TANZANIA'S TOURIST ATTRACTIONS.

•   If  your planning to spend your vacation, Tanzania is another heaven on earth.

 

• Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa, boarded by Uganda in the north, Kenya in the northeast, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, Zambia to the southeast, and Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC  to the west.

 

• The country's population is 57.3 million people, and the capital is Dodoma. Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas.

 

• They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences, and Mafia, with a marine park home to whales, sharks and coral reefs.

 

• In a recent feature in the travel section of The New York Times Tanzania was placed seventh on a list of 45 selected destinations for 2012, immediately after Tokyo and before Patagonian Chile.

 

• The article, which headlined the country as “coming into its own as an upscale safari destination”, indicated several high-quality lodges on the northern national parks’ circuit. But is also indicated that one of the reasons for the rise in tourism in 2011 was the deterioration of security in neighbouring Kenya.

 

• The US is one of Tanzania’s largest tourist markets. Most of the 55,000 Americans are attracted by expeditions on Mt Kilimanjaro and the safari parks. 

 

• Tanzania is home to some of Africa's most famous national parks and natural attractions, including majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.

 

• Consequently, the most popular things to do in Tanzania and the reason many people visit the country, are the safaris and wildlife-related adventures.

 

• Most visitors will find themselves passing through Dar es Salaam and heading out to the wilderness areas and other destinations. For those who want to spend some time soaking up the sun, the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar beckon.

 

• Off Pemba and Mafia islands is another kind of natural wonder, appreciated by scuba divers and snorkelers who come here from around the world to experience the coral gardens, colourful fish, and crystal clear waters.

 

• Explore your options with our list of the top attractions in Tanzania. Serengeti National Park is a vast treeless plain with millions of animals living here or passing through in search of fresh grasslands. It's most famous for the annual wildebeest migration but you can also see the Big Five here, and nearly 500 species of birds have been recorded on the Serengeti.

 

• As the second largest national park in Tanzania, the Serengeti attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year. The best months for wildlife viewing in Serengeti National Park are between December and June.

 

• The wet season is from March to May, with the coldest period from June to October.

 

• The annual migration of over 1.5 million wild beasts and hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle takes place in May or early June. This migration is one of the most impressive natural events and the primary draw for many tourists. 

 

•  Lake Manyara National Park is comprised of forest, woodland, grasslands, and swamps. Two-thirds of the park is covered by water and Lake Manyara is host to thousands of flamingoes, at certain times of year, as well as other diverse bird life.

 

• The highlight of Lake Manyara Park is the large population of elephants, tree-climbing lions, and hippos, which can be observed at a much closer range than in other parks. This park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons in the world.

 

• Wildlife drives, canoeing (when water levels are high enough), mountain bike tours and bird watching are the most popular activities in Lake Manyara National Park. Mafia Island draws divers and snorkelers from around the world to the undersea world protected by the Mafia Island Marine Park.

 

• The best months for diving are October to March but the best weather on Mafia Island is May to October. March and April are months of heavy rain.

 

• Mafia Island Marine Park has coral gardens, an abundant variety of fish, and a relaxed diving atmosphere.

 

• Countless birds and over 400 species of fish can be seen in the area. Mafia Island is also a traditional breeding site for the green turtle, which is unfortunately endangered.

 

• Mafia is also a desirable location for deep-sea fishing, especially tuna, marlin, sailfish and other big-game fish.

 

• This island paradise first saw settlers in the 8th or 9th C, but the Mafia became a more important settlement during the 12th to 14th C when it held a key position in the East African trading routes. 

 

• Tarangire National Park, established in 1970, is a fantastic area for wildlife viewing. It is best visited in the dry season from July to September when the animals gather along the river.

 

• During the dry season, Tarangire National Park has one of the highest concentrations of migratory wildlife. Wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the lagoons.

 

• The park is also known for its large population of elephants, and the baobab trees that dot the grassy landscape.

 

• The park is excellent for birdwatching, with more than 300 species recorded in Tarangire. These species include buzzards, vultures, herons, storks, kites, falcons and eagles.  

 

• Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa. Established in 1922, it covers 5% of Tanzania's total area.

