Tanzania Top Things To Do
• Kick back on the many beaches along Tanzania's 804km (503 miles) of coastline. Some are within easy reach of Dar es Salaam, like Kunduchi, Mbwa Maji and Mjimwena.
• Go scuba-diving and snorkelling around the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, which are ringed by coral reefs. Further south, Mafia's Chloe Bay is part of a protected marine park, with an unbroken reef running the length of the island.
• Discover Zanzibar's spice and fruit plantations. Organised tours are available all over the 'Spice Island' (as Zanzibar is also known). Along the way, visitors are invited to taste and buy spices, herbs and fruit (website: http://zanzibar.net).
• Visit the Sukuma Museum, 15km (9 miles) east of Mwanza. It stages weekly performances of the traditional dances of the Wasukuma tribe, including the Bugobobobo (Sukuma Snake Dance) (website: www.mwanza-guide.com/Bujora/museum.htm).
• Watch traditional bull-fighting on the island of Pemba. The sport, which does not involve killing the bulls, is a hangover from the days of Portuguese rule in the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Go on safari in the unique Ngorongoro Crater, which is 610m (2,000 ft) deep, 20km (12.5 miles) in diameter, and covers 311 sq km (122 sq miles). It is home to almost every species of African plains mammal and has the densest population of lion in Africa (website: www.ngorongoro-crater-africa.org).
• Try big-game fishing from the island of Mafia, which is renowned for the big catches made in its waters. Power boats and tackle are available for hire from the lodges and big-game fish include shark, barracuda, marlin and snapper.
• Take a hot air balloon ride over the endless plains of the Serengeti National Park where one of the world's great natural spectacles, the annual migration of some two million wildebeest followed by their predators, can be observed. The best time to see the herds is from November to May (website: www.serengeti.org).
• Get completely off the beaten track at an isolated lodge in the Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers an area larger than Switzerland (about one-sixth of Tanzania's land surface), making it one of the biggest reserves in the world.
• Track chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream or Mahale national parks on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Gombe is home to about 200 chimpanzees, while Mahale is home to 700, and sightings are almost guaranteed (website: www.tanzaniaparks.com).
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
Fresh ideas are just one click away...
Travel Deals
-
Finland Activity & adventure holidays Finnish Lapland has enormous areas of untouched wilderness and mile upon mile of wild rolling fells. This vast open countryside, sparkling in the winter sunshine, just begs to be explored by
-
Orlando Adrenaline Whether you’re enjoying the hair-raising delights of the world’s only flying rollercoaster called Manta at SeaWorld or racing through the Everglades on an airboat in search of alligators, one thing’s for
-
Cambodia Luxury holidays Today Cambodia is symbolised by awesome Angkor Wat, the largest man-made religious structure in the world. However, Cambodia is also home to some of the finest boutique hotels in the world
-
Laos Inspire Me When the French colonised Indochina they had a saying: "The Vietnamese grow the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice grow, and the Lao people listen to the rice grow." This is
-
Vietnam Cultural breaks Vietnam is a country with a rich and varied history that is now firmly focused on her bright future. This is why it has become one of the hottest destinations for
-
Dominican Republic Family holidays The Dominican Republic has soared in popularity as a tropical hotspot for families seeking sun, sand and an affordable holiday in the Caribbean. The island's main attraction is magnificent golden sand
