TANZANIA TOP 10 PLACES TO VISIT

Ngorongo Crater: The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest unbroken volcanic caldera. The Crater, which formed as the giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself around 2 million years ago, is 610m deep and the floor is 260km². The steep sides of the crater mean that it has become a natural enclosure for a very wide variety of wildlife, including most of the species found in East Africa.

Serengeti National Park: The Serengeti is a 60,000 square kilometer savanna which lies over Tanzania. The biannual migration that occurs there is considered one of the seven tourist travel wonders of the world. The region contains several national parks and game reserves. The Serengeti has more than 2 million herbivores and thousands of predators. Blue Wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and buffalos are the animals most commonly found in the region.

Zanzibar / Pemba Islands: Zanzibar is beautyfull island with a lot of very nice beaches. The diving in Zanzibar is very good with some exceptionally good reefs in and around the various locations. The best location for the serious divers and deep divers is out on the Pemba Reefs. If you are into this, be sure to have a look at the Pemba reef descriptions. These reefs are awesome and there is a large variety to choose from.

Tarangire National Park: Tarangire National Park is probably one of the least visited of the northern Tanzanian game parks, and retains a real air of undiscovered Africa, particularly in the south of the park. Just a two hours drive away from Arusha, the park is a nice stop if time does not allow for a visit to Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It lies a little distance to the south east of Lake Manyara and covers an area of approximately 2,850 square kilometres. It is named after the Tarangire River that flows through the park.

Lake Manyara National Park: Lake Manyara is a shallow fresh-water lake in Tanzania. Said by Ernest Hemingway to be the "loveliest [lake] ... in Africa," it is also the home of a diverse set of landscapes and wildlife. Of the 127 square miles (329 km²) of Lake Manyara National Park, the lake's alkaline waters cover approximately 89 square miles (231 km²). While most known for baboons, the lake and its environs is also home to herbivores such as hippos, impalas, elephants, wildebeests, buffalo, warthogs and giraffes. Leopards, although in abundance, are hard to get a glimpse of, just like the other elusive carnivores - the lions - of this park. Lake Manyara provides opportunities for ornithologists keen on viewing and observing over 300 migratory birds, including flamingo, long-crested eagle and grey-headed kingfisher.

Mt. Kilimanjaro: Kilimanjaro is 340 km south of the Equator, 280 km from the Indian Ocean and just over 400 km from Lake Victoria. It lies on the eastern side of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, and north-north east of the Maasai steppe, the great plain of north-eastern Tanzania renowned as the homeland of the nomadic Maasai cattle-herders. Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawensi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania. Although it does not have the highest elevation, Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world, rising 4,600 m (15,100 ft) from its base, and includes the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 metres (19,340 ft), providing a dramatic view from the surrounding plains.

Selous Game Reserve: The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest fauna reserves of the world, located in the south of Tanzania. It was named after Englishman Frederick Selous, who died in 1917 while fighting against the Germans in World War I. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature. It has a total area of 54,600 km². Some of the typical animals of the savanna (for example elephants, hippopotami, African Wild Dog and crocodiles) can be found in this park in a larger numbers than in any other African park. Interesting places in the park include the river of Rufiji, which flows into the Indian Ocean in front of the Mafia Island and the Stiegler, a canyon of 100 metres depth and 100 metres width. Around this canyon can be found most of the touristic facilities. In the Selous Reserve safari by foot is permitted. This type of exploration is forbidden in most other national parks of Africa.

Ruaha National Park: Ruaha National Park is a large national park in Tanzania. It covers an area of about 10,300 km² and is only second in size to Serengeti National Park. It is located in the middle of Tanzania about 130 km from Iringa. The park is part of a more extensive ecosystem which includes Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve, and several other protected areas.The name of the park is derived from the Great Ruaha River, which flows along its south-eastern margin and is the focus for game-viewing. The park can be reached by car via Iringa and there is an airstrip at Msembe, park headquarters. Ruaha is famous for its large population of Elephants. Presently about 10.000 are roaming the park. Ruaha National Park is also a true birdwatchers paradise: 436 species have been identified of an estimated total of 475. Among the resident birds are different species of Hornbills, Kingfishers and Sunbirds. Also many migrants visit Ruaha, e.g. the White Stork. Other special animals in Ruaha are: the African Wild Dog and Sable Antelope.

Mafia Island:  Mafia Island ("Chole Shamba") is part of the Tanzanian Spice Islands, together with Zanzibar and Pemba. As one of the 6 districts of the Pwani Region, however, Mafia Island is governed from the mainland, not from Zanzibar. Mafia Island has never been considered part of Zanzibar. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Mafia District was 40,801. The people of Mafia Island are mainly fishermen; many also engage in small-scale food cultivation. The island is a good retreat for adventure scuba divers, game fishermen, and those merely seeking relaxation.

Mt. Meru: Mount Meru is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Moun Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 metres (14,980 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast about 8,000 years ago, similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens in Washington. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity. Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park. Its fertile slopes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards.