Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa, comprising both the mainland and the Zanzibar Archipelago. The capital, Dodoma, is in the centre of the country, while Dar Es Salaam, the economic capital, is on the coast. Tanzania has more land devoted to National Parks and game reserves then any other country in the world (over 100 000 km²).

Satellite photos of the country reveal a vast central plateau sloping toward the Indian Ocean; it borders on three of the great Rift Valley lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi [Nyasa]). Off the coast are a series of volcanic and coral islands making up the Zanzibar Archipelago.

A land of geographical extremes, Tanzania boasts the highest peak in Africa -  Mount Kilimanjaro [19,335.6 ft (5,895 m)]; the second largest in Africa (by surface area) and deepest lake in Africa [1470m] - Lake Tanganyika; and the largest lake in Africa - Lake Victoria. Everything from the pristine coral reefs to the Crater Highlands, remote game reserves and the famous national parks are protected by law and placed in trust for future generations.

Tanzania is home to some of the most incredible tribal diversity in Africa. The country includes all of the major ethnic and linguistic groups on the continent - an amazingly varied population to inhabit a single country. Home to approximately 120 tribal groups, most of these comprise small communities that are gradually being assimilated into the larger population due to changes in land use and the economic draw of city life. Tribal diversity is prized and far from being a source of division, Tanzanians place a high value on their country's multi-cultural heritage. Over the past few years, cultural tourism has become an increasing attraction for visitors from around the world and visits to tribal villages are often a highlight of safari itineraries. The Masai are perhaps the most well known of Tanzania's tribes and inhabit the northern regions of the country. Pastoralists who fiercely guard their culture and traditions, Masai tribal life revolves around protecting and caring for their herds of cattle and finding ample grazing land in their region.

We arrange trips throughout Tanzania. For the popular northern circuit we offer 5 different price options: Camping (basic), Wildlife Lodge, Sopa Lodge, Serena Lodge and the upmarket ConsCorp Lodge (1-5 star).

to the north

The parks and game reserves that make up Tanzania's northern circuit are easily the most popular and accessible attractions in the country. If you are travelling from December to April, the annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park is definitely not to be missed.

