Do you remember Daniele, the special guest of a few Wednesdays ago and author of the blog attentive to the rabbit? Today he explains Tanzania by geographical area so that we can choose which is the most suitable place for us. Obviously we would like to go everywhere, why not you?
The north
The northern part of the country is certainly the most popular for tourism, but this is not by chance. Many people know the Ngorongoro and Serengeti parks, not to mention Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the continent. It is an ancient volcano covered by a hat of perennial snow that rises over the savannah at 5800 meters, visible from great distances.
The landscape really takes your breath away: this expression has perhaps been coined in the middle of these endless plains, where animals move freely and where one of the most exciting migrations of the whole Earth takes place: the one that millions - literally - of wildebeests and zebras make to follow the rains and then the green grass.
I find something not to be missed visiting these places, planting, at the end of a day spent wandering, your igloo in one of the many "Public camping sites" made available to the administration of national parks.
One shocking thing to which I, a resident of the overpopulated Po Valley, was not accustomed, is the immensity of the horizon. You can see a thunderstorm coming dozens of kilometers away. Or the columns of dust that thousands of clogs raise without it is possible to hear the noise.
Lighting the fire, drinking a beer with your traveling companions and telling each other about the emotions experienced during the safari of the day that is coming to an end is an experience that unites and unites you to that land. Some people call it "the sickness of Africa". One note: safari means a trip to Kiswahili, one of the two "official" languages of the country, the other is English, although there are also several dozen local dialects.
The north is the area I recommend to visit if you are on your first trip to Tanzania, for some reasons: it is "easier", in the sense that the number and quality of facilities allows you to find something appropriate in relation to the quality you are looking for and the price you are willing to spend.
Absolutely to see are the two parks mentioned above (the Ngorongoro has both a part of the savannah, is an incredible area within an ancient crater, a kind of paradise of Eden where life is teeming and you can see even the rhinos, very rare in these parts), but also the smallest Tarangire and Manyara. The former combines an undulating landscape with a truly fascinating marshy area, while the latter is characterized by a salt lake populated by tens of thousands of flamingos. About the marshy area: it is here that I had, for the first time, the experience of the aggressiveness of elephants. One chased us threateningly while we were trying to escape by going backward at full speed ...
Another activity that can be done in this area is the climb of the volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai (Mountain of God in the language of the Masaai): it is tiring but worth it, at least in the absence of clouds on top. It is still active (the last eruption dates back to 2008), and emits "cold" lava at 500 degrees.
The center-south
Always remaining on the subject of nature holidays, this area of the country is characterized by the presence of two very large protected areas, little known, and very fascinating. I'm talking about the Ruaha national park and the Selous hunting reserve, partly dedicated to "photographic hunting".
On the coast, however, is the largest city in Tanzania, which also houses some government facilities although not the capital: Dar Es Salaam (paradise of peace in Arabic).
Dar Es Salaam is a large city and not very interesting, although it offers a lively nightlife and several possibilities to enjoy the sun and the sea. An example is the island of Bongoyo, a nature reserve reached in half an hour by ferry from the Slipway. In my imagination, Bongoyo is exactly as I would expect it to be a tropical paradise: white sand, warm and crystal clear water, silence and a small kiosk that cooks fish.
The two parks, well, it's enough to know that in Ruaha, in the now distant 2005, I spent three months there. It extends for about 20 thousand square kilometers and, bordering with other protected areas forms an ecosystem as big as Denmark! The fauna is very rich and the types of landscapes you come across are countless. If I think about the sensations that I felt (and that I will feel again, rest assured!) I miss my breath for a moment. In particular, there is that moment, just before sunset, when the birdsong fades and the air cools down, and the warm sunlight hits the acacias obliquely. Here, with a beer in your hand sitting on the hood of the off-road vehicle and your loved ones around you, well... you could spend the rest of your life there.
The advantage, and at the same time the flaw of this park is the difficulty in reaching it, being a two and a half hours flight (do not think of jets, here we speak of propeller planes that land on beaten earth runways under the amazed gaze of zebras and giraffes) from Dar Es Salaam. So: a few tourists but a budget that rises inexorably. There is also a car option, but the trip takes two days with an overnight stay in the Mikumi National Park.
The Selous is very different, being characterized by the presence of the great Rufiji River, the largest in the country. Within the protected area it forms an infinity of canals and lakes, whose size varies enormously between the wet season (more or less our winter) and the dry season (our summer). The massive presence of water gives a special charm to car excursions, but the true essence of the Selous can be grasped by navigating the canals. I found the tigerfish fishing, a bigger relative of the piranha with a toothing that requires the use of a steel line, very fun.
The West
This part of Tanzania is the least visited by tourists. Just look at the map to see why: it is far from all major cities and their airports. Geographically, it is Lake Tanganyika, which characterizes the area and gives its name to the continental part of the Tanzanian federation. It is a huge lake, and only with difficulty can you see the Congo on the opposite bank.
I visited this part during my last trip to Tanzania, with the same company of friends. It was April and the rainy season was not over yet, which is why the presence of tourists was nothing. Nothing at all eh, it was just us.
To get there we took two flights, one from Dar to Mwanza (in the north on the huge Lake Victoria; here you could spend even a day, the city is nice and the lake is huge and very scenic), and one from Mwanza to Kigoma. From here then you can rent a car or use the "public" transports (that in reality are private but they make the function off).
There are two interesting things to visit, in addition to the usual charm that running through streets of red earth has in itself. One is the Mahale National Park, a mountain covered by the rainforest that stretches into the lake and populated by various chimpanzee families. The other is the Katavi National Park, a bit inland, that is savannah and marshes in their wildest and richest form of the "classic" fauna formed by elephants, giraffes, lions, etc. ...
In Mahale we slept in the "bandas" run by the National Parks Authority (TANAPA), bare but acceptable concrete houses, and especially cheap. The alternative, as mentioned, are two luxury lodges with breathtaking views and impeccable service, but suitable for very spacious pockets. By the way, in April they were still closed (in Tanzania it is not uncommon for tourist facilities, especially in less beaten areas, to observe a period of closure that usually includes the months of April and May).
The visit to the chimpanzees is very exciting. They are very much like us, sharing 98% of the genetic code. They have human expressions and behaviors and watching them always enchants.
Katavi has also served as a few very expensive lodges, but fortunately, it also offers TANAPA's bandas solution for ordinary mortals. It is of unique beauty, you feel far from everything, within the lands that gave birth to the human species.
I would also like to recommend Lake Rukwa, just south of Katavi and near the pretty town of Sumbawanga. It's worth a visit, maybe having the fishermen take you on a boat trip: you'll be the attraction of the entire village and you'll be treated like kings.