Tanzania Overview

By Nili Larish

The East African nation of Tanzania’s diverse and plentiful terrain has something for all kinds of travelers to savor.

For those who’ve always dreamed of going on safari, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater regions in the north are teeming with wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, and buffalos. In the South, the Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park are also good options.

The Muslim-influenced archipelago of Zanzibar, with a main island of the same name, is sometimes called Spice Island for its fragrant clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper production, and can be found off the eastern shore of the mainland. (If you are planning on going to Zanzibar, don’t forget to bring your passport and Tanzania visa along, even if its just for a day trip – a vestige from before Tanganyika and Zanzibar unified to form Tanzania in 1964.)

 Every year intrepid travelers are enticed by a chance to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in the north-east, Africa’s highest peak, while birdwatchers, fishing-enthusiasts and avid boat-loungers won’t want to miss Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, its deepest lake, known for homing unique species of fish.

Many travelers choose to make their way to Tanzania in July and August or in December and January, when the weather is either cool or hot but not suffocating. If you take a trip to Tanzania in April, however, you will be rewarded by the spectacular sight of the Circular Migration, when more than 2 million wildebeests, accompanied by hoards of zebras, antelopes, gazelles, and lions migrate north across the Serengeti into Kenya. They make their return south in October. In the parks, there are accommodations for all kinds of budgets and tastes, ranging from five-star lodges to basic camping.

Whether you come to Tanzania to inhale fresh air at the top of mount Kilimanjaro, explore safaris bursting with wildlife á la Jane Goodall (who did her research on chimps in Tanzania’s Gombe national reserve), or simply kick back on the sparkling beaches of Zanzibar, cold Safari Lager in hand, a trip to Tanzania will have you telling stories and pulling out photos for years to come. To bring a little Tanzanian flavor home, be sure to get your hands on some pounding Swahili-based dance music, popular in much of east Africa, or Taarab music, a combination of lyrical Swahili poetry and music originating in Zanzibar with strong Arabic influences.