Tanzania Travel Guide - Original Travel

Tanzania at a glance

Kilimanjaro dominates the country. You can skirt its slopes, or even climb it to the summit, the highest point in Africa. Elsewhere, it's an animal kingdom. Read our Tanzania travel guide to get a feel for the place. Humans coexist with the wildlife, and live on their land, in a delicate balance (on the slopes of the huge Ngorongoro Crater, where hippos, flamingos, buffaloes, zebras, elephants, wildebeest, lions, cheetahs, hyenas and rhinoceroses and many other animals can be found, the Masai also tend to their herds). There is a totally different atmosphere on the coast, on the tropical islands of Pemba and Mafia, whose large coral-lined marine park welcomes whale sharks, and Zanzibar, with fine sandy beaches and the fabulous Arab-influenced town of Stonetown, a must-visit.

Planning your trip: what is the best season to be in Tanzania? To see the wildebeest migration, for example, you need to be in the southern Serengeti between December and March, in the western corridor in April and May, and in the north in June. Which animals will I see? Your itinerary will be different depending on where you visit: for instance, there are no giraffes in Ngorongoro, but there are a large number of them in Tarangire National Park. What are you looking for? The laidback luxury of a lodge? An 'Out of Africa' experience in a safari camp? Barefoot luxury by the sea? How much time do you have? Bear in mind that the shores of Lake Victoria are at the opposite end of the country to Pemba's beaches. Check out our guide to planning your trip.