Tanzania & Zanzibar|Travel Guide
Travel Guide
Travel information for Tanzania & Zanzibar
The name Tanzania is formed from a blend of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, when the two states were united in 1964. Tanzania safari holidays are very popular with British Visitors and can easily be combined with a beach holiday in Zanzibar, just off the coast.
Tanzania is in central East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The states eastern borders lie in the Indian Ocean.
Tanzania is a unitary republic composed of 26 mkoa (regions). The current head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where government offices are located. Between independence and 1996 the major coastal city of Dar es Salaam had been the country’s political capital. Today Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania, and is major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours.
Tanzania & Zanzibar Regions
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Arusha
Often the perfect place to begin a Tanzania adventure, the Arusha region is perfectly located for some of the finest safari destinations in Africa. However, it would be a mistake to write it off as purely a gateway destination, the region has plenty to offer.
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Dar Es Salaam
On the Indian Ocean coastline lies Dar Es Salaam, the largest city in East Africa and Tanzania's richest. This bustling metropolis sat at the foot of Mt Meru also boasts dramatic views of Mt Kilimanjaro, and is drenched with culture and a vibrant pulse.
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Katavi National Park
In the far west of the country lies one of Tanzania’s largest national parks, Katavi. Its isolated location brings smaller visitor numbers when compared to some of its more famous neighbours. But have no doubt that this is a fantastic wildlife destination.
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Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is world famous. At 5896m it is the highest freestanding mountain in the world and Africa’s tallest peak. Whether climbing or just experiencing its presence, visitors will all agree on the awesome majesty it commands.
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Lake Manyara National Park
On the Northern Circuit, near the city of Arusha, lies Lake Manyara National Park. Intimate in size compared to most parks, Lake Manyara offers a variety of vegetation and wildlife and, perhaps uniquely the rare opportunity to catch sight of one of its tree-climbing lions.
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Mahale Mountains National Park
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the far west of Tanzania, lies a rare experience. The Mahale Mountrains National Park is only accessible via boat and all exploration takes place on foot. The reward is the largest known population of chimpanzees, who flourish in the remote and untouched envrionment.
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Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro is world famous and very popular on the northern circuit of Tanzania. Whilst it is practically impossible to escape the crowds, you can be sure that your visit will involve something spectacular. It is very easy to understand why we flock there in thousands.
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Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is vast. The largest park in Tanzania covers a staggering 20,000 km2, making it approximately the same size as Wales.
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Selous Game Reserve
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, Selous Game Reserve has long been noted for its importance of wildlife diversity and undisturbed nature. A huge range species are resident and a variety of habitats make it a must visit in southern Tanzania.
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Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is world famous for the annual migration of 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra but in addition to this natural wonder, the park offers an abundance of wildlife and rich biodiversity.
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Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is famous for its high numbers of an iconic safari pairing, elephants and baobab trees. This park is a staple on Tanzania's northern circuit and for good reason.
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Geography
At 945,087 km² Tanzania is comparable in size to Nigeria. Tanzania is mountainous in the northeast, where Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro is situated. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa’s deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish). Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore.
Tourism
Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Park in the west is known as the site of Dr. Jane Goodall’s studies of chimpanzee behaviour.
The government of Tanzania through its department of tourism has embarked on a campaign to promote the Kalambo water falls in southwest Tanzania’s region of Rukwa as one of Tanzania’s many tourist destinations. The Kalambo Falls are the second highest in Africa and are located near the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika.
Climate
Tanzania has a tropical type of climate. In the highlands, temperatures range between 10˚C and 20˚C during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures never falling lower than 20˚C. The hottest period spreads between November and February (25˚C – 31˚C) while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15˚C- 20˚C).
Two rainfall regimes exist over Tanzania. One is unimodal (December – April) and the other is bimodal (October -December and March – May). The former is experienced in southern, south-west, central and western parts of the country, and the later is found to the north and northern coast.
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Tanzania High Commission in London Tel : 0207 569 1470
Website : http://tanzaniahighcommission.co.uk/
Population: 41.5 million (2008)
Capital: Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (commercial)
Largest city: Dar es Salaam
Major languages: English, Swahili
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Monetary unit: 1 Tanzanian shilling = 100 cents
Internet domain: .tz
International dialling code: +255
Voltage: 230V
Plug size: Mainly British 13 amp three pin plugs but some old style British three round pin plugs still in use.
(sources: Oxford History of the British Empire, Wikipedia, BBC)
