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"The Land of Kilimanjaro & Zanzibar"
Tanzania can truly claim to be the home of "Safari" since the word is Kiswahili for "journey." And there’s no better place to enjoy the enriching wildlife experience than Tanzania. The country’s game viewing experiences are widely regarded as the best in Africa.
It’s the place to see seemingly endless herds of wildebeest and zebras trekking across the plains on their annual migration, followed by the predators; lion, cheetah and hyena. It’s elephant country also, boasting some of the largest populations in the world. And it’s home to chimpanzee, now so rarely seen in the wild.
Tanzania also lays claim to the title, "The Cradle of Mankind", as the remains of one of the earliest humans were discovered near Olduvai Gorge. And the visitor will want to see Ngorongoro Crater, the largest caldera in the world teeming with game, along with the majestic, snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, is the tallest mountain in Africa.
Tanzania also has hundreds of miles of palm-fringed beaches; lakes that are huge and bountiful with fish; relaxed and friendly cities; and exotic islands – Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia. The lodges and tented camps are very comfortable and each has its own distinct character and provide unique personal services, making the perfect base for an unforgettable safari.
› Arusha
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Arusha: the safari capital of East Africa. The small district of Arusha is the gateway to the great gameparks of the north and is the hub of Tanzania's buoyant safari industry.
Nestling at the foot of Mount Meru, the town of Arusha is the first stop on the northern safari circuit. Bustling and vibrant, the streets are filled with 4X4 game viewing vehicles criss-crossing the pot-holed roads. Masai warriors in full regalia stroll around, mingling with tourists in crisp khaki, fresh off the plane from Europe or the United States.
Arusha National Park is very small, only 137 sq km, but the scenery is stunning, with the lofty peaks of Mount Meru, afromontane forests, craters and the Momela lakes. Only an hour's drive from Arusha, the park is usually forgotten in the rush to reach the Serengeti, but it is certainly worth a visit, especially for bird-lovers - over 570 bird species have been recorded.
Visitors to Arusha National Park can also climb Mount Meru. At 15000 feet, it's the fifth highest mountain in Africa and the ascent to the summit is a tough four day hike. On the way you'll pass herds of buffalo and giraffe and look for colobus monkeys in the trees. At the summit, you can watch the sun rise behind Kilimanjaro.
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› Dar -Es - Salaam
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DAR ES SALAAM, which means ?Heaven of Peace?, in Arabic, is the commercial city of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam is one of the finest natural harbors in the world. Over the years, it has become a bustling port bust has retained its charm. The city is also a melting pot for both local and international cultures. The city has a rich history seen through its architectural delights that depict Asian, Arabic, British and German-Bavarian influence. The Asian influence is strong.
The State House, St. Joseph Cathedral, the Lutheran Azania Front Church, Dar es salaam botanical garden and the City Council office (old Boma) just to mention a few are the legacies of the German era. They are worth seeing. Dar es Salaam has a lot to offer in terms of cultural and art tourism including panoramic tour of the newly built fish market, water sports at its silver beaches, hi-life and so on. Local tour operator can put up the most exciting tour to suit all needs and desires at short notice. Dar es salaam offers a wide choice of hotels accommodation to suit every pocket ranging from five star hotels to Guest hoses in the center of the ?Heaven of Peace.?
Southeast of Dar es Salaam lies a world-class paradise island for of divers, fisherman and water sport lovers. This is no other island than Mafia, an island at the far reaches of the ever-busy world. While on this island, time seems to come to a stop. Its warm waters are incredibly transparent with its rich variety of the coral permitting unimaginable quantity of fishes.
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› Lake Manyara
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A Lake Manyara Safari is often overlooked. Many people pass Lake Manyara National Park in their rush to the Serengeti. However, we recommend you consider this enchanting and interesting park. Although small, it is one of the prettiest and most game rich parks in the country.
Lake Manyara is a long thin park only about 330 sq km in size. Two thirds of the park consists of water, with the Great Rift Valley Escarpment rising sharply and dramatically along the western side.
Remember to keep looking up while you are in the park. Lake Manyara is well known for its tree climbing lions and there are also plenty of leopards. You'll need some luck to see them though, so don't be disappointed if they elude you.
Lake Manyara is a great safari spot for bird viewing and also has a healthy population of ungulates such as buffalo and wildebeest. Many animals can be seen grazing the new shoots on the floodplain and wallowing in the shallows of the lake, while further out pods of hippos bob.
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› Lake Natron
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Lake Natron is a saline lake located in northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border, in Africa's Great Rift Valley. The lake is quite shallow, less than three meters (10 feet) deep, and varies in width depending on its water level.The color of the lake is characteristic of those where very high evaporation occurs.
