TANZANIA

Bush & beach

Tanzania is one of the unique destinations on the African continent that has yet to be discovered by many. It is a land of many wonders, having an unparalleled diversity of fauna and flora. The northern circuit has some of the most famous wildlife reserves in the world. The Serengeti is famously home to the great migration, which follows an ancient path in a clockwise direction, culminating in great river crossings from July to October and massed herds calving in the south of the park in February. Aside from the migration, Serengeti offers some of the most amazing game viewing in Africa.

The Ngorongoro Crater is a vast dormant caldera and the permanent home of nearly 25,000 animals with ideal game viewing opportunities all year round. All the Big 5 are found here and nearby Lake Manyara is famous for its tree climbing lions and millions of flamingos. Tarangire simply teems with game, especially from July to October when it has its own migration, with elephants arriving en masse. Mount Kilimanjaro towers over the north of the country and is the highest free standing mountain in the world – a challenge to the many who climb one of several routes to the summit each year.

Selous Game Reserve is vast and covers 5% of Tanzania’s total area with abundant game including the Big 5. Boat safaris on the Rufiji River and its tributaries are a highlight as are overnight fly camps. Black rhino are present but elusive as are wild dog and there are some 350 species of bird. Ruaha is the second largest National Park and home to perhaps the greatest diversity of antelope species due to the transitional East Africa savannah and southern Africa woodland. The impressive array of large predators is boosted by both striped and spotted hyena, as well as the highly endangered African wild dog.

A huge untamed wilderness with just a handful of camps, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few intrepid visitors who travel there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been centuries ago. During the dry season, when the floodwaters retreat and the Katuma River is reduced to a trickle becoming the only source of drinking water for miles, the floodplains support game concentrations that defy belief. An estimated 4,000 elephants converge on the area together with several huge herds of buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe and plains game provide easy pickings for the numerous lion prides.

Lake Tanganyika is overshadowed by the remote and mysterious Mahale Mountains, home to some of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzees: a population of roughly 800. The mountains also support diverse forest fauna and many species of bird.

On the northern shores of the Lake, Gombe Stream is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks: a fragile strip of chimpanzee habitat straddling the steep slopes and river valleys. Its chimpanzees – habituated to human visitors – were made famous by the pioneering work of Dr Jane Goodall.

When To Go

♦ The north of the country has 2 rainy seasons in November and then the heavy rains from March to May. The south has a more defined season with rains from November to April when many camps close.

♦ The Great Migration moves clockwise from the northern Serengeti from October arriving on the southern plains to calve around January. It then slowly moves up the western corridor to arrive in the northern Mara Triangle around June when the herds start to amass to cross into Kenya.

Zanzibar

With historic Stone Town, beautiful beaches, vibrant coral reefs and the only place in the world where you can find the Kirk’s Red Colobus monkey, Zanzibar is a tropical paradise – the perfect place to relax and unwind, especially at the end of an adventurous safari. Pemba Island is also idyllic with fertile hilly terrain, white beaches lapped by the Indian Ocean and lower visitor numbers. Mafia Island and its reefs are renowned as a world-class diving destination and with less than a 1000 visitors a year, the island really is unspoiled.

When To Go

♦ Coastal Tanzania is hot and can be humid all year round, but from July – October there is the least chance of rain and a cooling southeast breeze reduces humidity making it an ideal time to visit.

♦ December to March can have the occasional shower and some cloud, but in general this is a good time of year to go.

♦ November can often mean afternoon showers and stronger winds during the short rains.

♦ April and May, and sometimes into early June, are the longer hard rains. At this time some lodges and hotels will close for refurbishment.