Tanzania, officially
the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili),
is a country on the east coast of Africa. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda
on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east
it borders the Indian Ocean. The country is named after Tanganyika, its
mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off its east coast. The country
has been a member of the Commonwealth since gaining independence in 1961.
In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar, forming the United Republic of
Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later renamed to the United Republic of Tanzania.
In 1996, Tanzania's capital was officially moved from Dar es Salaam to
Dodoma, although many government offices still remain in the old capital.
Tanzania
has considerable land area of wildlife habitat, including much of the Serengeti
plain, where Blue Wildebeest and other bovids participate in a large scale
annual migration. Up to 250,000 Blue Wildebeest perish each year in the
long and arduous movement to find forage in the dry season. Tanzania
has developed a Biodiversity Action Plan to address species conservation.
Wayfarer
Adventures Tour Guide Whether you’re dreaming
of climbing Kilimanjaro, sailing round the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius,
Seychelles and Zanzibar, surfing the awesome waters of Mozambique, going
on safari in the Okavango swamps, or exploring South Africa’s own beautiful
backyard, with trips along the Garden Route or through the Kruger National
Park, the World Heritage Site of the St Lucia Wetlands or snorkeling at
Kosi Bay, trekking in the Drakensberg Mountains or admiring the unsurpassed
beauty of the Namaqualand Desert in bloom.... Wayfarer Adventures has a
tailor-made travel plan for you.
Zanzibar is the collective
name for two islands in Tanzania: Unguja and Pemba. The capital of Zanzibar,
located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City. The city's old quarter,
known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site. Although Zanzibar enjoys
a high degree of autonomy, it is not a sovereign state: it remains part
of Tanzania.
Zanzibar's main industries
are spices (which include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper), raffia,
and tourism. Zanzibar is also the home of the endemic Zanzibar Red Colobus
and the elusive Zanzibar Leopard. The word "Zanzibar" probably derives
from the Persian, Zangi-bar ("coast of the blacks") and it is known as
Zanji-bar in Arabic, also. "Zanzibar" may also refer to the spice ginger
(genus Zingiber). "Zanzibar" often refers especially to Unguja Island and
is sometimes referred to as the "Spice Islands," though this term is more
commonly associated with the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Pemba Island
is the only island apart from Zanzibar that still produces cloves on a
major basis which is the primary source of spice income for the islands.
Colosseum
Hotel, Oyster Bay, Dar Es Salaam October 2007 saw the opening
of Tanzania's most modern and luxurious hotel; the Colosseum. With inspiration
drawn from classic Greco - Roman architecture; the hotel offers complete
facilities and relaxation whether you arrive after a long day in the office
or as a stop of between your safari and Zanzibar beach holiday. Each
of the fully air-conditioned rooms have a king size bed and plasma wide
screen television connected to DSTV satellite offering the best in news,
sport and entertainment channels.
Transit
Motel Airport, Dar Es Salaam Transit Motel Airport offers
clean, comfortable and affordable accommodation and services to travelers
who want to stay near Dar Es Salaam's J Nyerere International Airport (JNIA).
Our closeness to the Airport is ideal for travelers on transit, arriving
late during the night, departing very early in the morning and those
who want to relax and prepare for a long journey back home. All our rooms
have private toilet and shower, TV, AC, reading desk and mosquito net.
Airport transfer can be arranged on request
E
Unoto Retreat, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania This five-star lodge is
just 1½ hours drive from Arusha and in close proximity to famous
national parks including Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara,
E Unoto Retreat is the ideal location for your next holiday, romantic getaway
or safari. Twenty-five spacious bungalows provide luxurious accommodation
for all our guests. All bungalows have been designed Maasai style and decorated
internally with exquisite furnishings and carvings continuing the Maasai
theme. You may see one of the species of monkeys, birds or reptiles that
live in the region or catch a glimpse of one of the many hippos residing
in Lake Miwaleni.
Mount
Meru Game Lodge & Sanctuary, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania This ‘boutique’ Lodge is
located 18 kilometres East of Arusha town along the main road leading to
Kilimanjaro International Airport. It is situated in a Game Sanctuary which
provides many of its visitors with their first exciting game viewing experience.
The Lodge is able to arrange full-day and half-day cultural, educational
and game viewing excursions to some of the best sites in Tanzania.
The many carefully planned facilities available at the Lodge combine to
provide visitors with an unforgettable experience of Africa at its very
best. All rooms have a veranda with comfortable chairs where guests
may sit during the late afternoons enjoying the peace of the surroundings,
or watching the animals and birds.