• Arusha National Park
  Arusha National Park is a gem of varied ecosystems offering spectacular views of Mt. Meru, the crater that gives the region its name, and Mt Kilimanjaro. This small national park includes the slopes, summit, and ash cone of Mt. Meru, the Momela Lakes, Ngurdoto Crater, and the lush highland forests that blanket its lower slopes. Stop to search for troups of rare colobus monkeys playing in the canopy. 30 minute drive from Arusha town. Best time: Throughout the year.
• Lake Manyara National Park
  Located beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, on the edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park offers varied ecosystems, incredible bird life, and breathtaking views. The alkaline soda of Lake Manyara is home to an incredible array of bird life that thrives on its brackish waters. Pink flamingo stoop and graze by the thousands, colourful specks against the grey minerals of the lakeshore. Yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings against the sun-drenched sky. Lake Manyara's famous tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay this park a visit. 2½ hours drive from Arusha. Best time: Throughout the year.
• Ngorongoro Crater
  Within the crater rim, large herds of zebra and wildebeest graze nearby while sleeping lions laze in the sun. At dawn, the endangered Black Rhino returns to the thick cover of the crater forests after grazing on dew-laden grass in the morning mist. Just outside the crater's ridge, tall Masaai herd their cattle and goats over green pastures through the highland slopes. Ngorongoro Conservation Area includes its eponymous famous crater, Olduvai Gorge, and huge expanses of highland plains, scrub bush, and forests that cover approximately 8300 square kilometres. A protected area, only indigenous tribes such as the Masaai are allowed to live within its borders. Of course, the crater itself, a collapsed caldera, is the main attraction. 4 hours drive from Arusha and 2 hours from Lake Manyara. Avoid the rainy season, April, May and November.
• Serengeti National Park
  Serengeti is easily Tanzania's most famous national park, and it's also the largest, at 14,763 km² of protected area. Large prides of lions laze easily in the long grasses, plentiful families of elephants feed on acacia bark and trump to each other across the plains, and giraffes, gazelles, monkeys, eland, and the whole range of African wildlife is in awe-inspiring numbers. The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara attract visitors from around the world, who flock to the open plains to witness the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet. More than a million animals make the seasonal journey to fresh pasture to the north, then the south, after the biannual rains. The sound of their thundering hooves, raising massive clouds of thick red dust, has become one of the legends of the Serengeti plains. Aside from traditional vehicle bound safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti plains has become a safari rite-of-passage for travel enthusiasts. 6 hours drive from Arusha. Best time: June to November.
• Tarangire National Park
  Tarangire National Park has some of the highest population density of elephants anywhere in Tanzania, and its sparse vegetation, strewn with baobab and acacia trees, makes it a beautiful and special location. Located just a few hours drive from the town of Arusha, Tarangire is a popular stop for safaris travelling through the northern circuit on their way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The park extends into two game controlled areas and the wildlife is allowed to move freely throughout. Before the rains, droves of gazelle, wildebeest, zebra, and giraffes migrate to Tarangire National Park's scrub plains where the last grazing land still remains. Tarangire offers unparalleled game viewing, and during the dry season elephants abound. Families of pachyderms play about the ancient trunks of baobab trees and strip acacia bark from the thorn trees for their afternoon meal. Breathtaking views of the Masaai Steppe and the mountains to the south make a stop at Tarangire a memorable experience. 1½ hours drive from Arusha. Best time: June to November
• Olduvai Gorge
  The renowned Olduvai Gorge lies between the great wildlife sanctuaries of the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park. This is where the Leakeys discovered the hominoid remains of a 1.8 million year old skeleton of Australopithecus boisei, one of the distinct links of the human evolutionary chain.
• Mount Kilimanjaro
  At an altitude of 5895 m above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Only three degrees south of the equator, it is (or was) snow-capped throughout the year. Its most outstanding features are the three major volcanic centres, Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo, all now dormant. There are 5 routes to the summit. The most popular being the Manragu route. Any healthy person can climb the mountain. 40 minutes drive from Moshi town. Avoid the rainy season April, May and November.
• Mount Meru
  This is the second highest mountain in Tanzania at 4566 m. It is overshadowed by Kilimanjaro and frequently overlooked. But Meru is a spectacular mountain; a trek involves a hike through the grassland and forest on the mountain's lower slopes followed by dramatic and exhilarating walk to the summit.

to the south

The sheer vastness of southern Tanzania makes for some spectacular game viewing and superb African vistas. An additional benefit of a visit to the southern circuit is the remoteness of the location, which means that most visitors rarely see another car during their long game drives. Whereas wildlife and big game are the focus of the northern circuit, a trip to the parks of southern Tanzania allows visitors to gain in-depth knowledge about complex ecosystems.

