Tanzania is a wildlife lovers’ paradise and Africa’s prime game-viewing country. From the vast plains of the Serengeti in the north, to the chimpanzee sanctuaries of Gombe and Mahale in the west and the lesser-known ‘jewels’ of Ruaha and the Selous in the south, Tanzania’s biodiversity is truly breathtaking. The sheer numbers of birds and animals – there are an estimated 32,000 elephants in Selous Game Reserve alone – are testament to the fact that almost a quarter of the country’s total land area is protected, either as national parks, reserves or conservation areas. And research projects carried out in these protected areas continue to make an impact on science at large: from Marion East’s study of Serengeti spotted hyenas, which shows how this female-dominated society ‘commute’, often hundreds of kilometres, to their prey; to the Mkomazi Research Project, a collaborative study of the flora and fauna in Mkomazi Game Reserve, by Tanzania’s Department of Wildlife, the Royal Geographical Society and Oxford University, which has yielded a number of new species.
The Northern Circuit
Most tourists visit the ‘northern circuit’ of national parks, taking in the Serengeti, Tanzania’s oldest and most famous national park, and the adjacent Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), which includes the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera in the world. No visit to Tanzania’s northern circuit would be complete without at least a glimpse of Kilimanjaro, the dormant volcano that is Africa’s highest mountain. It is the only peak of its size that can be climbed with relative ease by non-mountaineers, and many take the opportunity to do so. The 756 sq. km of Kilimanjaro lying above 2,700 metres comprise Kilimanjaro National Park, while parts of the lower slopes – which support five vegetation zones – are protected as forest reserves. Visitors to the northern circuit should also stop at Arusha, Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks, all of which support a fascinating and varied selection of plant, animal and bird species. Most visitors approach the northern circuit via Arusha, but if you have an adventurous spirit and a little bit more time, try an overland trip through the Usambara and Pare mountains, and Mkomazi Game Reserve. The plantlife here is remarkable and the montane forests are listed as one of the eleven most important zones of biological diversity in the world.
The Western Circuit
This takes one on a tour of lakes Victoria and Tangayika, and Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains national parks.
- Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest and the world’s second largest freshwater lake, is scenically beatiful and has great numbers of fish, the most commercially viable variety being the tilapia.
- Lake Tanganyika is the longest fresh water lake in the world (677km), and the second deepest (1433m), with over 250 species of fish. Its great age, isolation and stability have made it a marvellous evolutionary storehouse. Nearly all of the lake’s cichlids are unique as are some species of crabs, molluscs and crustaceans. All these make it a truly remarkable biological habitat.
- Visitor facilities are available in hotels in Kigoma, and at Mahale Mountains Tented Camp, P. O. Box 1373, Kigoma.
- Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains national parks are among the few remaining natural habitats for chimpanzees in the world. They are also home to various other primates, big game and birds.
The Southern Circuit
The south of Tanzania is home to some of Africa’s most pristine wildlife wildernesses. Vast tracts of land remain unexplored and unexploited, including the enormous Selous Game Reserve, Africa’s largest, which occupies an area of approximately 50,000 sq. km, and is difficult to describe without the use of superlatives. The southern parks’ unspoilt loveliness is due in part to their relative inaccessibility. A four-wheel drive vehicle is the best way to get around the region. Mbeya is a an appealing town and a good base for exploring the southern highlands.
- The parks in this area are well stocked and include Katavi, Ruaha, Mikumi national parks, and the Selous Game Reserve.
- Lake Nyasa (also known as lake Malawi) is the most southerly of the Rift Valley lakes and is also, biologically, the most diverse. For example, the lake contains 30 per cent of the world’s cichild species – colourful fish easily observed in the clear water.
- The lake’s northern shores are home to the Nyakusa people whose huts and villages have remained unchanged for centuries. The Kisi, another Lake Nyasa people, are famous for their pottery.
- Matema Beach on the southern tip is rated the best beach on the lake and has a beautiful setting against the mountains.
