 265 sq. km, with a diameter of 19 km. The sight of the Ngorongoro Crater is simply stunning.
“There is nothing with which to compare. It is one of the wonders of the world....” once wrote Professor Bernard Grzimek. The crater floor is covered with plains animals, including wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, elands, rhino, and a large predator population of lions, hyena and jackal which can all be viewed at close quarters. Cheetah and leopard can also be seen here. The rainy season is between November and May. The altitude at the crater rim is about 2286 metres above sea level, and temperatures can get quite chilly in the evening.
3. Zanzibar
Zanzibar is the ultimate Indian Ocean experience, with its fascinating historical stones town and magnificent beaches. Zanzibar’s Indian Ocean offers World class watersports including scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, waterskiing and sailing on traditional local dhows.
There is a lot to see and to do on Zanzibar Island. First and foremost, do enjoy the amazing white sand beaches especially at the north, east and south coast. The sand has the consistency of castor sugar! Zanzibar also has quite a lot of caves, e.g. Tazani near Nungwi. Also do a village tour that are offered all over the island.
Jozani Forest has excellent nature trails, featuring some very exotic (and large) trees and plants. Even more interesting, though, are the Red Colobus Monkeys that live here. These Monkeys can only survive on Zanzibar, nowhere else in the world, since they need a diet of 70 different plants, berries etc. The Red Colobus Monkeys are a protected species. A major part of the entrance fees goes to the local farmers in the surrounding area. They are very curious and playful and will likely pose for a picture. The entry fee also include an optional visit to a beautiful mangrove forest which is highly recommended. There are a number of historically important (and frankly, just plain beautiful) buildings in Stone Town, like The House of Wonders and The Arab Fort.
The market in Stone Town is one of the largest, most vibrant open-air markets anywhere. Here, you can find several varieties of bananas, "elephant garlic" unique to the island, the largest avocados you'll probably ever see, and more. Prices are extremely reasonable. Even if you have no intentions of purchasing food, the spectacle alone is worth a visit.
4. Serengeti National Park
Covering an area of 14,763 sq. km, Serengeti National Park is the largest National Park in Tanzania. The park is located some 320 km to the northwest of Arusha, lying in a high plateau between the Ngorongoro highlands and the Kenya/ Tanzania border, and extending almost to Lake Victoria to the west. Aptly named “endless plains” by the Maasai people, you immediately experience this vastness as you enter the southeastern plains of the park from Ngorongoro.
Declared a protected area in 1921 and gazetted as a National park in 1951, Serengeti is the oldest National Park in Tanzania and undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. The principal features of the Serengeti are the short and long grass plains in the south and east, the acacia Savannah in the central areas, the hilly and densely wooded areas in the north and the extensive woodland in the west.
There is a variety of scenery, which include the plains, lakes, hills and the rock outcrops called kopjes. The main game drive areas in the Serengeti are the Seronera Valley, the Western Corridor, and Lobo or northern Serengeti. The Seronera valley in central Serengeti endowed with permanent surface water attract a large concentration of wildlife throughout the year. Common animals that can be seen here are lions, buffaloes, impalas, hippos, waterbucks, elephants, cheetahs and the leopard. From December, when the long rains start, to May, eastern Serengeti plains provide the best opportunities for game viewing as hundreds of thousands of the migratory animals are concentrated in this part attracted by the short palatable grass.
5. Lake Manyara
Located 125 km west of Arusha town, under the wall of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park is one of the oldest and most popular sanctuaries in East Africa. The park has a large variety of habitats, making it possible to support a wealth of wildlife in its small area. The main habitats include the shallow soda lake itself which occupies 70% of the National Park total area of 320 sq. km, the ground water forest, open grassland, acacia woodland and the rift wall.
The most famous spectacle in the park is the tree-climbing lions, which are occasionally seen along branches of acacia trees. Other animals found in the park include buffalo, elephants, leopards, baboons, impala, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich and hippos. Popularly referred to as an ornithologist’s paradise, Lake Manyara National Park contains over 400 bird species found in most savanna and river habitats in East Africa. Common water birds to be seen here are pelicans, spoonbills, Egyptian geese, hammerkops and the migratory flamingoes, which arrive in hundreds of thousands creating one of Africa’s great natural sights over the soda lake.
6. Mafia Island
Mafia Island and its reefs are renowned as an excellent, world class diving destination. Scientists have confirmed that. Mafia has some of the richest reefs in the world, with an unparalleled variety of hard and soft corals and diversity of tropical fish. Also home to the manta hotel, first underwater hotel in Tanzania.
7. Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi.
Located slightly off the main safari route, Tarangire National Park is a lovely quiet park in Northern Tanzania that is most famous for its elephant migration, birding and quiet authentic safari atmosphere
Tarangire is the surprise package on the Northern circuit. Often overshadowed by the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire has immense concentrations of game in the peak months and a fraction of the visitors that go to any of the other Northern parks. The game viewing here from July through to October is superb and the atmosphere and habitat is completely different from the other parks. Tarangire is surprisingly large giving visitors the quietest game viewing environment of all the parks in the region. Overall, a superb little park that offers great value compared to its neighbours and a seriously good option for getting away from it all.
The main activity in Tarangire is daytime game driving, however, staying outside the park makes walking and night safari a possibility. It has recently started night safari within the park itself. Ask us for more information as the regulations here seem to change every year!
The game viewing from July though to October is exceptional but for the remainder of the year the majority of game migrates out of the park, onto the floor of the Rift Valley and to the grazing grounds of the Masai steppe. As a result, we would advise visitors not to expect high concentrations of game in the off season months, but would still recommend travelling here to those who want to avoid the crowds
8. Pemba Island
Pemba Island a land area of 988 square kilometres, it is situated about 50 kilometres to the north of Unguja, the largest island of the archipelago
Although separated by only 100km of sea, Pemba and Zanzibar are very different. Unlike Zanzibar, where tourist infrastructure is well developed, Pemba remains largely ‘undiscovered’. Much of the coast is lined with mangroves and lagoons; however, there are stretches of sand and some idyllic uninhabited isles. The healthy coral reefs, the steeply dropping walls of the Pemba Channel and an abundance of fish provide the best diving in East Africa. Inland, unlike flat, sandy Zanzibar, Pemba’s terrain is hilly and fertile, lushly planted with fruit and spice trees. In the days of Arab traders, the island aptly bore the name Jazirat al Khuthera, the Green Island. Together with Mafia Island (south of Unguja), these islands form the Spice Islands.
9. Selous Game Reserve
Located in southern Tanzania and far from the madding crowds, the Selous Game Reserve is Africa's largest game reserve and one of our favourite wildlife viewing areas. It really is a hidden gem! The rivers and lakes of the Selous are the lifeblood of a park that hosts some fabulous game, including elephant, wild dog, buffalo, hippo, crocodile and fantastic prides of lion.
We are huge fans of the Selous. The reality is that this park is so vast it is impossible to count its game and that is exactly what we love about it; Selous is untouched African wilderness and yet still easily accessible from Dar and Zanzibar. All in all, it is probably our favourite Tanzania Safari location.
Not only a wonderful place for the seasoned safari enthusiast, the Selous also offers an amazing introduction to unspoilt Africa. The game viewing is superb (especially in the peak season months), the wilderness on display is some of the most untouched in Africa, and the sheer variety of activities available makes for an excellent safari experience. Home to some of Africa's best walking, boat safaris and fly camping trips, the Selous has the greatest diversity of safari activities of all the Tanzanian safari parks. The boating safaris in particular really set this reserve apart from other Tanzanian parks. The fact that the Selous is so much quieter (in visitor terms) than the majority of the rest of the country just adds to its attraction.
Standard daytime game drives are just the beginning. There are also a number of operators here who run fly camping trips, comprising lengthy walking safaris and mobile camping under the stars - very adventurous but not for the faint-hearted!
10. Ruaha National Park
Ruaha national park is one of the few Tanzania’s famous wilderness area where one can have a rare experience of game viewing spiced up by the fascinating landscape. The park is rich of plants and animals such as Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) which cannot be found in any other national park. The park boasts of her almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem, making visitors’ safari experience very unique.
It is indeed Tanzania's largest, a vast wilderness in the south-west of the country visited by only a handful of travellers each year. At the park's heart is the aptly-named Great Ruaha River, a massive watercourse that dwindles to only a few pools in the dry season, but bursts its banks and roars over boulders at the height of the rains.
Converging with the Great Ruaha are hundreds of sand rivers, natural game corridors when dry and sparklingly clear streams when wet. Waterbuck, impala and the world's most southerly Grant's gazelle risk their lives for a sip of water - the shores of the Ruaha are a permanent hunting ground for lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, hyena and the rare and endangered African wild dog. Ruaha's elephants are recovering strongly from ivory poaching in the 1980's and remain the largest population in East Africa. Ruaha represents a transition zone where eastern and southern species of flora and fauna overlap - lesser and greater kudu co-exist with northern species such as Grant's gazelle.
