Tanzania is a place where human beings and wild nature species happily coexist.
From Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro, under the Serengeti sun lies Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa.
When it comes to safaris, Tanzania is a great destination on the African continent. It emphatically preserves nature sanctuaries that host the largest concentration of wildlife that remains on Earth.
In Tanzania, you will find the most fantastic hotel resorts in Africa to satisfy every need and desire. The accommodation ranges from rustic safari camps to luxurious beachfront hotels with first-class spa services.
You don’t have to worry about your well-being as nature is protected by law, and the local people take excellent care of visitors.
However, you have to be prepared to spend many hours in a vehicle between transfers and safaris, travel dusty roads, and visit areas very far from critical urban centers. You will not regret it.
In a few months, you will be able to see the great migration of wildebeest and zebra; in other months, you will be able to observe predators, and, in another season, you will be able to see the animals that gather around the watering holes.
The north of the country is in ideal conditions throughout the year for a safari.
Of course, you have to consider that from March to May, there is more rain, and it is not always comfortable.
The country is home to natural wonders of the continent: the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara, among other things.
As mentioned, it offers a great variety of accommodations. In many of them, the wonderful thing is that it is possible to enjoy the infinite tranquility of the savannah and feel the wildlife in its splendor.
Flag of Tanzania
Where is Tanzania
What to visit in Tanzania
Dodoma
The central city, Dodoma, is a city created to be the official Capital of Tanzania, like Abuja in Nigeria, Brasilia in Brazil, or Canberra in Australia.
However, until today, Dodoma has not worked as such, and if your time is limited, there are many more places to visit in this beautiful country.
The city has an interesting contrast between the colonial buildings and the modern ones. It is possible to find many green areas that make it one of the most welcoming cities in Tanzania.
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania and one of Africa’s most populous cities.
Halfway between some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, it is the second busiest port in East Africa and the commercial center of Tanzania.
The port runs on an extensive Indian Ocean harbor, with around 20 million people living within 20 miles. Its location provides an enjoyable experience. While there are many streets to explore, you can easily find yourself by the ocean or enjoy some newly discovered spice at any store around town.
A super busy fish market where dhows dock early at dawn to unload all night’s catch. Excellent craft markets and restaurants, as well as some nearby beaches and islands, might catch your attention to know.
Dar es Salaam’s architecture is a mix of African, Arabic, Indian and German, although today, tall skyscrapers overshadow much of it.
Many travelers overlook a stopover in Dar es Salaam on their trip to Tanzania. Still, those who do not find themselves in the fascinating eclectic cultural mix and distinctive city atmosphere.
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a jewel in the ocean. It’s a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean surrounded by beaches among the best in the world.
Here you can swim, snorkel, or lounge for hours, as schools of luminous fish feed in the nearby coral gardens and pods of dolphins playing near the shoreline.
In the island’s capital, Zanzibar Town, is the historic neighborhood of Stone Town, with a fascinating mix of influences from Africa, Arabia, India, and Europe.
For these reasons and more, the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania (Official name: Unguja) is the focal point of the archipelago and the most popular destination for visitors.
Tanzania National Parks
There are nine national parks in which you can observe predators or animals gathering around watering holes.
The northern part of the country is ideal for safaris from March to May, when rainfall may be more frequent and not always comfortable.
The best option to see the national parks is to rent a van with a driver for the safaris.
It is advisable to start the day very early, even from dawn if you can, to see all the animals in their splendor. The heat becomes so suffocating that the animals hide among the trees and bushes around noon, looking for some shade that shelters them.
Ngorongoro Crater Lake National Park
It is a place of great beauty for its unspoiled nature and the wild animals that live around it. It has one of the largest populations of predators in Africa.
The Ngorongoro Crater Lake National Park offers fantastic scenery with lakes, swamps, rivers, streams, among other things.
This region offers shelter to many species such as zebras, lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, black rhinos, cheetahs, porcupines, hyenas, antelopes, warthogs, buffaloes, and many other species.
Ngorongoro is a true wonder of nature. In reality, it is not a park or a reserve but an area aimed at the conservation of flora and fauna.