As water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving microorganisms begin to thrive. Salt-loving organisms include some cyanobacteria, tiny bacteria that grow in water and make their own food with photosynthesis as plants do. The red pigment in the cyanobacteria produce the deep reds of the open water of the lake, and orange colors of the shallow parts of the lake.
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› National Parks and Reserves
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The primary role of Tanzania? national parks is conservation. The 14 national parks, many of which form the core of a much larger protected ecosystem, have been set aside to preserve the country?s rich natural heritage, and to provide secure breeding grounds where its fauna and flora can thrive, safe from the conflicting interests of a growing human population.
The existing park system protects a number of internationally recognised bastions of biodiversity and World Heritage sites, thereby redressing the balance for those areas of the country affected by deforestation, agriculture and urbanisation.
The gazetting of Saadani and Kitulo National Parks in 2002 expanded this network to include coastal and montane habitats formerly accorded a lower level of protection. |
› Ngorongoro
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The Ngorongoro Conservation Area stretches from the Karatu Highlands to the Serengeti and covers an area of around 8300 sq km.
Formed by the same immense geological upheavals as the Great Rift Valley, Ngorongoro was once a mountain as high as Kilimanjaro. About 3 million years ago, it blew up, covering the Serengeti in ash. The crater floor sank leaving the rim to form a natural enclosure 2,285 metres high.
In Ngorongoro National park the most amazing experience is viewing the crater for the first time. As your vehicle slowly ascends through mountain forests you will feel it getting colder and colder. Eventually you reach the rim, and dropping sharply off in front of you is Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro Crater is the best self-contained safari destination in the world. The world's largest unbroken caldera, it is often referred to as the 'Garden of Eden'.
The rich pasture and permanent water of the crater floor shelters a large population of animals. In fact, the crater floor is one of the most densely crowded game areas in the world and is home to about 30,000 animals. The open grassland makes it easy to police, so it is also a stronghold for endangered species like black rhino and cheetah.
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› Selous
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The Selous Game Reserve is big. Covering 50 000 sq km, it is 50% larger than Switzerland and is traversed by the world's greatest remaining herds buffalo, elephant, hippo and sable antelope.
Although you will travel to the largest conservation area in Africa on a Selous Safari, you'll probably only experience a very small proportion of this mighty park.
Most of Selous is dedicated to private hunting concessions and scientific research. Only about 10% of the Selous is dedicated to tourism.
Our tours to the the Selous normally concentrate around the northern section of the park and the Rufiji River. The Rufiji River defines the Selous experience.
Navigating the network of lakes and rivers in a boat offers you an unusual view of the big game. Sandbanks crowded with huge crocodiles; carmine bee-eaters flying in crimson clouds around the exposed mud banks; and swampy islands where elephants browse.
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› Serengeti
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Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti (14,673 sq.km) is one of the last great wildlife areas in Africa and the most famous. Huge open spaces, seemingly endless plains that blend with the horizon, fascinating rocky outcrops known as kopjes. Famous for its wildebeeste migration where up to 1.5million animals take part in following the rain patterns throughout the year in search for young blades of grass.
Rotating in a circuitous route the migration moves from southern Serengeti northwards to Kenya's Masai Mara. The soaring eagles that rise on thermals as prey and predators take their place in one of the greatest and last wildlife spectacles on earth.
Best time to visit: Wildlife is plentiful all year. The migration can be viewed in the southern Serengeti from January to May and from June to October in the north. Access can be limited during long rains in April/May.
There is also an extensive selection of birdlife. This is one of the best places in Africa to see lion and cheetah close up. The vast, open grasslands of the Serengeti are without doubt one of Africa’s finest wildlife areas. Being there at the height of the migration is a never to be forgotten experience.
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› Tarangire
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Tarangire is a long, thin park covering 1360 sq km running along the line of the Tarangire River.
Although it is relatively small, Tarangire is easy to access and has some of the greatest concentrations of game in Tanzania - second only to the Ngorongoro Crater - and there are not nearly as many tourists.
Experience the unrivalled landscape of open plains dotted with thousands of baobabs. Game viewing in Tarangire is largely affected by the presence of water, and during the dry season many animals congregate here in search of it.
As the land dries and the smaller rivers stop flowing, the herds head south towards the permanent water in the Tarangire River and its surrounding swamps.
Although the elephants in this area suffered badly from poaching, they have recovered well. On a Tarangire safari you are virtually guaranteed to see large herds of elephants, including lots of cute babies.
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