Best Things To Do in Tanzania – Our Expert’s Choice

11-20 of 50 Best Things To Do in Tanzania

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    11. Snorkel or Dive in Pristine Coral Gardens

    The Indian Ocean reefs off Tanzania teem with marine life

    It’s another world down there below the waves. Beautiful coral formations come in every shape and color you can think of. Around them swirls a kaleidoscope of reef fish comprising dozens of different species. If you

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    are lucky, you might also catch occasional glimpses of sharks, stingrays, groupers, morays or giant turtles. Whether you snorkel from the surface or dive the deeper reefs, the tropical waters off Tanzania offer a wildlife experience that could scarcely be more different to a land-based safari.Tanzania’s most popular spot for casual diving and snorkeling excursions is Zanzibar’s Mnemba Atoll. For serious divers, the legendary reefs off Pemba and Mafia Islands are more pristine and less busy. Suitable reefs also exist offshore of mainland destinations such as Dar es Salaam, Ushongo, Kilwa Masoko and Mikindani. For something different, try Lake Tanganyika, which supports the world’s greatest diversity of freshwater fish, mostly cichlids.

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    Tanzania Snorkeling Tours Best Beaches in Tanzania

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    12. Discover Mysterious Lake Natron

    Africa’s deadliest lake lies in the Rift Valley below volcanic Ol Doinyo Lengai

    Natron is East Africa’s most saline and forbidding lake. Dense concentrations of cyanobacteria color the water red when viewed from the air and feed the millions of flamingos for which Natron forms the region’s only breeding

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    ground. Yet the caustic water is deadly to most other life-forms, and its victims are frequently preserved like statues, in eerie calcified action, thanks to the high level of sodium carbonate. Despite this, Natron is a starkly beautiful sight, set below Ol Doinyo Lengai, an ash-strewn volcano whose active peak towers roughly 2.3km/1.4mi above the lake’s surface.

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    Safari & Lake Natron Packages About Lake Natron

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    13. Visit a Maasai Manyatta

    Experience the unique culture of East Africa’s most charismatic pastoralists

    We owe much to the Maasai people. In colonial times, these red-robed cattle herders, who never hunt for meat, possessed a reputation for ferocity that ensured their territory was spared the attention of trigger-happy sportsmen. This

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    is why so many of East Africa’s top safari destinations, including Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, lie on traditional Maasai land.Maasai traditionally live in family compounds known as manyattas. These comprise a central livestock enclosure and cluster of mud-and-wood dwellings protected within an impenetrable fence of thorny branches. A visit to a Maasai manyatta, usually undertaken in the Ngorongoro Highlands or outside Tarangire National Park, provides an opportunity to interact with these proud traditionalists on their own terms. In addition to obtaining cultural insights, you’ll be treated to a vibrant jumping dance performed to a hypnotic chant. You’ll also have an opportunity to buy colorful and intricate Maasai beadwork at its source.

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    Safari & Maasai Village Tours

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    14. Wander the Alleys of Zanzibar’s Stone Town

    East Africa’s most atmospheric town boasts a wealth of historic landmarks

    Stone Town stands at the historic heart of Zanzibar Island. A knot of narrow alleys lined with handsome old mansions, it retains the genuinely lived-in character of a traditional Swahili cultural enclave that has embraced tourism

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    without surrendering its soul to it. All of which makes Stone Town a fascinating and enjoyable place to explore, whether you do so on a guided tour or independently.Historic waterfront landmarks include the robust Old Fort, the beautifully restored Old Dispensary and the partially collapsed House of Wonders. Deeper inland, Zanzibar’s imposing Anglican Cathedral was built on the site of an infamous slave market after it was shut down in the 1870s. A must-see for music-lovers is the Freddie Mercury Museum, which occupies the ground floor of the former family home of its Zanzibar-born namesake.

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    Safari & Stone Town Packages About Stone Town

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    15. Look for Black Rhinos in Mkomazi NP

    Mkomazi is Tanzania’s main stronghold for the Critically Endangered black rhino

    The most obscure park on Tanzania’s Northern circuit houses the country’s only black rhino breeding program. These rhinos are descended from a population that was airlifted out of Mkomazi in 1985 due to poaching issues, only

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    to be reintroduced in the late 1990s. Today, around 40 of these Critically Endangered creatures are split between the main breeding sanctuary at Kisima and the smaller Mkomazi Black Rhino Tourist Sanctuary, which opened at Mbula in 2021 and can be visited on guided 4x4-vehicle excursions. Aside from the near certainty of seeing rhinos, Mkomazi is a rewarding off-the-beaten-track safari destination that protects all the Big Five.

