Bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique, Tanzania is the largest country of Eastern Africa. Tanzania has the world-famous attractions. Its natural diversity, being a land of wildlife, history and heritage, culture and traditions have always attracted travellers all around the world. Multicultural heritage of the country is a high value and protected by Tanzanians.

The towns and cities of Tanzania have many historical and cultural sites of interest to visitors.The capital was traditionally Dar Es Salaam. However, as legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma, it has been the new national capital.Not only the harbour but also the National Museum and the Village Museum, are among the attractive places of Dar Es Salaam. Arusha is known as the safari capital of the country. It is the place for arranging a safari that offers tourists the opportunity to see impressive wildlife in their own habitat. Also, the city owns cultural festivals.

As the centre of the 19th century slave trade, Bagamoyo is both the tropical paradise and the historic town of Tanzania. It owns cultural, historical and natural heritage attractions such as The Carevan Serai, The First Stone Building, The Cross By The Sea. Sadani Game Park, on north coast of Bagamoyo, is the East African Coastal reserve to harbour large mammals.

National parks and game reserves of Tanzania provide some of the world’s best destinations for viewing wildlife in their natural habitat and among the tourist attractions of the country. A land of geographical extremes, Tanzania attractions are plentiful. Yet, some of them are “world famous” natural attractions. The places to visit in Tanzania can be basically named as Ngorongoro Crater, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Pemba, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Mt. Meru etc.

Mt Kilimanjaro is one of Africa’s most magnificent and spectacular sights. It is the highest mountain that regular tourists can climb with relative ease. Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s most famous game park. The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara attract visitors from around the world. There are millions of animals living here and mainly Serengeti is famous for its lion, cheetah and giraffe populations. Ngorongoro Conservation Area houses the Ngorongoro Crater which is a wildlife haven. Here you are able to see endless amounts of wildlife, including lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalos, zebra and reedbuck, thousands of flamingo and more. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Crater Highlands offer hikers the chance to experience these places on foot and up-close.
One of the other famous attractions of Tanzania is Zanzibar which is located off Tanzania’s East Coast. It houses a rich slave-trade history and beautiful beaches. There is excellent diving to the north of the island and the opportunity to swim with dolphins. In here there are many sights to see, there are historical places and ruins to visit. Organized tours to Zanzibar’s spice and fruit plantations are available.

The Selous is the largest reserve in Africa and home to the continent’s greatest populations of elephant, buffalo. Even the landscape is largely untouched by man. River trips are available.

Apart from its natural diversity, Tanzania also includes varied cultures and traditions inside that creates the Tanzanian culture which attracts travellers that would like to know new cultures. There are at least 127 tribes in Tanzania.

In Tanzania, the options for activities are endless. The seas around Zanzibar, Mafia and the Pemba Channel are among the best waters for diving in the Indian Ocean. Scuba-diving and snorkeling are available around the islands of Mafia and Zanzibar. Tanzania is regarded as the finest hunting place in Africa.

Tanzania and Zanzibar are rich in culture and art. Below are a few examples and in the concluding paragraph where to find the art should you ever visit Tanzania.

Mokonde Carving is a must buy if you admire African carving from Tanzania. The Makonde people live in the South East of Tanzania. This remote area of Tanzania has become renowned for the carving of ebony [mpingo] or ironwood. Modern Makonde sculptures are powerful carvings, each one unique. Their subjects usually include shetani – which are spirits, demons and devils. The art is fluid and at the same time highly angled. Traditionally the most well known carvings from this area were male initiation masks and pregnant torsos reflecting the importance of women in their society. Outside the gallery at the Cultural Heritage in Arusha in Northern Tanzania stands a twelve foot high and ten foot thick Mokonde carving. This carving is from a single tree trunk and depicts intersecting figures portraying everyday life in Tanzania.

Tinga Tinga painting originating in Southern Tanzania and Mozambique and were painted from pigments found in nature; typical subjects to be painted were people and animals. Eduardo S. Tingatinga was born in Mozambique but during the late 1960s moved and settled in Tanzania. He is credited with founding this art movement, which today takes his name; Tinga Tinga [sometimes spelt Tingatinga]. Traditionally painted on square wooden sheets with vibrant enamel colors; often painted onto a black background. The Tinga Tinga style of African art is painted in a friendly and naive way.

