Tanzania Travel Information

Tanzania, a seaboard country located South Easterly on the great map of Africa. This country is indeed great, lets just set you off by declaring: "our country boasts the highest peak in Africa, the deepest lake, one of the world favourite scenes - the wildebeest migration and birthing and conservation tactics one can be quite jealous of.

A country which still demands some patience, however affords visitors luxuries such as ammenities, hotels and facilities on comparison to some of the close runner ups. The conservation ethics are indeed enticing and as a first time visitor takes some getting used to. Not only in terms of business through governmental structures but also the sheer beauty of such outstanding scenic vistas.

Experiencing the rural and resort contradictions was both intriguing and daunting - travelling consistently through the vast spaces was something of a pleasurable yet frustrating encounter for someone with as much energy as me. When assessing the country I was both in love and in hate of the passion with which our ambassadorial co-ordinator and superbly patriotic inhabitants which we had the pleasure of meeting, I was humbled by their attempt at a strategy I for the most part admire.

Below mentioned are  a "herd" of facts applicable to visiting the major centres however sticking true to our mission and to ensure the ethics are upheld consciously our advice is aimed at all individuals.

People and Cultures

Tanzania comprises of 120 different tribal groups, where the Bantu represent the largest group however on visiting the country it is aparent that there is a strong Arab influence. With small minority ethnic groups of Europeans and Asians resulting in a country with a variety of cultures and traditions within the peoples of Tanzania. 

Cultural heritage has been preserved by the indigenous people, Kiswahili language (Tanzania’s official language) is spoken by most inhabitants, whom call themselves Tanzanian and not of a specific tribe which is generally the case in our home, South Africa and despite Tanzania being independent during the regime of Julius Nyerere.

A number of tribes still live as they used to, and for Westerners, the Maasai have long symbolized nature Africa. With all the romance and nobility, the Maasai have also deliberately maintained their traditional practices for over 150 years in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater and Highlands, despite the fact that majority are in Kenya.

The Maasai being pastoralists, move cattle from place to place to graze them. In all aspects, the cows dung, milk, blood and meat are used by the Maasai for their psychological and physical survival. A wealthy family is recognized by the heads of cattle it has and a number of indigenous groups especially the nomadic Maasai have long term impact on environmental degradation, tribal settlement, water management and land rights either on the nation or internationally.

Government efforts to settle indigenous tribal groups in complete modern villages with schools, clinics, roads and movement freedom resulted in the fast diminishing of the tribal people. With a tight synergy between South African people and the ANC`s base in Tanzania during our apartheid period we form a major linkage in the history, culture and traditions of our countries interactions!

Geography

As we mentioned earlier the geography of Tanzania is truly remarkable and even better, never been shaped by fences and restricted areas limiting the conservation and  more importantly the movement of animals both wild and domestic.

With some pretty key geographical icons found in Tanzania, we`d like to spend some time exploring the various world famous sites located in this preciously gorgeous country! Firstly lets start with the topography, and more specifically the vast and fantastic Mount Kilimanjaro! A site for incredibly sore "legs" as I took first site of the mountain from its base... a completely debilitating vision and completely overwhelming second time round (first time being from the air and what a stunning sight of a "mont blanc" covered peak above fluffy clouds and spectacular rugged jags of rock pointing up to the heavens above. A blessed place and with our ever increasing requests to climb this majestic mountain we are sure the mountain can be intimidating for some and sheer challenge to others! Something you MUST see!

Further West through the central city of Arusha (half way between the cape and cairo of Africa) and you travel toward the Ngorongoro Crater where the great park entrances are not without the common conservation issue of domestic cats taking up residency as a result of feeding visitors ignoring the plea of officials to refrain from supporting unsterilised cats which are slowly reducing our wild cat populations to sick and genetically spoiling creatures. Despite this reality the rim of the crater explored after a quick squizz in the gate entrance "visitor centre" which details the forming of the largest unfilled crater in Africa and the wildlife that have sacredly filled this space of the highest concentration of predators in the world (i was told?) where one can see BLACK rhino graze - I was floored by this! Also said that the rhino are watched through a sequence of satellites and so their protection safeguarded in such a modern way...

Simply spectacular as you enter the crater and are marvelled  by endless vistas of the most scenic bowl of wildlife I have ever been served! The slowly disappearing forest is said to have totally vanished in the next 50 years, and dotted in between minute elephant bulls (they seem small in comparison to the trees remaining) and ensured of close encounters by staying on the well traversed road networks is simply breathtaking!

Further west we are entering the well known Serengeti (our first time was in the dark) and no real activity despite being able to see for miles and miles of flat plains dotted with incredibly amounts of creatures all around! We pass another super passion of ours the land of lucy - Olduvai Gorge where the Leakeys discovered and laid the path for the paleoanthropological discoveries our tours encompass by linking the cradle of humankind and the discovery of lucy miles off...

The serengeti truly does offer a sensational chapter, wildebeest and zebra haphazardly afford visitors a glimpse into their yearly migrations where all of these roaming creatures are indeed certified Tanzanians where their passports are issued in the origin country of Tanzania, the Kenyans have for years educated visitors on other stats..

Please don't hesitate to contact us directly, we have visited here previously and are able to provide you with up to date information at any time.

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