Tanzania Travel Guide - Overview

With highlights like Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar, Tanzania is definitely a country to be recognised both in terms of wildlife and beauty. For many, it's the ultimate safari destination, and with national parks and game reserves covering some 33,660 sq km (13,000 sq miles) or 28% of the country, Tanzania has more land devoted to wildlife than anywhere else in the world.

The Serengeti National Park is a plain-dwellers' stronghold of 14,763 sq km (5,678 sq miles), claimed to be one of the best places to watch game in Africa. The Selous Game Reserve is larger than Switzerland and covers one-sixth of Tanzania's land surface.

Tanzania's most famous attraction, Mount Kilimanjaro, at 5,895m (19,341ft), is Africa's highest mountain and the only free-standing mountain in the world that can simply be walked up.

The former capital city and major port Dar es Salaam is within striking distance of Zanzibar - a beautiful island jewel in the Indian Ocean with a fascinating spice and slaving legacy and palm-backed beaches.

In addition to its beautiful landscape, Tanzania has approximately 120 ethnic groups and Tanzanians value their country's multicultural heritage. The tall red-robed Masai are the best known of Tanzania's peoples, inhabiting the northern regions of the country. Visits to their villages are often a highlight of safari itineraries.

Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia and the entire Tanzanian coast is home to the Swahili people, a vibrant mix of Arab, Indian and Bantu origins. A predominantly Islamic region, old mosques and coral palaces scatter the area. Swahili culture centres on the dhow, a wooden sailing boat powered by the seasonal wind.

The United Republic of Tanzania became independent in 1961 and merged with Zanzibar in 1964. It has generally stood out as a stable democracy in a region that has witnessed too many vicious civil conflicts.

Whether you enjoy the tranquillity of the Swahili coast, game watching in the magnificent parks or the challenge of ascending Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania has it all.