The Maasai are probably one of Africa’s widely recognizable tribes. And their beadwork is recognizable the world over. The Maasai have roamed the high grasslands of the Serengeti and Masai Mara of Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania for centuries. The Maasai beadwork carries messages, from where you are and to which age group you belong. The patterns and colors in a bracelet are made individually for each age group and the women working together in groups that decide the style of the jewellery to be made for menfolk.

Red signifies danger, ferocity, bravery, strength, and particularly unity, because it is the color of the blood of the cow that is slaughtered when the community comes together in celebration.

Blue is important because it represents the sky which provides water for the cows.

Green is important because it represents the land which grows food for the cattle to eat. Green also represents the health of the Maasai society as there is a local plant called olari which grows tall and plentiful, as the Maasai.

Orange is the color of the gourds that hold the milk that are offered to visitors and therefore is the color of hospitality.

Yellow also represents hospitality because it is the color of the animal skins on the beds.

White is the color of milk, which comes from a cow, considered a gift from the gods to the Maasai people and so represents purity; and also health, because it is milk that nourishes the community.

Black represents the people but more significantly it represents the hardships of life.

In Stone Town, Zanzibar, there are reputed to be 806 wooden doors dating from 1870. Designs originate from around the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and the Punjab. They first arrived in East Africa around 1500AD. It was in the time of Sultan Barghash (1870-1880) – the third Omani of Zanzibar that the doors became popular. The rectangular door is encased in an intricately carved frame with the outermost strip of the frame carved into chains symbolic of the enslavement of evil spirits trying to enter the residence. There are eleven interlocking sections to a typical door. The inner frame is sometimes carved with lotus flowers or palm leaves. Fish are often carved into the doors, being an important part of food on the island. Above the door panels the lintel is carved with rosettes, sometimes the name of the house owner is carved onto the lintel. In the older doors there is often a verse from the Koran and the date of carving. The central post between the doors is also carved. Often the door panels have huge brass studs set into the door which are an ornamental version of spikes originally intended to prevent battering by elephants.

The best way to discover the art of Tanzania is by visiting and exploring Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. All to often the tourist will visit Tanzania for the game safari. The cultures, the people the scenery out of the game parks has so much to offer and is all to often neglected. If you are ever lucky enough to visit Tanzania take some time to explore the art and culture found in the cities along the Swahili coast. Art can be found in Dar es Salaam at Morogro Stores close to the Slipway and Mwenge Market. In Zanzibar there is art at the Old Fort in Stone Town.

There are quite a few countries in Africa where you can spot the ‘Big Five’, but the most spectacular of these is Tanzania. This is because Tanzania has some of the greatest populations of each of the big five, and the perfect environment and habitat for them to survive.

Lion

As the saying goes, the Lion is the king of the jungle! These big cats can grow to be around 250 KG and are one of the most feared animals in the bush. Male Lions can be identified usually by a mane and do not generally do any of the hunting. The females of the pack hunt in groups by stalking their prey until they are close enough to catch and take it down.

Some of the locations they can be seen in Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Selous.

Elephant

The Elephant is the largest land mammal that exists in this current day and age, with the largest on record weighing around 11,000 KG. Elephants are herbivores, so spend the majority of their days eating plant matter such as fruit, bark and leaves.

Some of the locations they can be seen in Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Arusha, Mount Kilimanjaro, Selous.

Cape Buffalo

The Cape Buffalo can stand at around 1.5 Metres tall and weight round 700 KG. They live in herds, and feed on grass. Buffalo have known to be unpredictably dangerous when alone without a herd, and have been known to kill whatever comes in to close to its vicinity. To make up for their bad sense of vision, Buffalo have a great hearing.

Some of the locations they can be seen in Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Arusha, Mount Kilimanjaro, Selous.

Rhino

The Rhino is in danger of becoming extinct, with numbers dropping rapidly over the last 20 years. These large and strong animals weight around 1,400 KG and feed primarily on leafy plants, but will also consume fruits, roots and branches.

Some of the locations they can be seen in Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire.

Leopard

The leopard is a greatly patterned cat that hunts at night and usually sleeps during the daytime. They tend to hunt much smaller animals than lions would, and will store the kill up in trees to avoid scavengers taking their prey away from them.