Saadani
Safari Lodge, Saadani National Park, Tanzania Tanzania’s youngest national
park, covering 1,000 square kilometers in the east of the country, north
of Dar es Salaam. The Park has the distinction of being the only coastal
wildlife sanctuary of its kind on the eastern coast of Africa. It offers
a completely unique safari environment, combining that most rare of recipes
– river, bush and beach. The game is plentiful in the inland bush:
lions and other predators jousting with a wide range of plains animals.
The entire eastern boundary of the Park is set along the Indian Ocean where
white beaches stretch to the horizon in both directions, and sand islands
off-shore provide good snorkeling and swimming. Set on the Indian Ocean
with bush behind, in the heart of the National Park at closest proximity
to the most diverse range of wildlife and environments.
Matemwe
Lodge, Matemwe, Zanzibar Twenty years ago, two Swedish
sisters arrived in Zanzibar to set up Matemwe and had the entire island
to choose from. For obvious reasons they chose the north eastern part of
the island (known as Matemwe) which boasts the most idyllic beaches and
offers spectacular diving and snorkelling around the adjacent Mnemba Atoll.
Matemwe embodies the quintessential beach experience, a relaxing atmosphere,
friendly and personable staff, massages, cocktails, swimming pools, lush
tropical gardens and sumptuous cuisine. Fresh seafood is a specialty.
Matemwe
Retreat, Matemwe, Zanzibar Matemwe Retreat consists
of just three exclusive villas situated on a small, private beach opposite
Mnemba Atoll. This luxurious retreat offers the ultimate experience for
those seeking absolute privacy, relaxation and indulgence. Offering a quality
of accommodation and service that is arguably the best on the island, the
exclusive yet relaxing barefoot atmosphere that made Matemwe famous is
very much present in this stylish retreat.
Mbuyuni
Beach Village, Beach Bungalows, Zanzibar Paje and Jambiani, It’s
50 km from Zanzibar town/international Airport. Our location has one of
the most beautiful coastlines in the world. A true sublime paradise Island
experience, A bay’s azure blue water-protected by the reef one kilometre
from the shore, It is ideal location for Sunbathing/Swimming and Snorkeling.
If the midday Sun becomes too strong, you can retreat into the shade of
our local open beach hut or on one of the hammock and sip a long, cool
drink and relax while enjoying Zanzibar’s distinctive, mellow pace.
They are nice, lovely bungalows with a big space in the bedroom and big
toilets which are well furnished and comfortable, with a modern interpretation
of "Zanzibar Chic". with the perfect blend of comfort and style.
Dafu
- Nungwi, Zanzibar Smiles Beach Hotel is ideally
located on the coastal village of Nungwi in Zanzibar. The area boasts beautiful
beaches, and awe-inspiring sunsets. Not only is the weather warm all year
round, but the local people are welcoming with their warm smiles and open
hearts. Smiles Beach Hotel wishes to welcome one and all to spend their
holidays in our gracious environment and beautifully decorated rooms. Enjoy
the cosy ambiance and the delicious food freshly prepared in our restaurant.
Nungwi provides ample activities such as water sports, snorkelling and
diving.
Highlights
of Just a Few National Parks of Tanzania by Ian Williamson
Tanzania is the place
where dream safaris are made. The country is politically stable and the
people friendly. Tanzania's national parks are Africa's most diverse and
dramatic wildlife areas. Bellow is a taste of only a few National Parks
in the extraordinary land of Tanzania.
1. Gombe Stream National
Park and Mahale Mountain National Park sit side by side in the remote west
of Tanzania. They are found alongside one of the great lakes of Africa
- Lake Tanganyika. They offer a rare opportunity to observe and study the
behavior of the Chimpanzee. This area is difficult to get to and almost
the only way to reach these parks is to fly to Kigoma. From Kikoma you
must travel by boat to gain access to the Chimpanzee trails which are home
to some if the last troops of chimpanzee's in Africa.
2. Kilimanjaro National Park
is in contrast very accessible; and at 5895m Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest
point and the world's highest freestanding mountain. Incredibly, the snow-capped
peak is only a few hours away from a tropical coastline. This incredible
trek climbs form the brown dusty plains of Africa through tropical rainforest,
then upward onto the ice and snow and near artic conditions on the summit
of this majestic mountain.
