By Anton Clasquin
With no shortage of destinations within Africa to explore it is difficult to decide which is the best destination for your next holiday. To weigh them all up would take much more than a blog post, but having recently returned from an adventure to Tanzania I want to share my top 5 reasons why Tanzania should be at the top of the list for your next trip!
1. Enormous Amounts of Wildlife – Especially the Big Cats
It’s hard to find another national park that can match the vastness of the Serengeti or the density of big cats that it boasts. Whether it be a pride of lions lazing around on a rocky outcrop, a coalition of cheetahs on the hunt or the elusive leopard gazing over the Savannah perched in a tree, the Serengeti is arguably the best place in Africa to get the chance to see the big cats in their natural environment.
2. Quintessential Safari Experience
While other national parks such as Kruger also offer a great range of wildlife viewing, the much romanticised safari experience is at its best in Tanzania. Whether you jump in a 4WD Safari vehicle with your driver guide and hit the road to explore the national parks, or take a light aircraft and fly into the parks it’s a very special feeling to embark on a safari which is an adventure all of its own.
3. Scenery
So much is made of the wildlife in Tanzania it comes as a pleasant surprise just how beautiful the landscape is. Whether it’s the beautiful green caldera of Ngorongoro Crater or the endless plains of the Serengeti you don’t have to just find wildlife to have a great time on a game drive (even better with a cold beverage at sun down!).
4. Great Guides and Itineraries to Suit all Tastes and Budgets
Whenever holidaying in a new destination, a guide can make all the difference and this is especially true for Africa. Not only will an experienced guide ensure your safety throughout the trip, but they know the parks inside and out and have amazing eyes for picking the wildlife even from a distance. They also go through extensive training and are very passionate, so love to share their knowledge – whether it be how much an elephant eats in a day (300 kilos by the way) or the whether the zebra is black with white stripes or white with black stripes (black with white stripes). It’s not all about the wildlife though, Tanzania has a wonderful culture that they are very proud of and your guide can share with you.
Whether you are happy to set up your own tent and take a gamble on the shower having hot water, or you prefer to fly between the parks and stay in luxury lodges and tented camps, Tanzania has something to suit you.
5. Zanzibar
Tanzania is well known for its national parks – and rightly so! That being said, something that isn’t always talked about is that safaris can be tiring! Early morning game drives, bumpy roads and lots of sun can take a toll… so while it’s an amazing experience it’s great to be able to relax on a holiday too. So after your safari there is no better place in Africa to sort through those photos or drink a cocktail and read a book on the beach in Zanzibar. It’s only a short internal flight from Arusha where your safari will likely end, so you can check out of your safari lodge and be in Zanzibar by the afternoon. The north of the island offers beautiful white sand beaches which are an oasis after a dusty safari, but Zanzibar isn’t just about the beach. The capital Stone Town is a UNESCO world heritage site with centuries of history and buildings with fascinating stories of the old trade routes is sure to amaze.
You can see the African Safaris we offer here.
If you want to find out more about the destinations in this article, or have any questions in general please contact us.
