Is it possible to capture the Tanzanian adventure in a single mental snapshot? Perhaps an image of the hundreds of thousands of Gnus which migrate instinctually through the Serengeti. Or of the massive elephant families that congregate and wade along the Rufiji/Tarangire river? Or perhaps a pack of lions lounging in the sun on the grass covered ground of the majestic Ngorongoro Crater ? Of course, these are only a few of the many images that come to mind when one thinks about Tanzania. And this is such a good thing! Tanzania is truly a safari haven, and a marvellous one at that.
The statistics speak for themselves: no other land in the world has ¼ of its territory reserved for natural protection purposes. The world re-known Serengeti National Park and the enormous selous wildlife reserve are some of the most remarkable areas hosting roughly twenty percent of all large African mammals. In the Northern circuit of Tanzania you will also visit Lake Manyara National Park in which is in the Great Rift Valley and Arusha National Park.
But Tanzania offers more than just its wonderfully rich safari life. It also boasts the highest mountain, Kilimanjaro and the fifth highest mountain, Mt. Meru, of the continent. And don’t forget the beautiful waters of the Victoria Sea, Tanganyika Sea and Nyase Sea, the three largest lakes in Africa. There is also the charming spice island of Zanzibar hosting many beautiful beaches, spectacular swimming and mysterious medieval ruins.
But wait, there is yet more! Beyond the sandy beaches of the Tanganyika Sea rise the Gombe and Mahale Mountains National Parks, two of the best places in the world to see wild chimpanzees. Gombe National Park is known as the site Dr. Jane Goodall conducted her studies of chimpanzee behaviour. Further along the coast lay the beautiful, yet isolated massifs of the Eastern Arc Mountains, nicknamed the “African Galapagos” after their abundance of domestic plant and animal life.
And last but not least, Tanzania proudly hosts over 120 different cultural tribes, differing in range from the majestic Massai-Hirten of the Rift Valley to the far coast where one finds the Hadzabe or the Swahili with their more Arab influenced culture.