3. Ngorongoro crater heralded
as the 'eighth wonder of the world' is an awe-inspiring collapsed volcano;
enclosed by near sheer walls the crater is breathtaking; as is the descent
onto the creatr floor in your 4x4 safari Landover. This small area is a
mini Serengeti with a lake, savannah and forest; it is possible to have
a six hour safari and see many animals in just a short time in this truly
unique part of Africa.
4. The Udzungwa Mountains
National Park is a park without roads and is Tanzania's first National
Park created primarily to protect flora rather than fauna. This national
park forces you out of your vehicle. No lodges in this park either so to
truly explore these mountains means hard hikes and basic camping. The remote
parts of this park become dangerous and inaccessible in the wet season.
5. The Serengeti home to
last Great Migration left on our planet. These endless plains, contain
valleys, hills and woodland as well as the open grasslands that seem to
stretch out forever. Every time of year in the Serengeti offers something
different, something special.
6. In contrast to the ever
popular Serengeti is the Katavi National Park in the remote and inaccessible
west of Tanzania. This park has the largest herds of buffalo in Africa
and where there are buffalo the lions are not far behind. The usual way
to access this park is to fly into the one [luxury tented] lodge in the
entire park. It is rumored that when a guest drives upto the park gates
the wardens there are shocked and bewildered, so rare are tourists to this
park. Here, in this park the only other people you will meet are other
guests and the staff at the lodge. Here you have one million hectares to
yourself.
7. A huge carpet of ground
orchid's bloom quite unnoticed, every year, in a forgotten corner of Southern
Tanzania. This high plateau called the Kitulo Plateau is high above the
madding crowd is covered with a sea of orchids. This National Park of wild
flowers in all its glorious color is a delight to anyone who appreciates
and loves the orchid in its natural setting.
8. The Selous Game Reserve
embraces 54,000 square kilometers of southwestern Tanzania; it is the largest
protected wilderness reserve on the continent, three times larger than
the Serengeti.
After the safari there are
the rewards of Tanzania's coast; crystal seas, sun bleached white sands
give the Tanzania cost a scintillating appearance. Ancient ruins rest among
whispering palms enticing you to explore. This palm fringed coastline looks
out over the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Tranquil coral
lagoons shelter underwater coral gardens, claiming some of the best diving
in the world; Tanzania and Zanzibar welcome you to explore a diving tropical
paradise.
About the Author - This
information was taken from http://www.thejumapage.co.uk
and also http://www.betheladventure.co.uk
These pages hold information about Tanzanian and Tanzania National Parks.
Use your time in Tanzania responsibly and use a safari company that uses
tourism to change lives.
Somak's
Spice of Life - ZANZIBAR by Louise Newton
Exotic, colourful and above
all fragrant, Zanzibar is the Spice Island, a place that thrives on its
centuries old association with aromatic cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.
Once a wealthy empire at the hub of the Monsoon trading routes and the
world's slave trading capital, Zanzibar still has a touch of mystery about
it - which makes it perfect for a romantic interlude.
Although Zanzibar consists
of an archipelago of islands and islets, the largest of these - Unguja
- is confusingly known internationally as.... Zanzibar. A separate state
within Tanzania, Zanzibar is best known as a place to flop on the beach
after the exhilaration of an East African safari. Now a new night flight
from Nairobi makes combining the two even easier - and a quicker hop to
the beach.
And what beaches! The eastern
coast has a long stretch of perfect white sand beaches - uncrowded, often
remote - fronted by warm aqua-coloured waters and interspersed with simple
fishing villages, where life goes on much as it did in times gone by. Under
the water a coral reef provides the backdrop for great snorkelling and
world-class scuba diving. Above it, windsurfing, kayaking and state-of-the-art
big game fishing are favourite holiday pastimes.
Zanzibar also has a rich
culture - best discovered on a trip to its capital, Stone Town, recently
categorised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Reputedly the only ancient
town in East Africa still flourishing, Stone Town has changed little since
the 19th century. Winding streets and alleyways, leading past more than
500 ornately-carved doors, take you back in time and yet the city is very
much a place where people live and work. In this colourful, highly scented
labyrinth, veiled women bargain noisily in crowded craft and food shops.
Away from the melée,
the island interior is home to fragrant spice plantations - a real assault
on the senses. Exotic forests are scented with the delicate fragrance of
ylang-ylang, hibiscus and jasmine and the heady aroma of cloves and cardamoms,
which provide the ingredients on which Zanzibar's spicy cuisine is based.
