Tanzania has nothing to envy its neighbours when it comes to safaris, national parks, underwater reserves and magnificent landscapes! Twice as large as its Kenyan rival, Tanzania also has a rich and diverse fauna scattered in nature reserves that cover a quarter of its territory. The assurance of closely observing the famous big five (lion, buffalo, leopard, rhinoceros and elephant) as well as all the other wild animals that make you dream. Tanzania is the promise of beautiful adventures thanks to its tourist guide in unique natural sites such as the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, the Great Rift Valley or the shores of the three Great Lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyassa). Great hikers will not forget to climb Kilimanjaro, the summit of Africa (5,895 m), while lovers of fine sandy beaches and spices with a thousand flavours will stroll along the coast or cross the Indian Ocean to discover the island of Zanzibar, a marvel of Afro-Arab-Asian fusion.

When to go Tanzania ?

It is possible to organize a trip to Tanzania all year round because the country is located near the equator and therefore enjoys a pleasant climate with warm temperatures that vary little from one month to the next. Nevertheless, the best time to go to Tanzania is from the end of June to mid-October in order to avoid the two rainy seasons, the short one between November and December, and the heavier one between March and May, during which it can rain a lot several days in a row. However, to witness the great wildebeest, zebra and antelope migration in the Serengeti Park, you will have to brave the rain as it takes place between January and March in one direction and between October and December in the other direction.

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Practical information for travel Tanzania

Les possibilités de séjours et de circuits en Tanzanie sont si variés qu'il est difficile d'en faire la liste exhaustive. En général, on combine un séjour safari ou l'ascension du Kilimandjaro avec un temps à la plage, pour changer de la poussière de la brousse et des camps rudimentaires de montagne. Il y a beaucoup de parcs réputés dans le nord de la Tanzanie, dont les incontournables cratère de Ngorongoro et hautes plaines du Serengeti, mais on peut aussi varier les expériences en prévoyant une randonnée au bord du lac Eyasi par exemple, ou une visite culturelle dans un (vrai) village maasaï. On peut aussi se concentrer sur les parcs du nord avec une escale au pied du Kilimandjaro, ou au contraire les parcs du sud avec des nuitées dans des villes authentiques (Morogoro, Iringa) proche des parcs de Ruaha, Mikumi et Selous. Les passionnés de plongée se rendront à Zanzibar, mais surtout Pemba et Mafia.

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How to go Tanzania

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How to go alone

In order to get the best fares, it is essential that you do so well in advance. Consider buying your plane tickets six months before departure or, if you have more time than money, go through the Middle East, there are cheaper tickets in all seasons by these routes.

How to go on a tour

Tour operators offer many customized tours to Tanzania according to your desires and budget. You can choose to focus on a relaxing stay, an escapade in Zanzibar, a safari in the heart of the Tarangire National Park, to climb Kilimanjaro or even to combine all of these, if time and means allow it.

How to get around

Rather expensive, domestic flights in single-engine aircraft remain practical and reliable when you want to reach several sites without wasting time on the road, especially the southern parks or the regions of the three great lakes. Beware, they are not scheduled every day. In the North or to reach the coast, buses are the easiest solution with safe roads. For Zanzibar, we recommend taking one of the many ferries that leave daily from the center of Dar es Salaam.

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Discover Tanzania

Tanzania is a country of superlatives that we know little about. We know that it is home to the "roof of Africa", Kilimanjaro, that the island of Zanzibar is part of it and that the Maasai live on its lands. Bordered by Africa's three largest lakes, Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa, Tanzania is an immense, fascinating country of plains, high plateaus, mountains, coasts and islands, with absolutely different landscapes from north to south. It's a patchwork of over 120 ethnic groups, most of them Bantu, most of them Catholic, but 90% Muslim in Zanzibar. Full of geographical, historical, ethnic and societal subtleties, Tanzania deserves to be better known. We won't forget to detail the characteristics of the wonders of its wildlife in the Tanzanian national parks, the largest land mammals on the planet, which you can observe on safari in their daily lives.

