Tanzania is Africa’s masterpiece: A place of jaw-dropping geological wonder, imposing Mount Kilimanjaro with its snowy toupee, wildlife in astonishing numbers, beautiful powdery white beaches, and charming old trading towns. Tanzania is everything you imagined – and yet teeming with surprises.
Witness the world-famous wildebeest migration: hundreds of thousands of wildebeest on the move across the expansive Serengeti plains. Stand on the banks of Lake Natron, a breeding site for 2.5 million powder-pink flamingos. Driving into the mist-hidden Ngorongoro Crater, you’ll find one of the world’s largest calderas, where prey herds live in nerve-wracking proximity to carnivorous big-toothed beasts.
But let us show you a more intimate, intriguing side to Tanzania, too. Delve into the deep, humid jungle of the Mahale Mountains, hiding riotous troops of chimpanzees. Wander the sandy beaches of Pemba, Zanzibar’s lesser-visited sister island. Or sip a well-chilled beer in a gently bobbing fishing boat as the sun sets over the sea-like Lake Victoria.
And then there’s one of East Africa’s wildest places. Ruaha National Park, sprawling out in central Tanzania, sees a mere whisper of visitors compared to other safari destinations. We won’t tell if you don’t…
Serengeti and Ngorongoro – the northern safari circuit
Vast open plains where journeys of giraffes stroll between flat top acacia trees. A cheetah scanning for prey from atop a termite mound. Huge herds of wildebeest crashing across a croc-crammed river. There’s a reason the Serengeti’s name is as recognisable as it is.
The national park is popular not only for its hordes of animals but also for its romantic camps—from comfy and authentic mobile camps that follow the migration herds to stylish hideaways with views as handsome as the interiors.
The Ngorongoro Crater is like a real-life version of Jurassic Park – it feels like you’ve stumbled on a map to a mysterious lost world. Drop into the vast (twenty kilometres wide and 600 metres deep) volcanic caldera for a safari packed full of sightings. Prides of lions hungrily eyeing a dazzle of zebras. A low-browed buffalo giving you the stare. A lithe leopard skulking through the forest. Lodges perch around the crater rim, making for sensational sundowner spots.
Ruaha: Tanzania’s not-so-tiny secret
We’ll let you in on a secret: although the Serengeti might get the lion’s share of attention, a few hours south is one of Tanzania’s best – yet least visited – safari destinations.
One of the largest parks in the country, Ruaha National Park is an undulating landscape studded by thick baobab trees.
The real luxury here is space. Feel free to spread out – you’ll easily find yourself alone in this wild expanse.
Well, not totally alone. Ruaha is prowled by one-tenth of the world’s lion population – animal kingdom royalty with tempestuous family dynamics to rival those of the British monarchy. And it’s a major stronghold for Tanzania’s ellies too.
Mahale – Chimpanzee safaris
You might think of other countries when it comes to seeing great apes, but overlook Mahale Mountains National Park at your peril. This is one of the best places on the continent to see chimps in the wild; just ask Jane (Goodall, obviously).
The mountainous, forested park lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika – one of Africa’s Great Lakes – in western Tanzania.
Its remote location keeps it wonderfully quiet. It could be just you and a cold G&T outside your beachfront camp, unwinding after a day watching our closest (much hairier) cousins feed, bond, and bicker.
The tropical trio: Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.
Zip over to Zanzibar, the ultimate post-safari Indian Ocean island treat. With swaying palm trees, powdery beaches and brilliant blue water, it’s an island simply begging you to relax.
What the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia have in common are postcard-like beaches, exciting dive sites, and being perfectly suited to tearing up the schedule and doing absolutely nothing.
Hop over to Zanzibar, just north of Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam, for a cultural jaunt around Stone Town. Admire massive, brass-studded, ornately carved wooden doors on a stroll through narrow laneways, pausing at a vendor stall to scoff a serving of crepe-like Zanzibar pizza’.
To the north, Pemba is one of the best islands for diving anywhere in East Africa. Explore the quieter beaches and verdant, hilly interior. The colourful coral reefs are the only place you’ll experience crowds, albeit of a fishy variety.
Snorkelling with whale sharks – gentle giants with starry-sky markings – is as magical as it sounds. Mafia Island, south of Dar, is on their migration path. It’s also a turtle nesting site. Few things are more endearing than a mini, just-hatched turtle flip-flopping its way down the beach towards the glittering sea.
