Archive for December, 2011
Most visitors make a beeline for the national parks and game reserves of Northern Tanzania, which includes the Serengeti, whose annual migration of over 2.5 million wildebeest ,zebra and antelope –trailed by lions and hyenas ,and picked off by crocodiles at river crossings –is an awesome spectacle. Another highlight is Ngorongoro Crater next door, an enormous volcanic caldera providing a year-round haven for rhinos, and plentiful predators. Ngorongoro is also the starting point for a wild hike to Tanzania’s only active volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, and on to Lake Natron, an immense salt lake appealing to flamingos and desert fanatics alike. Less well-known parks include Tarangire, fantastic for elephants, whose size is amply complemented by forests of gigantic baobabs’: Lake Manyara, in a particularly spectacular section f the Rift Valley: and Arusha National Park, which contains the country’s second-highest mountain, Mount Meru. The main base for Northern Circuit safaris is Arusha, which also has a clutch of cultural tourism programmes within easy reach. East of here is snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the week-long ascent of which is an exhausting but fulfilling challenge ,while to the south are the ancient formations of the Pare and Usambara mountains, repositories of some of the worlds most biologically diverse rainforests ,especially at Amani Nature Reserve near the coast, which well deserves its nickname of ” the Galapagos of Africa.”
Much of Central Tanzania is dry and semi-arid woodland, at the centre of which-almost a desert-is Dodoma, Tanzanias administrative capital .Its mainly useful as a springboard for seeing the fabulous prehistoric rock paintings of the Irangi Hills, the oldest of which date back at least eighteen thousand years. The town of Morogoro offers hiker’s access to the Uluguru Mountains, another place notable for high species diversity, as well as interesting local culture. Even richer are the Udzungwa Mountains: their eastern flanks are amazing for seeing primates, while the western side is bird watching paradise. Safari-goers are catered for by a trio of sanctuaries: the star is the vast Selous Game Reserve,housing more elephants than anywhere else in the country .Its a beautiful place,too,the northern sector watered by the Rufiji Rivers inland delta.
Also good for wqildlife is Ruaha National Park,en route to southern Tanzania.Ignored by mainstream tourism ,the southern Highlands are a walkers wonderland of volcanic crater lakes, ,dense rainforests and craggy peaks and the flower-bedecked Kitulo Plateau, with over fifty species of orchid .The highlands are best explored in the company of a guide from the town of Mbeya,or from Tukuyu- Tanzanias wettest place. Further south is Lake Nyasa, the southernmost of the Rift Valley lakes and home to hundreds of species of colourful cichlid fish; a port-hopping trip on the weekly ferry is one of the countrys classic journeys.
T
he other big Rift Valley lake, in Western Tanzania,is the immense Lake Tanganyika- the worlds longest and second-deepest freshwater body, and scene of another unforgettable ferry ride, with luck aboprad the vintage MV Liemba. The lakeshore is also the scenic setting for two remote national parks- Mahale Mo
untains and Gombe Stream –both of which are home to Chimpanzees.North-western Tanzania is dominated by the shallow Lake Victoria ,the worlds second-largest freshwater lake. The views are magnificent, and the lakes southwestern corner contains the little-known Rubondo Island National Park,positively swarming with birds.Equally remote, and just as rewarding ,is Kagera Region between Uganda, Rwanda and lake, where a cultural –tourism programme from Bukoba gets you to places that few tourists have seen.
The Indian Ocean is an altogether different experience .Especially recommended is Zanzibar, one of Africa’s most famous and enticing destinations. It comprises the islands of Unguja and Pemba, which have languorous beaches and multicolored coral reefs aplenty ( perfect for diving and snorkeling), ancient ruins , and –in-the form of stone Town-a fascinating Arabian-style labyrinth of narrow, crooked alleyways packed with nineteenth-century mansions, palaces and bazaars .On the mainland ,the biggest settlement is Dares Salaam ,the country’s former capital and still its most important city, and worth hanging around in to sample its exuberant nightlife. North of here are a series of beach resorts ( pangani is best) ,the coastal Saadani National Park, and several towns involved in the nineteenth –century slave trade – most infamously Bagamoyo,stuffed with buildings from the time. Tanzania’s south coast is wider: historic colour is provided by the ruins of the medieval island-state of Kilwa, in its heyday one of the wealthiest and most important cities in all of Africa, Offshore, the Mafia archipelago has its own affair share of historical ruins, plus stunning coral reefs.
Where to go
Being tropical, Tanzania lacks the four seasons of temperate zones, and instead has two rainy and two dry seasons, mostly dictated by the western Indian Oceans monsoon winds and currents. The long rains (masika) should fall from March to May ( almost certainly in April and May), but the lighter short rains (mvuli) are impossible to predict with certaininty: they should ,depending on the location, fall for about a month sometime between October and December ,but in southern Tanzania they tend to merge with the long rains ,giving just one dry season, being May and June to November .Coastal and lakeside regions are hot and almost always humid, making the air feel even hotter than it really is. Temperatures drop by about 6 degrees centigrade (11 degrees f) for every 1000m you climb, making for every pleasant condition in highland regions, although it can get chilly in June and July.
In general ,dry-season travel-particularly June to September-is best : its not as humid, wildlife is easier to see, and even the roughest unsurfaces roads are drivable, which isn’t always the case in rains .Try to avoid the coast ( including Zanzibar) during the rains ,when the heavy humidity and insects can be intolerable .Also not the best time for Zanzibar , but with not much impact on the mainland, is the month of Ramadhan,when most restaurants are closed ,and the daytime mood, in Stone Town particularly ,isn’t at its brightest.
There are air safari flights from Daresalaam, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Zanzibar, Mwanza airports to the southern circuit and the northern circuit. There air safari flights operating twice daily and once daily to national parks and game reserves. You can purchase air safari tickets one-way or return and you can air tickets for connecting within East Africa national parks and game reserves. The timetable differs as they are operated by different airlines and even their pricing strategy is different based on the quality of services and products. Hotel chains and air operators in Tanzania have joined synergies thus coming up with air safari tour packages deals to provide competitive prices.
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