Mt. Kilamanjaro
Situated in East Africa, just south of the equator, mainland Tanzania lies between the area of the great lakes; Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi - with the Indian Ocean on its' coastline to the east. It has land borders with Uganda and Kenya to the north, Mozambique and Malawi to the south, Zambia to the southwest and Zaire, Burundi and Rwanda to the west.
The country lies at an altitude of over 1,000ft, apart from a coastal strip varying in width from 10 to 40 miles. The greater part of the country is made up of plateau averaging 3,000 to 4,500ft in height. Mountains are grouped in various section. The Pare and Usambara ranges are in the northeast and the Livingstone Mountains in the southwest. Kilimanjaro (19,340ft) in the north is the highest mountain in Africa.
On the borders are three large lakes; Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, Tanganyika, second only to Lake Baykal as the deepest in the world; and Lake Malawi. Lakes within Tanzania include Natron, Eyasi, Manyara and Rukwa.
Even though three great African rivers; the Nile, the Zaire and the Zambezi, have their origins in Tanzania, the country has few permanent rivers. During half the year, the central plateau has no running water, but in the rainy season flooding presents a problem.
Lowest Point: Indian Ocean 0m Highest Point: Kilimanjaro 5,895m
The Saadani National Park
Tanzania's newest national park, located 130 km North of Dar Salaam and just 38 km from Zanzibar.
The reserve has the unique distinction of being East Africa's only coastal wildlife sanctuary, providing the opportunity to observe Africa's big game and bird life interacting with the sea. Saadani has a diverse population of mammals and birds, although many species are both scarce and scared compared to other parks which have received better protection in the past.
Of the big five, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo are present, the rare Roosevelt sable is indigenous, whilst plains game such as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland and hartebeest are more frequently seen in larger herds.
The southern boundary is marked by the Wami River, which attracts fabulous bird life, large pods of hippo, massive crocodiles and the spectacular black and white Colobus monkey. Bottle-nosed dolphins are common off the Southern coast of the reserve, whales pass through the Zanzibar Channel in October and November, and there is a green turtle breeding beach at Madete in the North.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Conservation area is a fine blend of landscapes, people, wildlife and Africa main archaeological site, lying in the north of country and merging into the Serengeti Game Reserve. The Ngorongoro Crater is regarded as a natural wonder of the world (the 8th) and has been declared a World Heritage Site. It is the largest intact crater in the world, being 610 meters deep, 16 kms across and covering an area of 540 sq kms. and is teaming with wildlife, with virtually all the big game species found here, including, zebra, wildebeest, black rhino, antelope, elephants, giraffe, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard. The area is also an ornithologists' paradise, with the thousands of flamingos wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi and hundreds of other species of birdlife.
The prime time of the year to visit is from December to May when the spectacular sight of the Serengeti migration usually takes place.
Visit the famous volcanic Ngorongoro crater which is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. There are 25,000 larger animals within the crater including Zebra and wildebeest, lion, , leopard, cheetah, hyena, elephants, warthog, impala, buffalo, hartebeest, eland and smaller mammals of all sorts.
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania's oldest park, located in the North, covering an area of over 14,760 sq, the Serengeti is the country's most popular and famous park. "Serengeti" is a Maasai word meaning "endless plain", very apt, as the park consists of flat, treeless plains stretching as far as the eye can see, one of the highest concentration game sites in Africa.
Virtually every game species in Africa can be found here, but it is most famous for its vast herds of wilderbeest, zebra and antelope, as well as "the Serengeti Lions".
The best viewing months are from December to March, when many animals are concentrated in the park's southern regions.
However, one of the spectacular and unique events of the year is the Serengeti annual migration, which takes place heading north to south October November and back south to north between the months of April and June. This has been described by many as one of the greatest wonders of the world. There is no fixed migration timetable, the animals migrate according to rainfall patterns.
Autumn Migration
