The United Republic of Tanzania is a country of exceptional geographic diversity, from the lofty heights of Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, to the rolling plains of the Serengeti and the tropical beach paradise of Zanzibar, the spice island.

Two of Africa’s most celebrated wilderness areas – the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti – are located within northern Tanzania and boast some of the largest concentration of game on the continent. The latter acts as a stage for one of the world’s natural wonders as close to 2,000,000 wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migrate through the Serengeti ecosystem annually. Also located here are the famous soda lakes of the Great Rift Valley, notably Lake Natron and Lake Manyara, which attract a multitude of flamingoes every year.

The lesser known areas of the Selous, Katavi, Ruaha, and Mahale flaunt an abundance of animals in the wildest possible settings. These areas exude an aura of untrammeled wilderness, conserved by limited accessibility and truly belong to the animals.

Mahale is situated on the sandy shores of Lake Tanganyika, the 2nd deepest lake in the world and offers an exceptional opportunity to trek with wild chimpanzees in a Robinson Crusoe setting.

Tanzania is home to some of the earliest known human development, it was at Olduvai Gorge that the Leakey family made revelatory anthropological discoveries and at Gombe Stream that Jane Goodall began to unlock the secrets of our cousins and our evolution.

The population of Tanzania is about 37 million, united by a shared experience of nationhood and a common language. Culturally rich, the Tanzanians are famed for their warmth, dignity, and hospitality, from the Maasai in the north to the distinctly middle-eastern inspired Swahili culture of coastal Zanzibar.

“For the serious wildlife enthusiast, Tanzania should feature high on their list. The great Serengeti migration, walking safaris in the Selous Game Reserve and the best chimpanzee sightings in Africa.”

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