Tanzania
Welcome to Tanzania, a land of endless possibilities, beautiful beaches on Zanzibar and a wild safari in Tanzania mainland.
Tanzania is a country on the east coast of Central Africa, formed by the merger of two originally independent states - Tanganyika, located on the lake of the same name, and Zanzibar. It is bordered by Kenya in the northeast, Uganda in the north, Rwanda and Burundi in the northwest, Congo in the west, Zambia and Malawi in the southwest, and Mozambique in the south.
Tanzania has a lot to offer. Here you will find the best and most famous national parks in the world, the highest and roughest mountain on the entire African continent, beautiful beaches and history in the form of Zanzibar.
Where else do you have the opportunity to head to a huge crater full of wildlife and see all the predators and their potential prey together? (Ngorongoro)
Every year you can also watch the so-called great migration in Tanzania, which always takes place from the turn of July and August until October. Incredible masses of animals, especially millions of nostalgically known brindle wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, etc. they set out on a pilgrimage across the African continent year after year. As they graze their food in the Serengeti, wildebeests, many other species of antelope and zebras move to the northern Masai Mary. Giraffes, elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas as well as vultures, marabou storks and other scavengers move along with ungulates. They migrate for food from the southern part of the Serengeti to the north, to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
Several places in Tanzania are inscribed on the UNESCO list - Stone Town in Zanzibar, Ngorongoro Crater and the national parks Sealous, Serengeti and Kilimanjaro.
Information before the trip
Things to watch out for when traveling to Tanzania.
Visas - Citizens of all countries must check the visa requirement before traveling here http://immigration.go.tz/. The traveler must have a valid passport (valid for at least 6 months after the scheduled departure from Tanzania). A visa can be processed upon arrival at the airport for a fee of USD 50. It is recommended to have this money ready in advance and accurately, as the immigration officer refuses to exchange higher denomination banknotes. The fee must be paid by each person applying for a visa. The visa is valid for 3 months.
Vaccinations - An international vaccination card with yellow fever vaccination is required when entering the country and especially Zanzibar. This is also needed when entering mainland Tanzania from one of the African countries. No further vaccinations are required when traveling to Tanzania.
Recommended vaccinations: Hepatitis A and B and typhoid fever.
Customs regulations - It is forbidden to export plants, clams, corals, etc. Export, transit, but also the import of any items originating from or made from wild game (trophies, ivory or leather products of protected animal species, but also, for example, marine life) is a criminal offense. The export of live wild animals, insects or plant species without special permission is strictly prohibited.
Money and guide prices
The currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS). Banknotes with a value of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000 shillings are in circulation. Then there are smaller copper coins worth 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 shillings. In practice, however, there are only coins of the highest values in circulation - 50, 100, 200 shillings
1000 TZS = approx. USD 0,43
History
Tanzania's history dates back approximately 2 million years, when the first signs of settlement were discovered. In the 1st century AD, the locals developed trade with Arabia and India. In the 8th century, the territory of present-day Tanzania was seized by the Arabs, who maintained their rule for a long time, until the 16th century. During the 16th century, the so-called Swahili culture was also created by mixing local nations, Arabs and Indians. Swahili culture affected the coasts of present-day Tanzania and Kenya, and the term "Swahili coast" has survived to this day.
Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese, was the first European and discoverer to visit here, as in Kenya. Shortly afterwards, Portugal took over the reins of the government.
The territory of Tanzania was also a German colony from 1880 until 1919, but after the loss of the First World War it left the administration to England. In the 1960s, Tanganyika became independent and has been known as Tanzania since 1964, when Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form a single state.
English persisted in this area and became the official language here.
Climate
Tanzania is close to the equator, so it can be said that the fluctuations between seasons are not extreme.
There is a tropical climate, which is affected by altitude. The climate is hot and humid on the coast and warm and dry inland. Every year in Tanzania there is a so-called rainy season, which lasts from April to May. But even these months have their charm.
The average temperature between January and March is around 30 ° C (dry season) and from April to November the temperatures drop to 26 ° C (rainy season). The northwestern highlands are cold and you will find rain showers here from November to December and from February to May.
National parks
Safari in Tanzania has become a real concept. Tanzania has an unusual number of national parks and nature reserves, home to millions of animals. Some of them are world famous, such as Arusha, Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Gombe.
The parks are divided into northern and southern circuits. Southern parks such as Sealous, Mikoni or Ruaha are not so well known and due to their location they are not so frequented. Here you can experience a real wild safari, which is not marked by mass tourism. You can literally experience the real Africa.
In contrast, world-famous parks such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Mt. Kilimanjaro are frequented. There is also a much more developed infrastructure and the paths in the parks are maintained in much better condition. As well as there are more accommodation capacities and options in general.
Population
99% of the mainland population is Africans (95% of whom are from the Bantu ethnic group, consisting of more than 130 black tribes - the main ones being Sukums, Haya, Nyakyusa, Nyamwezi and Chagga), the rest of the population is 1% (consisting of Asians , Europeans and Arabs).
Zanzibar - The majority of the population is of Swahili descent, significant minorities: Indians and Arabs.
On the coast of Tanzania, the population has been practicing Islam since the 8th century. Muslim women don't care about veiling, they only wear a headscarf that leaves their face completely exposed. Men wear typical Muslim robes or normal clothes. About one third of the population professes Christianity. The inhabitants are deep believers and regularly attend Sunday Mass. Muslims and Christians respect each other. The country also allows mixed marriages.
Cities
Dar es Salaam - 2,500,000 inhabitants
Mwanza - 223,000 inhabitants
Dodoma - the capital - 204,000 inhabitants
Tanga - 184,000 inhabitants
Zanzibar - 158,000 inhabitants
