Explore Africa Masai warrior on the beach - Matej Kastelic / shutterstock.com wildebeest and hundreds of thousands zebra and gazelle, tracked by Africa’s great predators, one of the truly great natural spectacles on earth. The herds move in different directions at different times of the year, depending on rain and grazing conditions, but generally the best time to observe this migration is between July and August when the wildebeest move into Kenya’s Masai Mara crossing the Mara Mara River in large numbers. The Southern Regions is perhaps less known or popular as a safari destination, but it offers experiences on par with and even better than the safari destinations of the north, which can at times be pretty crowded. Main centres here include the towns of Mtwara on the coast, Matema on Lake Malawi, Masasi, Liwale, Iringa and Nachingwea. Here some of the better known attractions include Kalambo Falls, Kaporogwe Falls, Kijungu Falls, Kiwira River, Kilwa Kisiwani, Kitulo National Park, Lake Ngozi, Lake Malawi, Mbozi Meteorite, Mikindani Bay Marine Reserve, Mikumi National Park, Mnazi Bay- Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park, Mpanga Kipengere Game Reserve, Nyumba Nitu Natural Forest, Ruaha National Park, Selous Game Reserve, and Udzungwa National Park. The Eastern Regions is dominated by Dar es Salaam and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia on the Indian Ocean coast. Dodoma is another main town. Some of the major attractions here include the Amboni Caves, Chumbe Island Marine Sanctuary, the city of Dar es Salaam itself, Stone Town on Zanzibar Island, Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve, Mafia Island Marine Park, Maziwe Marine Reserve, Mnemba Island Conservation Area, the town of Morogoro and nearby Uluguru Mountains within the Mikumi national Park, Saadani National Park Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park, and the Usambara Mountains. Main centres of the Western Regions include Kigoma, Musoma, Mwanza, and Tabora. The area also borders on several lakes of the Great Lakes Region of Africa, such as Lake Rukwa, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. Some of the betterknown attractions here include Gombe National Park, Katavi National Park, Mahale Mountains National Park, Rubondo Island National Park, Saanane Island National Park and Ukerewe Island. This area is perhaps the most underrated of all the tourist regions of Tanzania, while in fact it offers some of the most unspoiled and beautiful scenery, and lovely freshwater bays, beaches and little islands along the lakes. The islands Down on the coast, the islands of Pemba, Mafia and Zanzibar are truly an experience never to be forgotten. The Zanzibar Archipelago is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. Zanzibar, also known as the spice island, is fringed with many kilometres of white sandy beaches, some say the best in the world. The island offers many water-based activities, like sailing, surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving. Chartered diving trips by yacht can be done from here. The capital is Zanzibar City, which includes the ancient Arab trading town of Stone Town, the former capital of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The town is home to numerous historical and cultural sites, some dating back to the 15th century, while little shops, restaurants and stalls line the narrow streets. The culture of the island, also reflected in its old architecture, is a fusion of different cultures from Arabia, Persia, India and the coast of East Africa. While on the island be sure to visit the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park which is a mangrove swamp and is the home for the red colobus monkey. It is also home to 40 species of bird and 50 species of butterfly. Another of Zanazibar’s famed attractions are the giant, carved wooden doors found in many of the old buildings here. These exquisite doors are not found anywhere else in the world and are quintessentially Zanzibar. The intricate carvings are said to denote the homeowner’s place of origin, profession and economic status. A darker side to the island’s rich history is reflected in what was the world’s last operating open slave market. The island once was a main slave-trading port in East Africa. The slave trade here was started by 56 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Explore EXPLORE AfricaAFRICA shutterstock: thanasit thinwongphet lodge Zanzibar - Wata51 / shutterstock.com Into the wild - GUDKOV ANDREY / shutterstock.com
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