Have you been to Africa? Witnessed its wilderness? If not, you are missing something. Africa is not just the second largest continent of the world. It is not just home to pyramids and lions. It is more than that. It is the continent that cradled the first humans, it is the place where wilderness of nature challenges you at every step, Africa is the ultimate in adventure. So, come, let’s explore Africa and feel it through all our senses.
Exploring Africa in your own way
Don’t follow any route. Don’t make any plans. Just throw your cares in the wind. Live in the moment. Soak in the beauty, experience nature with your every pore and then you would find the soul of Africa. Touch it, preserve it and carry the memories with you forever.
Tour of Tanzania – witnessing the wilderness at the best
The best place to begin your Africa tour is Tanzania. This east African country has everything that Africa is famous for. National parks, mountain peaks, and beaches- your African expedition would not be complete without visiting Tanzania.
Safari in Tanzania
Or should we say safaris in Tanzania? Because it’s hard to have only one and feel satiated. African safaris are an out-of-the-world experience with the legendary Serengeti National Park located here.
The Serengeti National Park is the oldest and most popular national park in Africa. Recently it has been declared as a world heritage site. It is also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Serengeti also witnesses the annual migration in which around 2 million animals migrate to other areas of the park in search of grassland.
Serengeti is a vast park with so much variety in landscapes that you would be spellbound. With the vast plains, rugged terrain and the fearless wild animals that prey here, Serengeti showcases the most primitive natural cycles year after year.
Game safaris in Serengeti involve watching lions, those majestic predators that are most commonly found here. Apart from these, you can see leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos. There is a high chance of spotting hyena, hunting dogs, bat eared fox, and jackals. Keep your camera always on the ready-mode as there are around 500 species of birds living here. The best time to visit it is May-June when the migration takes place.
If you find jeep safaris not exciting enough, go for balloon safaris. Hover over the park in a hot-air balloon viewing cheetahs perched on tree branches or lions hunting in the grasslands. From the top, Serengeti would like heavenly with its expanding grasslands and rugged mountains.
Ngorongoro Crater is another pride of Tanzania. This UNESCO site is a wonder in itself. It is the largest and unbroken caldera of the world. The volcanic caldera has a floor area of 260 km with a depth of 600 m. It is home to both humans and wildlife and provides a natural enclosure that forms the Ngorongoro conservation area.
The famous big five can be viewed here in abundance. Your eyes can feast on zebras, wildebeests, buffalos, and rhinos here. Olduvai George is an important anthropological site as the early fossils of humans were discovered here.
Scaling Mount Kilimanjaro
Lovingly called Kili by many, this is the highest mountain in Africa at 5895 m. It has three peaks, Mawenzi, Shira, and Kibo. The Uhuru peak on the Shibo crater rim is the highest. This dormant volcanic mountain attracts hikers, climbers, and adventure loving tourists from all over the world.
Mount Kilimanjaro presents an awe-inspiring sight. With its snow-capped top, it looks majestic. It is popular with climbers as it can be climbed any time of the year. Climbing Kili is a life-defining experience as at every moment you would be challenged by the forces of nature. However, the rewards are plenty which includes the sweeping view of the meadows and rainforests from the top and the sense of achievement that would always remain with you to boost your confidence.
Rest your mind and body at Zanzibar beaches
If your mind and body are tired after all the excitement and adventure of safaris and mountain climbing, it is time to relax them. The idyllic beaches of Zanzibar would be ideal to laze around.
Zanzibar Island is located off the mainland of Tanzania. With white sand, palm groves, turquoise blue water, and sailing boats, it looks straight out of picture postcards.
There is an array of beaches here where you can simply rest and rejuvenate yourself. You can find coral reefs also. Zanzibar is not only about lazing and enjoying the sun, if you are a water-sports enthusiast, you would have a lovely time here. The Swahili coast is known as divers’ paradise. Ideal for swimming and scuba diving, these beaches would keep you engaged all day.
Let’s talk about food
Dining in Tanzania would be exciting if you are ready to experiment. While most restaurants serve grilled meat and curry sauce, you need to visit the villages and mix with the local people to get a real taste of Tanzanian food. Surprisingly, the Tanzanian cuisine is heavily influenced by Indian cuisine but it has its distinct dishes also. The fresh local ingredients like mangoes and coconuts play a pivotal part in the food.
The local drinks are varied and exotic. Honey beer, sugarcane beer, and even banana beer, go and experiment with your taste buds.
It’s hard to forget Tanzania. You may leave it behind but its star-studded sky, the roaring of lions and the vast grasslands would keep coming back in your dreams. They would beckon you to come back. Would you say no to Kili or Serengeti?
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