• Mikumi National Park
  Mikumi National Park is the closest wildlife park to Dar es Salaam (about 4 hours by road). Mikumi was gazetted as a National Park in 1964 and is named after the spindle shaped Borassus palm trees. It lies between the Uluguru Mountains to the northeast, and the Rubeho Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains and Rift Valley escarpment to the south west. As part of the Selous ecosystem, it benefits from a high game density. The open grasslands stretch out before you changing in colour throughout the day. There are high concentrations of game, with large herds of Nyasa Blue Wildebeest, African Buffalo, impala, zebra, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Greater Kudu, Roan and Sable antelope and Giraffe. Mikumi National Park borders the Selous Game Reserve and Udzungwa National Park, and the three locations make a varied and pleasant safari circuit. Best time: Throughout the year.
• Selous Game Reserve
  Located in southeast Tanzania in a remote and little-visited part of the country, the Selous Game Reserve is Africa's largest protected wildlife reserve. Due to its remote location, and because it is most easily accessible only by small aircraft, the Selous Game Reserve has remained one of the untouched gems of Tanzania's national parks. The Rufigi River Delta is a striking feature of the game reserve. It connects the Great Ruaha River with the Rufigi River and not far from the park boundaries empties out into the Indian Ocean along the Tanzanian Coast. Along its shores, opulent hippos sleep languidly in the mud and sun themselves, mouths wide open, as the river flows past. 7 hours from Dar Es Salaam or 45 minutes by air. Best time: June to February. Closed March to May.
• Ruaha National Park
  With herds of more than 10,000 elephants, vast concentrations of buffalo, gazelle, and over 400 bird species, Ruaha's limitless wilderness, together with the surrounding game reserves of Rungwa and Kisigo -- stretches over 40,000 square kilometres. Elephants are found in some of the highest concentration in the country, travelling in matriarch-lead herds through ancient grazing lands and seasonal supplies of water. The Great Ruaha River is the main feature of the park, and meanders through its borders. On its banks, the game viewing is spectacular, whether done by land or by water. Hippos yawn under the midday sun and crocodiles lie lazily along the banks. African Fish-eagles dive and swoop along the riverbanks, and at night the sound of frogs croaking happily in the reeds extends across the hills and plains. Boating safaris are starting to gain in popularity, and provide a popular alternative to viewing the area by car. 8 hours drive from Dar Es Salaam. Best time: Throughout the year.
• Udzungwa National Park
  Vervet monkeys play high in the forest canopy, and small forest antelope may be seen. Botanical diversity is exceptional, and the park is host to a large number of endangered bird species. Views from the peaks of the mountains, towards the Selous Game Reserve and the distant Indian Ocean coast, are incredible and well worth the effort. Five distinct trails cover the forests and mountain peaks within the park, and offer varying levels of difficulty for everyone from novices to experienced hikers. Better yet, there are no roads through the Undzungwa Mountains National Park, so hikers have the area all to themselves.
  
  

to the west

• Gombe Stream National Park
  Gombe Stream National Park, located on the western border of Tanzania and the Congo, is most famous for Jane Goodall, the resident primatologist who spent many years in its forests studying the behaviour of chimpanzees. Situated on the wild shores of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe Stream is an untamed place of lush forests and clear lake views. Hiking and swimming are also popular activities here, once the day's expedition to see the chimpanzees is over. Guided walks are available that take visitors deep into the forest to observe and sit with the extraordinary primates for an entire morning -- an incredible experience and one that is the highlight of many a visitor's trip to Africa. Aside from chimpanzee viewing, many other species of primates live in Gombe Stream's tropical forests. Vervet and Colobus Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Bushpig and small antelope inhabit the dense forest, in addition to a wide variety of tropical birdlife. 1-hour boat trip from Kigoma.

• Getting there: SAA and Kenya Airways have regular flights to Dar Es Salaam from Johannesburg and many other destinations.
• Getting around: Coastal Air and Precision Air have an extensive charter network within Tanzania. Transport used on Safari will be in 9 seater safaris mini-bus or a 5 seater 4 wheel drive vehicle, all with pop up roof hatches for ease of game viewing. In order to maximise comfort and guarantee a window seat for all passengers, only 7 seats used in the safari mini-busses.
• Visas: All visitors need visas. Travellers are advised to obtain these in advance but can be issued on arrival for last minute bookings.
• Currency: Tanzanian shilling. It is advisable to carry USD. Money changers also accept the major convertible currencies. Traveller's cheques are exchangeable in some places. Major credit cards are accepted in the larger hotels.
• Health: Yellow fever vaccination: recommended on the mainland and compulsory in Zanzibar. Visitors are advised to take anti-malaria prophylactics.
• Language: Kiswahili and English.
• When to go: The climate is tropical on the coast, on the island and in Selous. It is temperate in the other parks. October to mid March is the hottest period and from June to September to coolest. There could be  light rainfall in November and the main rains are from mid March to the end of May.
• Clothing: For safaris in the north, during the day light clothing. Sturdy shoes and canvas hats. At night casual wear with a light cardigan.
• Luggage Allowance: International flights: 20 kg. Regional flights 15 kg per passenger
• Shopping: Locally made products are available at good prices. You will find batiks, the Tinga tinga paintings, basketware and Masaai necklaces.
• Time: GMT + 3hours
• Power supply: 230 v. 3 square prong and triangular plugs.
• Custom Allowance: 1 bottle of wine or spirits, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.