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Coastal historical areas and main attractions Tanzania

Dar Es Salaam

With its two and a half million inhabitants this is the political and economic capital of the country. The seat of government though is in Dodoma.. Except for some museums there is
little to offer. The National Museum has fossils from the Olduvai Gorge including some of Dr. Leakey's first finds such as Nutcracker Man and Zinjanthropus Bosei, proto humans who roamed the Rift Valley over a million years ago. It also has handicrafts and modern tribal artifacts. The Kariakoo Market is very colorful, but if you are looking for handicrafts then the Carvers Market about 5km outside is worth a visit. Here you
can watch the Makonde carvers practice their craft on mbingo (African blackwood). Watching the dhows (traditional boats) is fascinating. About 80 kms. North of the city is Bagamoyo a former slave port and German colonial capital. It has a small museum and interesting Arab architecture. Not far from the city are excellent beaches with attractive hotels. If staying for a few days a trip to Mbudya Island is a relaxing experience.

Olduvai Gorge Situated between the Serengeti and Lake Manyara the Olduvai Gorge is worth a visit if you are in the area. Here Louise & Mary Leakey
discovered the remains of a 2 million year old man in 1959. Close by is Gibbs Farm, with a beautiful garden, and one can learn how coffee is grown and produced. At the local small museum Masai artifacts and good quality Jewelry is for sale.

Arusha

With regular flights from Europe this has made Arusha a great gateway for the wildlife parks of Serengeti, Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Mount Kilimanjaro. The city has only 150000 inhabitants and not a lot of attractions. It is in a lush valley with wonderful views of green hills and mountains. The market is dusty but colourful.

Serengeti National Park
The word «Serengeti» comes from the Masai word "siringet", meaning an extended area or "the endless plains". The park covers nearly 13000 sq. kms of grassland (broken by rock outcroppings and acacia trees), it's an excellent place to observe animal migrations. Upon these grassland roam more game animals than anywhere in the world. There are over one million wildebeest alone. or weary.More than 3 million animals move south from mid November to January, then north again from the end of May to June - though there is some variation in the dates, depending on the level of rainfall during a given year.

The wildebeest are one of the most important pieces in the Serengeti ecosystem puzzle. Their migration is as old as the history of mankind. For many millenniums the wildebeest followed the rains and used the Serengeti ecosystem with its mosaic of grasslands and savannas to their advantage. Every one who has a chance to see nearly two million animals on the move has been touched by the magic of this place. Even so the wildebeest looks a bit like a clown and, according to an African legend, has been put together by God using left over spare parts, the animal is superbly fit for its migratory lifestyle.

The wildebeest spent the rainy season from December to June in the volcanic open plains below the Ngorongoro Crater where the grass growth is most productive and nutrient contents high. It is here that the calves are born. Calving season is short and the predators cannot make a dent in the new-borns with such a sudden surge of food. When the monsoon rains stop in June, the plains dry out and the wildebeest move west towards Lake Victoria in search of pasture and rains. The plains become a harsh and dry semi-desert in which no wildebeest could survive. Only through migration can the wildebeest and zebra use the widespread resources of the ecosystem and build up such large numbers. Following der rainfalls the migration moves on to the north, into the Masai Mara, where the rift wall catches the last rains even in the middle of the dry season. With the onset of the monsoon rains in December the wildebeest move back into the lush Serengeti plains.

-November to January, then north again from the end of May to June - though there is some variation of dates, depending on the levels of rainfall. Visits should be avoided from June-October as most animals will be out of Serengeti. During this time an ideal alternative is Tarangire National Park.

Tarangire National Park
This is probably the most under-rated park in Tanzania. It is located only two hours on good roads from Arusha. The dominant feature of the
park is the Taranagire River, and during the dry period from June to November there is a watering hole for hugh herds of Elephants. Large baobab trees amongst acacia bush dominate the landscape and as you travel
further south the area opens up into plains, swamps and kopjes. The game and bird life is superb. Here you are certain to see hugh herds of elephant and vast herds of buffalo as well as: lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, jackal gazelle, zebra, giraffe, and warthog. The area is excellent for birds of prey and is the habitat for hundreds of other species.

Lake Manyara National Park.
Despite this being a very small park by African standards only 325 sq kms, it is one of the most beautiful. Despite its size it is a paradise for wildlife seekers. Along its western borders is the Great Rift Valley escarpment while Lake Manyara is its eastern border. Dense concentrations of wildlife live in this narrow corridor, which ranges from forest of tamarind, mahogany and fig in the north to the flat wide grasslands
of the center. This park famous for Tree climbing lion's,Aquatic birds,herds of Elephant, giraffe,troop of baboons, buffalo and zebra are to be found here as well as many other game, and an abundance of bird life as well as flamingos on the lake.

Ngorongoro Crater

The eighth wonder of the world. Famed worldwide as an echo of Eden. It is a 19 km. wide volcano covering 264 sq. km. The complete intact rim rises 600 meters from the crater floor. With sheltering forests, grasslands, fresh springs, a large lake and an abundance of animals, this is a true paradise. As time has elapsed the floor of
the crater has become rich grassland with a lake in its midst and is the home of large concentrations of Hippos, Lions, Wildabeest, Hyenas, Zebra, Elands, Buffalo and a varied assortment of colourful birds as well as a large flock of flamingos.