 

• The southern area is a forbidden zone that is undeveloped, heavily forested and contains a series of steep cliffs.

 

• Travellers are limited to the area north of the Rufiji River. This area of the Selous Game Reserve has large open grassland, woodlands, rivers, hills and plains.

 

• The best time to visit is July through October.
• The Rufiji River bisects the Selous Game Reserve and has the largest catchment area of any river in East Africa.

 

• The river is an important feature of the reserve providing the opportunity to watch the diverse water National Park, although smaller than most in Tanzania, has a range of habitats that consist of the forest of Mount Meru, Ngurdoto Crater in the southeast section of the park, and Momella Lakes, a series of seven crater lakes.

 

• Black and white Colobus monkeys are easily spotted in the forested area while the marshy floor of the crater is dotted with herds of buffalo, zebra and warthog. 

 

• Momella Lakes is home to a large selection of resident and migrant waterbirds. People come here to see wildlife and also to climb Mount Meru.

 

• Mount Meru is one of the most beautiful volcanoes in Africa and the second-highest mountain in Tanzania.

 

• The summit is reached by a narrow ridge, which provides stunning views of the volcanic cone lying several thousand feet below in the crater.

 

• The ascent is steep but the route passes through parkland, forest, a giant heather zone and moorland-based wildlife.

 

• A broad range of wildlife can be found including elephants, hippos and rhinos as well as buffalo, antelope, giraffe, warthog, wildebeest, lion, leopard and cheetah.

 

• The diversity of bird life in Selous includes over 350 recorded species. In 2008 Ruaha National Park became Tanzania's largest park.

 

• It is home to large herds of buffalo and gazelle and has one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Tanzania.

 

• The Great Ruaha River is the main feature of Ruaha National Park, providing magnificent wildlife viewing on the banks.

 

• The river also provides much of the electricity in Tanzania through a hydroelectric dam at Kidatu.

 

• Ruaha National Park is the least accessible park in Tanzania and as a result, the landscape remains relatively untouched.

 

• Birdwatchers can enjoy over 400 species of birds that are not found in northern Tanzania, and the river, spectacular gorges, and majestic trees are especially appealing to photographers. 

 

• Gombe National Park, also sometimes called Gombe Stream National Park, is primarily for those who want to get a little off the beaten track and see chimpanzees. This is one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania and is famous for the work of Jane Goodall.

 

• This British researcher arrived in 1960 to study wild chimpanzees and her work turned into what would become the longest-running behavioral research program of its kind in the world.

 

• Guided walks take visitors into the forest to observe chimps in the wild. Many species of primates and mammals live in the park. Over 200 bird species have been recorded in the tropical forest, including barbets, starlings, sunbirds, crowned eagles, kingfishers and the palm-nut vulture.

 

• Hiking and swimming are other popular activities; a trail leads into the forest to a waterfall in the valley. 

 

• Katavi National Park is located in a remote region offering unspoiled wilderness. A predominant feature in Katavi is the enormous flood plain, split by the Katuma River and several seasonal lakes.

 

• The lakes support enormous groups of hippos, crocodiles and over 400 species of birds.

 

• One of the spectacles in Katavi is the hippos at the end of the dry season when as many as 200 try to squeeze into a pool of water. The male rivalry heats up causing territorial fights.

 

• The dry season brings Katavi National Park to life, herds of impala, reedbuck, lions, zebras and giraffes can be seen at the remaining pools and streams.

 

• Thousands of elephants and buffaloes also converge on the park when the floodwaters Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa and is bordered by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

 

• This lake is the source of the White Nile and provides an income for millions of residents along its shores.

 

• The Tanzanian section of Lake Victoria is one of the least visited regions in
• the country, however, the towns of Bukoba,
• Musoma and Mwanza have many attractions.

 

• Near Mwanza and Musoma are many islands, some have become wildlife sanctuaries. Bird watching and fishing trips are popular excursions, and boat trips or hikes can be arranged around Lake Victoria.

 

• Rubondo Island National Park, which includes several other smaller islands, is on the southwest shores of Lake Victoria.   

            

• Take your vacation to Tanzania and you will enjoy it.