The Muzungu’s top reasons to travel to Tanzania, the ‘soul of Africa’
It’s taken me a long time to visit Tanzania. There’s so much that is familiarly East African, yet so many charming delights that are uniquely Tanzanian!
Here are the muzungu’s top reasons for visiting Tanzania (click on the links for Tanzania tours)
1. Tanzania has 14 National Parks, 370 mammal species and over 1000 birds.
2. Overdose on wildlife viewing at Ngorongoro Crater. Experience the Great Migration on the Serengeti Tours” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Serengeti, one of the ‘Seven Natural Wonders of Africa’ – watch it from a hot air balloon!
3. Tanzania is the base for hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain
4. Relax on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast. Go diving!
5. Fly or take the ferry to the island archipelago of Zanzibar, famous for the islands’ white coral sand beaches
6. Tour the historical cobbled streets and Arab-influenced Stone Town, Zanzibar, celebrated for its film and music festivals. No trip to Zanzibar is complete without a spice tour!
7. Tanzania has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Serengeti, Selous National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Stone Town.
8. Enjoy unusual fresh juices – such as coconut ‘madafu’ and custard apple
9. Explore the Selous, Africa’s BIGGEST game reserve!
10. Explore Dar es Salaam, East Africa’s second biggest port and a melting pot of African, Arabic and Indian influences.
“Jambo” – is the Swahili greeting for “welcome” which you will hear everywhere in friendly Tanzania.
The Great Migration of one and a half million Wildebeest traverse the Mara River twice yearly between the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Game-viewing includes huge buffalo herds, thousands of antelope, elephant and giraffe.
If you’re going to the Serengeti Tours” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Serengeti, treat yourself to a hot air balloon safari! It’s a huge adventure from start to finish. Get up at the crack of dawn to watch the balloon being inflated and jump in the basket, ready for the off. Watch the sun rise as your balloon moves silently across the savannah, following the wildlife below. It’s amazing what you can see up there! A champagne and breakfast in the bush are just one part of this fabulous experience.
One of Tanzania’s most popular attractions is the Ngorongoro Crater, known as “Africa’s Garden of Eden,” home to 30,000 animals including the rare black rhino and black-maned male lions.
This jaw-dropping scenery is under the most serious of threats. Tanzania presses on with hydroelectric dam on vast game reserve. “Stiegler’s Gorge dam on the Selous park, a World Heritage Site listed as ‘in danger’, will cause irreversible damage, say conservationists.” Read The true cost of the Stiegler’s Gorge hydropower project in Tanzania (2019).
An (avoidable) environmental nightmare beckons… despite “the excellent potential of solar and wind power options.”
Did you know…?
Swahili is the official language of Tanzania but English is widely spoken.
Watch my short video: my view from the cockpit! Flight between Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.
We flew with Precision Air on their inaugural flight in 2017 between Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast and Entebbe in Uganda (however Precision don’t currently fly that route).
Hello! I just wanted to say thank you for writing and publishing this guide. It’s easily the most comprehensive article I’ve come across and as I am currently planning my first trip to Zanzibar I will refer to it often. Good work and big thanks!
Zanzibar has been high on my travel bucket list for years. I absolutely loved the spice tour. So much fun! I filled up my diary with leaves and pieces of bark and every time I open it, I feel like I am back there. I’d like to spend more time in Stonetown.
The seafood is divine! Loved exploring the fish market as well.