Pictures and images Tanzania

Autour du cratère de NGorongoro. chuvipro
Éland du Arusha National Park MogensTrolle - iStockphoto.com
La petite île de Mnemba. Oohan101 - iStockphoto
Safari dans l'aire de conservation du Ngorongoro Stephan SZEREMETA

The 12 keywords Tanzania

1. Home

Tanzanians are friendly to foreigners. You will be greeted everywhere with ringing "Karibu! (welcome) and "Jambo!" (good morning). Sometimes you will be invited to eat. Precious moments of sharing. Tanzanians are curious, and engage their hosts in endless discussions about Tanzania, and about your country.

2. Adventure

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You've come on safari to experience the thrill of the game, discover the great wilderness and fall asleep to the sound of roaring wild beasts or screaming hyenas. There's no question of leaving your tent without the permission of an armed ranger at night! Days of 4x4 driving on chaotic tracks at the end of the world will open your eyes and senses.

3. Boma

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For the Maasaïs, a Boma is a hamlet made up of several huts fashioned from earth and dried cow dung, usually housing several families. This semi-nomadic pastoral people are quick to change campsites. They also have enclosures made from large brambles and branches to protect their livestock.

4. Capital cities

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Dodoma, the country's political and constitutional capital (with Parliament), is a sleepy provincial town in the bush in the center. Dar es Salaam on the coast is the real economic capital, a megalopolis housing embassies and the government. Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar, which has semi-autonomous status.

5. Dala-dala, boda-boda

The dala-dala is the cheapest collective minibus, following a route invisible to the untrained eye. More and more people are squeezed inside! In the cities, in addition to cabs, you can also take a bajaj, a motorized tricycle from India and China, or a boda-boda (or piki-piki), a motorcycle cab for short trips.

6. The Great Lakes

Comprising Tanzania, Uganda, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, this region is a geographical entity with a rugged topography embellished by large lakes. The continent's three largest lakes border Tanzania: Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa, but there are also lakes Manyara, Rukwa, Natron, Eyasi... and many others.

7. Maasai

They are emblematic of Tanzania. Their uniqueness lies in their Nilotic origin (when 95% of Tanzanians are Bantu) and in their conservation of traditions: pastoral people, red shuka for men, beaded jewellery and scarification as a canon of beauty, etc. You will meet them at Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro, Arusha...

8. Markets

Everywhere in the country, you'll find markets bursting with life and color. You'll find an abundance of fruit, vegetables, meat (on which flies tend to wander), spices, basketry, tools, fabrics... and plenty of wriggling fish on the coast. The Maasai hold large markets for livestock, fabrics and weapons.

9. Mountains

There is more to Tanzania than Kilimanjaro! In addition to the roof of Africa at 5,895 m, the country has a number of impressive peaks and mountain ranges that are classified as national parks. At 4,566 m, Mount Meru is thethird highest mountain in Africa near Arusha. The Ushambara, Udzungwa, and Mahale mountains exceed 2,000 m.

10. World Heritage

Seven Tanzanian sites are classified as world heritage by UNESCO. Four are natural heritage (Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti Park, Kilimanjaro Park, and Selous Game Reserve) and three are cultural heritage: the old town of Stone Town, the Persian ruins near Kilwa, and the rock art site of Kondoa.

11. Swahili

Tanzanians will tell you that they're all Swahili, because they speak Kiswahili, the national language that enables the 120 tribes to understand each other. In reality, the Swahilis themselves live on the coast and islands. They are Muslims, descended from a people of mixed Asian and Arab origins, while the mainlanders are 95% Bantu.

12. Tanzanite

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This precious stone of blue color with purple reflections, a thousand times rarer than the diamond, was discovered in 1967 by a Maasai shepherd. It is found only in this country, in the far north, near Kilimanjaro. The Maasai own 95% of the tanzanite trade, as the mines are located on their land.

You are from here, if...

You know how to handle greetings , which are a national art that should be respected. If you let your ears wander, you're sure to hear people mechanically answering each other with an exchange of a dozen or so phrases before moving on to more personal words. Jambo, mambo vipi? are the sound of young people calling each other on every street corner. A casual "Hello, how are you?", to which they reply Poa, freshy freshy or even Poa kichizi kama ndizi (ndani ya friji ) "Super cool like a banana (in the fridge)". A straightforward handshake in which both palms slap sideways, elbow down, is also a good introduction.

You punctuate your sentences with a reassuring " pole pole" when your interlocutors get impatient with your slow, steady pace like the tides, and a " sawa sawa" to say "okay" when you're chatting.

You're smiling even in the face of daily worries or a crowded dala-dala.

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