Tanzania is the place where culture, nature and wildlife are in abundance. There’s captivating sightseeing you’ll come across at Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Mount Kilimanjaro. And above all, the Annual Wildebeest Migration is just an amazing thing one cannot afford to miss! Tanzania Safari is undoubtedly one of the exciting and beautiful tourist spot in the world. To make your travel safer, secure and memorable, consult an experienced safari tour operator.

Spending holidays in Tanzania is a good idea that can refresh your life and make you feel closer to nature. You can spend your time in tropical islands, dive into the marine life, experience the excitements of climbing Kilimanjaro, and watch the annual migration of the herds of wildebeest and zebra trekking across the pains. As you take Tanzania safari tour experiencing all these aspects of nature and wildlife, you’ll have a close view of the nature in its entirety. All you experience here will remain with you as an unforgettable memory in your life.

While roaming into the deep jungles, you’ll enjoy catching the attraction of wild animals. Apart from zebras and wildebeests, you’ll get enthralled seeing animals such as leopard, elephants, lions, cheetah and hyena. At the Mahale Mountains National Parks and Gombe Stream, you’ll get the opportunity of seeing chimpanzees.

Your Tanzania tour is incomplete without climbing Kilimanjaro which rises to 19,340 feet. You can climb it taking Marangu Route which is the main tourist route. You can perform Kilimanjaro climb by trekking with strong determination and make sure that the whether is fair. This mountain offers you a beautiful opportunity of seeing and experiencing the paranormal views in Tanzania.

Tanzania tour will be enjoyable and adventurous as you can choose to have adventure sports including balloon safaris, water-sports, deep sea fishing, diving and mountain climbing. And therefore, Tanzania is a major attraction amongst the adventure freaks. So, you can think about what you will do in Tanzania to make your tour memorable, enjoyable, safe and affordable. You can consult an experienced and efficient safari tour operator.

There are hosts of companies who offer safari services and therefore, selecting a good operator can be a difficult task. Please make sure that the operator staff and the guide you choose are experienced and well aware of the safety standards so that you have safe safari. You are advised not to select your operator and guide based on price. Do not fall prey to the cheapest operators. Do not assume that high budget operator is always preferable.

You can extend the length of you Tanzania safari tour according to your satisfaction of seeing and experiencing the wildlife and nature. Prior to making the actual tour, you need get prepared well and learn about certain safety standards. Choosing a right safari operator and an efficient guide will make your safari safe and enjoyable!

Tanzania is found in East Africa and has various attractions. The most famous attraction is the annual migration in the Serengeti National Park which involves about 2 million animals. Mt Kilimanjaro which is the highest free standing mountain in Africa attracts many mountain climbers and hikers from all parts of the world. Before you plan your safari or tour in Tanzania, you must have a valid visa for the duration of your stay. You can also acquire a visa from Kilimanjaro International airport, and the sea port. You can also get a visa at the border post between Kenya and Tanzania.

Tanzania has good climate throughout the year. The dry season is between the months of June and October. During this time you will experience hot weather conditions during the day and cool weather during the night and early mornings. Tanzania experiences long rains between March and May and short rains in the months of November and December. If you want to get the best out of your safari, make sure you have carried binoculars and a video camera of high quality to have an ideal game viewing. Its important to read about Tanzania wildlife online before since you will have clear information on what animals to watch and their exact habitat areas.

Swahili is the national language and English is also widely spoken by majority of the people. Try to learn a little bit of Swahili before since this will help familiarize with the local people in the villages. Carry enough bottled water provided by your tour operators to avoid dehydration due to the hot sun. Avoid walking alone at night in camps to avoid being attacked by wild animals there is also the risk of being robbed by pickpockets. It is important to obey instructions given by the tour guides while in the national parks and game reserves.

For your clothing, carry warm clothes to withstand the cold nights and morning hours and light clothes for day time. Sunglasses and sunscreen are also important to protect your eyes and skin. Long sleeved sweaters and trousers are ideal at night to prevent being harmed by the insects. If you are a lady wearing small shorts, remember to cover your legs especially when visiting the villages in the rural areas to avoid causing offense. Carry enough batteries for your camera and when photographing the local people, always ask permission first from your tour guide. Tanzania is a safe country but you should take good care of you belongings and all important documents.