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    Mkomazi Safaris About Mkomazi NP

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    16. Explore the Seas Around Mafia Island

    Marine life abounds off the beaches of Mafia, a quieter alternative to Zanzibar

    Mafia is the perfect seaside holiday choice for those seeking a low-key alternative to Zanzibar Island. It is also the best destination in Tanzania for marine wildlife. The coral reefs of Mafia Island Marine Park, which

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    lies off the island’s south coast, offer some superb diving and snorkeling opportunities. On ocean safaris, you can usually swim with whale sharks, especially between October and February, and you might also spot dolphins, whales and giant turtles. Other attractions of this tranquil island include some wonderful beaches, several interesting Swahili ruins, and the general feeling of being remote from any beaten tourist trail.

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    Safari & Mafia Island Packages

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    17. Immerse Yourself in Bustling Dar es Salaam

    East Africa’s largest Indian Ocean port is a modern city with a historic center

    Founded by the Sultan of Zanzibar in the 1860s, Dar es Salaam (‘House of Peace’) served as the German and British capital during the colonial era. It was officially replaced as capital in 1973 by the

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    inland city of Dodoma. But with a population of 6 million, Dar es Salaam remains Tanzania’s largest and most economically thriving city. Tourist activity is focused on the leafy seaside suburbia of the Msasani Peninsula, where several slick resort-like hotels gaze out to the open ocean.Central Dar es Salaam stands on a claw-like peninsula overlooking the deep natural harbor to which it owes its existence. Notable buildings include the precolonial Old Boma built by the Sultan of Zanzibar, the Bavarian-style Lutheran Church from 1898, and the British-constructed National Museum of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam also boasts a rich Swahili, Hindu and Arabic heritage reflected in the characterful architecture – and aromatic culinary scene – that enlivens the vicinity of India and Kisutu Streets.

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    Safaris From Dar es Salaam About Dar es Salaam

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    18. Relive Ancient Prehistory at Olduvai Gorge

    This paleoanthropological site below Ngorongoro has yielded a wealth of human fossils

    Cut into the plains that separate Ngorongoro Crater from Serengeti National Park, Olduvai (Oldupai) Gorge is one of the world’s most celebrated paleoanthropological sites. It was here in 1959 that Mary Leakey unearthed a 1.75-million-year-old fossilized

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    jawbone that revolutionized our understanding of humanity’s distant past. Nicknamed Nutcracker Man, this fossil provided the first conclusive evidence not only that the human lineage evolved in Africa but also that it stretched back more than 1 million years.Olduvai Gorge is easily visited en route to the Serengeti. A superb site museum places Nutcracker Man and other Olduvai fossils in a broader African context. It also includes a replica of the Laetoli footprints, which were left behind by a party of hominins as they trod through ash deposited by volcanic Ngorongoro 3 million years ago. Once you’ve looked around the museum, you can optionally take a guided tour into the gorge itself.

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    Safari & Olduvai Gorge Tours

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    19. Take a Day Hike in the Mountains

    Tanzania offers numerous options to clear your head with a highland hike

    Think ‘mountain’ and ‘Tanzania’, and the next word that springs to mind will most likely be ‘Kilimanjaro’. But while summiting this iconic landmark requires several days and considerable effort, a few less-challenging day hikes can be

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    undertaken on its slopes. Try the Shira Plateau Day Trail, which runs through an area of Afro-alpine moorland that offers superb close-up views of the snowcapped peak, weather permitting.Several other alluring highland walks can be undertaken in Tanzania. The immense caldera of Mt Meru, Africa’s fifth-highest massif, can be accessed on a short hike that crosses the collapsed eastern wall. In the Ngorongoro Highlands, there’s the spectacular descent into Empakaai, a volcanic caldera that encloses an emerald soda lake. More ambitiously, the five-to-six-hour ascent of Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active volcano whose Maasai name translates as ‘Mountain of God’, is usually undertaken at night due to the lack of shade.

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    Tanzania Day Hikes

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    20. Sail Back in Time to Kilwa Ruins

    East Africa’s most important medieval trade port stood on remote Kilwa Island

    The Moroccan adventurer Ibn Battuta described Kilwa as “one of the most beautiful and well-constructed cities in the world” when he visited in its medieval prime. Although the port never recovered from a Portuguese naval massacre

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    in 1505, its sprawling ruins still stand today – neglected and largely forgotten – on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani. The most fun way to reach Kilwa is to catch a dhow across the narrow channel that separates it from the mainland. Once there, architectural highlights include an imposing waterfront fort, several palaces and a beautiful 14th-century mosque complete with multiple arches and cupolas.

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    Safari & Kilwa Packages