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is another spectacular place where you only have to continue watching amazing animals and more scenery. Still, it is difficult to get tired in a place like this, seeing how they all survive in freedom.
At 14,763 square kilometers, the Serengeti National Park is arguably the best national park in Africa, offering abundant wildlife viewing opportunities.
You can regularly see almost all the large animals in East Africa in the national park or ecosystem.
Including all the boundaries of the protected areas, which Ngorongoro is one of the most prominent, the size of the entire Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is an astonishing 30,000 square kilometers total terrain filled with truly extraordinary and fantastic wildlife.
Famous for its predators – especially lions, leopards, and cheetahs – and plenty of elephants, the Serengeti dazzles even the toughest of safari critics.
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara is a prime bird-watching destination because of the vast amount of avian species you can see at any given time – over 320 different types recorded so far.
You’ll see many Swahili termite mounds (which can reach up to 18ft high) and plenty of game, too, from elephants to buffalo, roaming free across this 75 square miles national park.
Nyerere National Park
The Nyerere National Park park gets its name after the first president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. He was responsible for preserving this stunning African piece back when British colonialists almost destroyed it.
This park is home to an astounding array of land and water mammals.
A must-visit for keen birders thanks to its 406 recorded species (particularly warblers), it’s also a great spot if you’re looking to see some leopards in action.
It is over 30,000 square kilometers of total terrain filled with truly extraordinary and fantastic wildlife that’ll dazzle even the harshest safari critics – from predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs down to elephants roaming free across a 75-mile squared national park.
Nyika Plateau National Park
The Nyika Plateau is a high-altitude area dotted with an incredible variety of wildlife and greenery and Tanzanian tribespeople who are still going about their traditional way of life in the present day irrespective of modernization or outside influences on this part of Africa.
Gombe National Park
Many things make this park special – the fact it was home to Jane Goodall’s famous chimpanzee research, its proximity to both Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, as well as a stunning diversity in animal populations.
The Gombe National Park is one of Africa’s most beautiful national parks, with an astonishing variety of wildlife living within its boundaries. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on multiple occasions by being and once again listed as a Biosphere Reserve, which means you can expect breathtaking landscapes and scenic views to abound!
Tarangire National Park
Some visitors may not have heard about Tarangire National Park because they’re often drawn more towards other Tanzanian gems such as Serengeti or Ruaha National Park. Still, it doesn’t mean that Tarangire is any less important.
Easily accessed from Arusha, the park’s expansive savanna plains are home to a wide range of wildlife ranging from large mammals such as elephants and giraffes to many different antelope species impala, topi, and wildebeest.
Places like these allow visitors to explore Tanzania in its purest form.
Arusha National Park
Tanzania has plenty of stunning parks, but none quite compare to this gem established back in 1948, making it one of Africa’s oldest national parks. Unsurprisingly, animal sightings are abundant at all hours of the day and night due to their remarkably diverse ecosystem.
Katavi National Park
Katavi is a classic Dry-Season safari park located in eastern Africa – home to the Big Five.
The park, which is the largest on Earth, is accessible from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar after connecting by road or sea route through Kenya and Tanzania’s mainland.
The land of Katavi offers visitors all kinds of adventure: bird watching, river rafting, horseback riding, and hiking; you can do all these activities depending on what interests you.
Tanganyika National Park
Tanganyika National Park is a protected area in Tanzania, Africa. Established as Tanganyika Game Reserve on October 15th, 1932, the park was designated to become East Africa’s first national park of its kind. Two months later, it became an international peace reserve before being renamed in July 1940 with the current name.
Mikumi National Park
Open horizons and plenty of wildlife of the Mkata Floodplain, the central part of Mikumi, are often compared to the Serengeti Plains.
When Dry Season ends, all the waterholes, including the hippopotamus pool, become a wildlife gathering. Large herds of elephants and buffaloes visit these drinking spots throughout the day.
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
The most famous mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, offers a stunning natural spectacle as one of the world’s tallest peaks sitting at 19,340 feet above sea level. The Kilimanjaro National Park has various ecosystems and an iconic sultry rainforest with rare trees of more than 400 years.
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