- Visitor facilities are available at the Lutheran Mission Resort at Matema Beach, and at Mbeya Park Hotel, P. O. Box 8223, Mbeya. Tel. (+65) 3471.
Organised Safaris
Given the difficulties associated with arranging private safaris, such as hiring self-drive vehicles, and the very high park entry fees for foreign-registered vehicles, it is advisable to visit the national parks on organised safaris. Most tour companies are based in Arusha, with offices in the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC). These organise tours mainly to the Northern Circuit. The relatively fewer companies in Dar-es-Salaam cater mainly for safaris to the Southern Circuit.
Balloon Safaris
Daily two-hour flights over the Serengeti are available through UTC, Arusha, or at either the Serengeti Sopa Lodge, or the Seronera Lodge both in the park.
Other Safaris
Details about walking, trekking, mountain climbing, birdwatching, seeing plants and flowers, golf, fishing, sailing and conoeing, etc. may be obtained from any Tanzanian tour operator.
Hunting
In his 1871 book How I found Dr. Livinstone, Henry Morton Stanley called East Africa, “the hunter’s paradise”. Although the heyday of the “Great White Hunter” is now long over, controlled or tourism hunting is permitted in certain “game controlled areas”, where wildlife is monitored. Hunting is in fact an important source of revenue for Tanzania, with each of the 600 or so hunters visiting the country spending about US$33,000.
‘Tanzania is regarded by sport hunters as offering the finest hunting in Africa, and some 7,000 animals are shot annually on licence’, writes Richard Lamprey, a former technical advisor to Tanzania’s Wildlife Division, in Swara, the magazine of the East African Wildlife Society. Hunting provides the main income for the Selous Game Reserve, and without it, the Tanzania Wildlife Division could not hope to generate enough funds for management and conservation.
Mt. Kilimanjaro
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- Snow capped and wreathed in veils of clouds, Kilimanjaro rises from the vast open plains. First mentioned by Ptolemeus (a 2nd Century Greek philosopher and geographer), the largest mountain in Africa and highest free standing mountain in the world, has proved a magnet to climbers, naturalists, travellers and explorers over the centuries. Only three degrees from the equator, the Victorians believed Kilimanjaro’s snow to be a flight of fancy for many years.
The mountain has been known in African legends from ancient times. The local Chagga people believed it to be the dwelling of an angry god who punished anyone who dared to climb it. They called the two peaks, kipoo and Kimawenzi which are now known as Kibo and Mawenzi.
Kilimanjaro comes from the Chagga (Vunjo sub-region) phrase ‘Kilema Kyaro’. Literally meaning ‘that which cannot be conquered’, or ‘that which makes a journey impossible’ or ‘completely inaccessible’ or ‘where a traveller can disappear or be completely lost’. German explorers spelt the name of the mountain as Kilimanscharos, a name that was later spelt as Kilimanjaro by the Arab slavers and the Swahili speaking people.
The mountain owes its existence to the formation of the Great Rift Valley two to three million years ago, which left deep fractures in the earth crusts along its edges. Many volcanoes burst through in the Kilimanjaro region. Nearly a million years ago, volcanic activity centered on three points – Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo. Shira was the first to become extinct – it eventually collapsed and was covered by material from the other two. Mawenzi and Kibo continued to grow, their lava intermingling to form a saddle between them.
Mawenzi next became dormant but in an enormous explosion the entire eastern rim gave way, forming a spectacular gorge. Lava later seeped through the cracks, which after much erosion, helped to give Mawenzi its jagged outline of crags and pinnacles.
Kibo continued to grow. About 100,000 years ago, a huge landslide from the summit breached the southwest crater and formed a magnificent precipice. Eventually, magma retreated from the central vent of the volcano, but a final puff of smoke deposited a perfect cone of ash around the rim. Kilimanjaro remains a dormant, but not extinct, volcano. Ice as well as fire has helped shape the summit of Kilimanjaro. Volcanic eruptions have been followed by periods of glaciation. At one stage, an unbroken sheet of ice covered the mountain down to 3,000m. The famous snows of Kilimanjaro are, however, in fast retreat.
