About Tanzania

Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. Dodoma is Tanzania's capital city but Dar es Salaam, the country's largest city and main port, remains Tanzania's social and commercial heart. In Arusha practically everything centres on the safari industry. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain.

Ngorongoro Crater shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. It has breath-taking views and phenomenal game. Lake Manyara National Park contains a tremendous diversity of habitats, animals and birds and Tarangire National Park is for those who want to step that much further off the beaten track to experience a truly wild area. Selous Game Reserve is Africa's largest game reserve and Ruaha National Park makes a great extension to a Selous safari. Katavi National Park has excellent game and a true feeling of wilderness. Mahale Mountains National Park is thickly-forested and mountainous and one can watch wild chimpanzees at close quarters. Rubondo Island is the largest island national park in Africa. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences, and Mafia, with a marine park that is home to whale sharks and coral reefs. Camps and lodges are of an exceptional standard.

From June to October temperatures range from around 10ºC (50ºF) in the northern highlands to about 23ºC (73ºF) on the coast. On the plains the lower-altitude game reserves, the temperatures from June to October are warm and mild. On the coast, these months are some of the most pleasant to visit. From December to March, the days are hot and sunny with often not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures range from the mid 20ºC (68ºF) to the low 30oC (86oF) throughout the country. Tanzania’s equatorial climate brings two seasons of rain a year: the long rains that fall from mid-March to the end of May, and the short rains that come intermittently throughout November and parts of December.