06° 22′ 09″ S, 34° 53′ 20″ E
The coastline is over 804km long with
the nearby islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia offering an array of natural,
cultural, historical and archaeological attractions. Because Tanzania lies below the
equator, the coolest months occur during the northern hemisphere’s summer, and
all-year round the weather remains pleasant and comfortable. Tanzania’s
equatorial climate brings two seasons of rain each year: the masika or long
rains that fall from mid-March to the end of May, and the mvuli or short rains,
that come intermittently throughout November and parts of December, and
sometimes stretch into early January.
10:18 GMT +3
local time
Dodoma
capital city
957,087
area in km²
Swahili
main language(s)
The highest mountain in the world to stand on its own in the middle of a coastal plain, and the highest point on the African continent at 5,895 m. The massif is made up of three volcanoes, Kibo, Mawenzi (5145 m) and Shira (4002 m). Uhuru Peak, the summit, is on Kibo.
When you descend to the bottom of this old volcano, you always have the feeling of entering the shell of a natural Noah's Ark. Today, almost all the carnivores and herbivores of the plains or wooded savannahs have made their home here. There is a sodium lake where flamingos live, as well as a freshwater lake with a flourishing hippo population. Endangered Black rhinos are well protected here and it is not uncommon to see them roaming the plain.
Tarangire is one of Tanazania's smaller parks but during the dry season, from June to October it attracts incredible concentrations of wildlife. During this period, the Tarangire river provides the only permanent water in the area and so all of the the animals in the southern Masailand in Tanzania make a bee-line here as the summer temperatures soar.
Add in the fact that Tarangire draws less visitors than its more famous neighbours at Ngorongoro and the Serengeti and you have all you need for some great safari viewing.
The park also contains some of the largest elephant herds in Tanzania and is home to three rare species of animals – the Greater Kudu, the Fringed-eared Oryx, as well as a few Ashy Starlings.
The Serengeti is a vast park covering 1.5 million hectares of savannah. The horizon seems light years away and the swathes of grass extend seemingly forever with just the occasional acacia tree punctuating the huge expanse. The annual migration of vast herds of wildebeest, gazelles and zebras, followed by their predators, is one of the most impressive natural events in the world....
Lake Manyara National Park is one of Tanzania’s most beautiful parks nestled between a shallow soda lake (covering two-thirds of the park) and the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment. Along this thin stretch there is a wide variety of habitats, from groundwater forests, to swampy delta, acacia woodlands and a small grassy plain.
This varied habitat is then home to a wide variety of wildlife animals, including one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants and large flocks of flamingos.
A particular highlight of Lake Manyara are the tree climbing lions. This is one of the few places in Africa where full grown lions regularly take to the acacia trees to lounge in the shade. And a tree full of lions is a fabulous sight!
The old town of Zanzibar, called Stone Town, is located on the west coast of the island. The Portuguese erected an imposing fort there to protect their trade route to India. Stone Town has since been a "medina" in the Indian Ocean, and Zanzibar has therefore become the cradle of Swahili culture and language, a mixture of African and Arabian language, culture and cuisine.
