Tanzania :

TANZANIA MAIN LAND
..Has spectacular tourist attractions in its game parks, the Indian Ocean coast and Islands, large fresh water lakes and snow-capped mountains

It has a history embracing early relics of mankind, the African explorers, and exotic Zanzibar with it's Arabian influence. It is a large country, about four times the size of Great Britain, of enormous diversity. From Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro (5895 meters, 19,158 ft), to sandy white beaches, coral reefs and off shore islands. The wide open plains of the Serengeti National Park, where the famous wildebeest migration begins and ends, the Selous and Ruaha National Parks in the south, the Rufiji River, and the fresh water lakes in the west. Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River and the largest lake in Africa, which shares its shores with Kenya and Uganda, and Lake Tanganyika, teeming in tropical fish, is the 3rd deepest lake in the world, and shares its shores with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Zanzibar Island, off the coast, steeped in history, with the narrow winding streets of Stone Town, fragrant spices and glorious beaches.

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The North - In the north of the country the “Northern Circuit” includes the best known of the national parks in Tanzania. Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with the prehistoric site Olduvai Gorge, and Tarangire. All of which are popular tourist destinations and easy to visit. There are also the lesser known Mkomazi National Park, Rubondo Island and Umba Game Reserves. The Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and Arusha National Park, with Mount Meru, offer climbing and trekking.

Central and southern parks – There are seven parks and reserves in this large area. The two reasonably easy to access from Dar es Salaam by road are Mikumi National Park, and Saadani National Park. The main attractions in the southern region are the Selous Game Reserve, one of Africa's largest wildlife concentrations, and Ruaha National Park, Kitulo National Park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park which have an unspoiled atmosphere that reflect their remote locations. Visiting these parks is easiest by air, flying into the lodge airstrips; otherwise long journeys by road from Dar es Salaam are required.

Western parks – The parks in the west include two famous chimpanzee sanctuaries, Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park, situated on Lake Tanganyika. Access to both of these parks involves flying into an airstrip and a connection of boat trip. The other parks in this area are very remote but have accommodation for tourists ranging from High End to budget Tanapa bandas

Good time to visit: Tanzania has much to offer all year round. Situated just south of the equator, temperatures average between 25-30C°. Humidity can be very high along the coastal strip and on Zanzibar but much lower in the interior highlands. There long rains are from March to May and short rains between October and December. In addition there are frequently heavy rains in the south of Tanzania from December until April.

The wildebeest migration in the Serengeti occurs in February around Ndutu and Southern Serengeti, moving up to Central Serengeti and Western Corridor in June and July. If you are planning a trekking or climbing holiday the best months are May to September although the trekking trips can be done all year around depending on a choice of the route and also Trekking can be combined with a safari to either the Northern, Southern Tanzania or Zanzibar Beach Holiday. Traveling by road, especially in the more remote areas or through the national parks, is easier during the dry months, as road conditions deteriorate significantly in the rain. There is an average of 4-6 hours of sunshine each day.

Visas - Visa are required by all visitors except citizens of the Commonwealth (excluding citizens of the UK, Australia, Canada, India and Nigeria who do require visas).It is straight forward to obtain a visas at the point of entry (border crossing or airport). Please note that requirement may change at any time, and check with your agent at time of booking.

Health - We recommend anti malarial prophylactics, especially if you are visiting the coast and during the wet seasons when malaria is more prolific. For more information on health issues please consult your doctor.

Language The official language is Swahili, which is spoken by everyone. Most places on the tourist routes and all business communication English will be used and widely spoken and understood.

Local Time: GMT + 3

Muslims (35%), Christians (45%), Indigenous (20%). Zanzibar is 99% Muslims

Getting here from Europe or America is usually best done via Amsterdam where there are daily flights by KLM. This will take you to either Kilimanjaro or Dar-Es-Salaam, it takes about 8Hrs and usually arrives in the early evening.

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