Regions in Brief

Most people visit Tanzania to go on a safari or for a beach break on Zanzibar, or a combination of both. While Dar es Salaam is home to Tanzania's biggest and busiest airport, the most popular parks such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara -- commonly known as the northern circuit -- plus the two big mountains, Kilimanjaro and Meru, are located a long way from Dar in the north of the country. These attractions are most easily accessed from the town of Arusha, dubbed the safari capital of Tanzania -- and for good reason, as almost all northern circuit safaris start and finish there. Arusha is actually closer to Nairobi in Kenya than it is to Dar, so visitors to only the northern circuit may want to consider flying into Nairobi instead, from which there are regular shuttle buses to Arusha. Alternatively, flights are available between Kilimanjaro Airport, which serves the northern circuit, and Dar and Zanzibar.

Dar Es Salaam

Dar es Salaam, meaning "haven for peace," was founded in 1862 by Sultan Seyyid Majid of Zanzibar and was later capital of the colonial administration. Evidence of German and British architecture can be seen around the city. Today it's Tanzania's largest financial and political center despite having lost its status as official capital to Dodoma in 1973. It's located midway down the coast and is one of the most prosperous of East Africa's big cities with a large port, a clutch of office buildings in the city center, leafy suburbs that stretch north up the coast where the best beaches are to be found, and outlying industrial areas. It also serves as a springboard to Zanzibar, only a short hop by plane or a 90-minute ferry ride away. The National Museum, the Village Museum, and many colorful markets are well worth a visit. Within an hour's drive north is Bagamoyo, home to the Kaole Ruins, an ancient Muslim settlement; and Bongoyo Island Marine Reserve offers good snorkeling and diving.

Zanzibar & Pemba

"Zanzibar" refers to the archipelago made up of Zanzibar, Pemba, and several smaller islands, roughly 40km (25 miles) off the Tanzanian coast. For centuries it was an important hub on the Indian Ocean trade route, and until the colonists arrived, the Zanzibar Sultanate was in control of most of the East African coast. The island of Zanzibar is by far the most popular destination, and for good reasons: dazzling white beaches, an azure and warm Indian Ocean, and the wonderfully atmospheric Stone Town. You can spend many idle days wandering through Stone Town's fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways. The elaborate 19th-century houses have impressive carved wooden doors and elegantly carved balconies, loggias, and verandas that cling precipitously overhead; many have been restored as charming hotels decorated with antiques and Persian rugs. Zanzibar is also known as the Spice Isle, thanks to the inland spice plantations such as cardamom, ginger, clove, and nutmeg, and you can sample these on an informative half-day tour. The Jozani Forest has excellent nature trails and is home to the rare red colobus monkey, or you can swim with dolphins off the southwest of the island. Finally there are over 25 idyllic beaches, all backed by palms and mangroves, where views of a white-sailed dhow slipping silently across a sinking sun are a permanent feature. By contrast Pemba, with a fledgling tourist industry, is hardly visited at all. It's almost completely surrounded by mangroves and has fewer beaches than Zanzibar, though serious scuba divers should head here for some of the best diving in Africa. On the west coast, the Pemba Channel creates dramatic walls and drop-offs that are home to a wide variety of large marine species such as sharks, rays, and barracudas.

Mainland Coast

Tanzania's mainland coast has witnessed very little tourist development, and south of Dar es Salaam the coast is practically inaccessible because of horrendous roads. There are a couple of highlights for adventurous travelers who do make it though. Kilwa Kivinje and Kilwa Kisiwani are spectacular Swahili settlements dating back as far as the 12th century, where the Omanis built great forts, palaces, and mosques. Local guides give tours and there are accommodations in nearby Kilwa Masoko. While remote with very few places to stay, Mafia Island is world renowned for its deep-sea fishing and scuba diving on the deep trough that runs along the western seabed of the island, which is home to a vast number of aquatic species and coral reefs.

Kilimanjaro & Moshi

The region around Moshi is fairly attractive, thanks to Kilimanjaro, which looms above the town. On the fertile lower slopes of the mountain are the Arabica coffee plantations that Catholic missionaries introduced at the end of the 19th century. Moshi's seasonal coffee auctions -- when wholesale coffee is bidded for by international buyers, packaged, and sold -- is an event not to be missed if you're in town. But the main reason to come to Moshi is to climb Kilimanjaro, or "Kili" as it's affectionately known, and there are plenty of tour operators that organize climbs. The highest point in Africa is the Uhuru Peak at 5,895m (19,340 ft.), one of seven summits of Kilimanjaro; there are a number of climbs to choose from with various levels of difficulty. The three easiest routes -- Marangu, Rongai, and Machame -- can be climbed by anyone in good health and require no mountaineering experience, although acclimatization and altitude sickness must be taken into consideration. A little known fact about Kili is it's the highest place in the world that has cellphone reception!

Arusha

Located in the foothills of Mount Meru, and the halfway point between Cairo and Cape Town, Arusha is a thriving city and access point for safaris to Tanzania's northern circuit. Arusha National Park offers good views of Mount Meru, the fifth-highest mountain in Africa at 4,566m (14,990 ft.), and is one of the few parks that permit walking safaris. But it's Tanzania's most famous parks that lure visitors to Arusha, and every day scores of safari vehicles head out early in the morning towards the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. In town are bustling markets where you can pick up some good-value Masai curios, and it's a good place to get things done before a few days in the bush. Arusha is served by Kilimanjaro International Airport some 60km (37 miles) to the east on the way to Moshi.

The Northern Circuit

Vast rolling plains trampled by herds of wildlife is the Africa most visitors expect to see, and Tanzania's northern circuit parks won't disappoint. Almost all safaris begin in Arusha, and thanks to a newly built road that carries a steady stream of safari vehicles right to the gate of the Ngorongoro Crater, all of the parks are easily accessible. The Serengeti features the famous annual wildebeest migration; Lake Manyara is known for its soda lake that supports thousands of flamingos; Tarangire has an abundance of elephants; and the Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest caldera and a World Heritage Site that is home to a staggering 30,000 animals.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is at 67,850 sq. km (26,460 sq. miles) the second-largest freshwater lake in the world. The Tanzanian section of Lake Victoria is one of the least visited parts of the country; most travelers head for the Kenyan and Ugandan sections of the lake. Admittedly, the featureless ports of Bukoba, Musoma, and Mwanza have few attractions, but if you're hell-bent on seeing the lake from Tanzania, go to the Tilapia Hotel in Mwanza for the good views.

Lake Tanganyika

Forming the western border of Tanzania, skinny Lake Tanganyika is divided between four countries: Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zambia. It's 673km (420 miles) long, but at the most only 50km (30 miles) wide. The main town on the lake is Kigoma, a simple place and a long way from anywhere else, though it is linked to Dar es Salaam by air and it's at the end of the Central Line railway. The main reason to come to this isolated spot is to see chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream National Park and the Mahale Mountains National Park. Both are on the lakeshore and feature very basic rest camps and luxury lodges; visitors can take guided forest walks to see the healthy populations of chimpanzees.

The Southern Circuit

Accessed from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's southern circuit parks offer an unrivalled bush wilderness experience. Selous, Katavi, and Ruaha are way off the usual tourist itinerary and are largely only accessible to the well-heeled traveler who can afford the few high-cost, low-impact camps. But they will be well rewarded with complete solitude and superb game viewing in landscapes reminiscent of what the whole of East Africa looked like when it belonged only to the wildlife. About the same size of Denmark, the vast Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa, and it's reputedly home to over a million animals. Both Ruaha and Katavi offer untouched swathes of game-filled wilderness and only receive a handful of visitors each year.