Scaling the heights
The best time to climb the mountain is from August to November.
The summit of Kilimanjaro can be reached by any reasonably fit person who enjoys walking. The youngest to make it was eleven years old, the oldest seventy four. There are principal routes up the mountain – Marangu, Shira, Mweka, Umbwe and Machame. The last three routes require special permission to use as they are difficult and dangerous. These routes are marked and provided with single bivouac huts and water. The most popular and easiest way to reach the summit however, is the Marangu route, which has modern huts with all the necessary facilities.
It takes about five days to climb Kilimanjaro along the Marangu route (about 80km). The route begins at Marangu Gate at 1,860m and then passes through the tangled rain forest to the Mandara Hut at 2,725m, close by the Maundi Crater. Next day, the forest soon gives way to rolling alpine meadows with giant heather trees. The altitude begins to make itself felt. Horombo Hut is 12km away at 3,780m. From here, the landscape becomes progressively more rugged and rocky and giant groundsels and lobelias appear on the open moor. The path skirts Mawenzi and then crosses the desert of the saddle towards the last hut that nestles below Kibo at 4,740m.
The final ascent begins well before dawn and is the most strenuous part, needing some five hours to reach Gillman’s Point in the crater rim at 5,685m. The highest point is Uhuru Peak at 5,895m, an hour’s walk along the crater’s rim. The descent takes two days with an overnight at Horombo.
Some parts of the mountain are protected by National Parks status. A variety of flora and fauna can be enjoyed, including white colobus monkey, mountain hyrax, elephants, leopards and so on.
Hiking
Tanzania has truly off-the-beaten-track-hiking. Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro excluded, many places are seldom visited by travelers. Some exciting possibilities include the
- Pare Mountains near Sama,
- the Livingstone Range east of Lake Nyasa,
- Mailenge Mountain south of Ifakara,
- the Kitulo Plateau east of the Poroto,
- Mt. Hanang, west of Babati,
- the Mbizi Mountains between Sumbwanga and Lake Rukwa ,
- the Uluguru Mountains near Morogoro, and Uerewe,
- Maisome and Kome islands in Lake Victoria
Kilimanjaro and Arusha national parks are known for magnificient hikes. Rubondo Island and Mahale Mountains can only be explored on foot, while Udzungwa Mountains National Park has a number of trails. It is possible to hike in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with permission from the Conservation Authority in Arusha. Other accessible areas include the Usambara Mountains, the Mbeya Range, and Poroto Mountains.
- You may hike in national parks only if accompanied by a ranger.
Local Cuisine
One of the great experiences of travel is the discovery of unusual cuisine. Tanzania has its own fair share of rare and exotic dishes to tempt the palate. The food of the coast reflects the racial mix of African, Arabic, Asian and Swahili cooking traditions. The foods of the interior are more bland but nourishing nonetheless, comprising vegetables and cereals, combined in a number of ways, lightly spiced and served with meat and fish.
- Maize is readily available, eaten roasted as a snack or served as posho or as ugali.
- The Maasai have a spartan diet of meat, blood and milk, which may not appeal greatly to the visitor.
- Ndayu or roasted young goat is a popular delicacy throughout the country and is usually served at celebrations.
- Fish dishes are widespread. The transportation distances from the coast and rivers inland means that the tasty tilapia and dagga, similar to whitebait, are sun dried. The Nile Perch is very tasty, sweet, firm, versatile. River dwellers enjoy catfish which they soak and bake into long kebabs. Fish dishes along the coast and on the islands are varied – sea perch, parrotfish, red snapper , kingfish, and crayfish. There are also prawns, crabs, lobsters, oysters and many more.
- The chapati is obiquitous. It resembles a large thin pancake and is used as a utensil, scoop or sopper of sauces with any meal.
- Pilau is a delicious mixture of rice simmered with cinnamon, ginger and garlic.