Northern
Tanzania remains one of the last strongholds of
nature, from the great wildebeest migrations of
the Serengeti, to the amazing concentration of wildlife
that live in the Ngorongoro Crater.
Within
Tanzania's borders lie 52,000 square kilometers
(20,000 square miles) of water. Down the western
side is Lake Tanganyika, Africa's longest and deepest
freshwater lake and the second deepest in the world
and to the north lies Lake Victoria.
Tanzania's
people are as diverse as the country they inhabit,
with more than 120 tribes existing, all differing
in culture, social organization and language.
Rising
from the surrounding plains like a mirage are the
snow capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, which continue
to attract explorers, scientists, adventurers, climbers
and tourists from around the world. Consisting of
three volcanoes in one, Kilimanjaro is the highest
mountain in Africa at 5,896 metres (19,340ft) and
the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.
TANZANIA,
NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
A UNESCO protected ‘’World Heritage
Site’’, the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area is situated some 190 kms west of Arusha, between
Lake Manyara and Serengeti National Parks. Covering
approximately 8,288 square km, the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area consists of the Ngorongoro Crater itself, the
Olduvai Gorge, the Empakai crater and the Oldonyo
Lengai Mountain. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area
is a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land
use where the diverse interests of wild animals,
plants and people are being integrated. Wild animals
are protected as in the National parks. The craters
of Ngorongoro and Empakai are reserved exclusively
for wildlife, while the rest of the Conservation
Area is shared by wildlife, people and livestock.
The Ngorongoro Crater, which is the central attraction
in the area, is the largest Caldera in the world
that has its walls intact. The Ngorongoro Crater
floor lies 610 metres below the rim and has an area
of 265 sq. km, with a diameter of 16 km to 19 km.
The sight of the Ngorongoro Crater is simply stunning.
“There is nothing with which to compare. It
is one of the wonders of the world…”
once wrote Professor Bernard Grzimek. The crater
floor is covered with plains animals, including
wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, elands, rhino, and
a large predator population of lions, hyena and
jackal which can all be viewed at close quarters.
Cheetah and leopard can also be seen here. The crater
rim is about 2286 metres high and is chilly during
the evenings.
TANZANIA,
NDUTU
Ndutu area is located directly in the path of the
Wildebeests migration. From January to April, the
southeastern plains of the Serengeti ecosystem and
the open woodlands around Lakes Ndutu and Lagaja
become the centre of activity of the migratory animals
which can be seen in the thousands.
TANZANIA,
OLDUVAI GORGE
The Olduvai Gorge, also known as ‘’THE
CRADLE OF MANKIND’’ is the site where
in 1959, Dr. Louis LEAKEY discovered the Zinj Skull.
Zinjanthropus is believed to have lived 1.7 millions
ago. According to Dr. Leakey, Homo Habilis, the
Nutcracker man, had a brain and hands capable of
making tools.
TANZANIA,
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Covering an area of 14,763 sq. km, Serengeti National
Park is the largest National Park in Tanzania. The
park is located some 320 km to the northwest of
Arusha, lying on a high plateau between the Ngorongoro
highlands and the Kenya / Tanzania border, and extending
almost to Lake Victoria to the west. The Serengeti,
derived from the Masai word “siringet”
meaning endless plains, these vast plains are the
origins of the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth,
the migration of over 1 million wildebeest to the
Masai Mara plains in Kenya. Pursued by hungry predators,
this becomes a struggle of life and death that only
the Serengeti and Masai Mara are honoured to host.
The principal features of the Serengeti are the
short and long grass plains in the south and east,
the acacia Savannah in the central areas, the hilly
and densely wooded areas in the north and the extensive
woodland in the west. There is a variety of scenery,
which include the plains, lakes, hills and the rock
outcrops called kopjes. The main game drive areas
in the Serengeti are the Seronera Valley, the Western
Corridor, and Lobo. In the Seronera Valley, animals
that can be seen are lions, buffaloes, impalas,
hippos, water-bucks, elephants, cheetahs and the
leopard. From December, when the long rains start,
to May, eastern Serengeti plains provide the best
opportunities for game viewing as hundreds of thousands
of the migratory animals are concentrated in this
part attracted by the short palatable grass. Between
May and June, when drought sets in, Serengeti is
the site of one of the most breathtaking events
in the animal kingdom - the migration of thousands
of wildebeest heading southwest, north or west in
search of water and greener pastures. The Lobo area
remains rich in wildlife during the dry months of
July to October when most of the game has moved
from the grass plains in the south. This is also
true of the Western Corridor towards Lake Victoria
when the migration usually arrives between June
and July. Serengeti provides sanctuary to the highest
concentration of plains animals in the world. Survey
estimates indicate an animal population of about
4 million including 3,000 lions, 1,600,000 wildebeests,
500,000 zebras. There are over 400 species of birds
in the Serengeti.
TANZANIA,
ZANZIBAR
The legendary island of spices, fragrances, flowers
and fruits, set like a jewel in the tranquil coral
waters of the Indian ocean, Zanzibar is also the
birthplace of the fascinating Swahili culture with
its elegant architecture, full of balconies, courtyards,
hand-carved doors and mosques. The different races
that had settled in Zanzibar over centuries have
left an impact on the people and the architecture.
The narrow streets, the House of Wonders, are just
some vivid reminders
of the Island’s long and coloured history.
Different excursions are arranged while in Zanzibar
taking visitors to spices plantations, the old slave
cave, the prison island, ruins of what was the palace
of the Sultan Said, the old slave market and many
other historical places.