9 Best Experiences in Classic Tanzania, from Serengeti safaris to Island relaxation 

Famous for one of the world’s most incredible wildlife spectacle – The Great Migration across the plains of Serengeti – Tanzania found in the East Africa region offers many extraordinary travel experience, from mountain climbs to culture-rich stays on tropical islands.

There is so much more to this beautiful country than safari, Tanzania is a country that doesn’t do things by halves. The big, bold, beautiful nation lays claim to Africa’s highest mountain – Kilimanjaro and its second-largest national park – Nyerere. It hosts the continent’s deepest and biggest lakes (Tanganyika and Victoria respectively) and harbours some of the world’s finest beaches on the islands of Zanzibar and beyond. Also, it has the largest intact volcanic caldera – Ngorongoro which is packed by wildlife and stages the world’s mightiest mammal migration, with a million-plus wildebeest circling the Serengeti each year. These are just some of the highlights to discover in Tanzania and more.

Here are the 9 Best Experiences in Classic Tanzania 

• Marvel at blood-red Lake Natron 

Gazing across Lake Natron gives a sense of what it might have been like at the very birth of Africa. Guarded by the puffing cones of still-active Ol Doinyo Lengai – the Maasai’s Mountain of God, this is a stark, strange, primordial – feeling place, seemingly untouched by human hands.

More than that, it seems actively hostile to most forms of life. For a start, it is hard to reach, requiring a rough, dramatic drive off the famous northern safari circuit. But, also, the lake’s waters are blood- red, extremely shallow, encrusted in ash, caustically alkaline and often scalding-hot.

Incredibly, some animals have adapted to these harsh conditions, not least 2.5 million lesser flamingos, which come to feed on the algae in the lake. It is what gives them their rosy feathers.

Activities here include walks with Maasai guides to the surrel lakeshore and through a rocky gorge to Engare Sero Falls, for a cooling dip in the pools below.

• Explore Ngorongoro Crater 

Formed when the volcano collapsed on itself following an enormous eruption some 2.5 million years ago, Ngorongoro Crater is a remarkable sight filled with animals and is the world’s largest intact caldera, measuring 10 to 12 miles across. Its rugged walls soar up to 2,000 ft, encircling seasonal swamps, permanent springs, a shallow soda lake, a forested of yellow fever trees and open grassy plains. But it isn’t devoid of life.

On the contrary, the crater supports one of the densest concentrations of large mammals on the continent, black rhinos, wallowing hippos, big tuskers, vast herds of zebras and wildebeests, along with large numbers of attendant predators – chances of seeing lions and hyena are high.

There are no lodges within the crater itself, but there are several on the rim (and nearby) that run game drives down inside. In Ngorongoro Crater, expect remarkable animal encounters.

• Follow the Great Migration through the Serengeti 

The mass movement of millions of ungulates around Mara-Serengeti ecosystem one of Africa’s greatest ecosystems is arguably one of the wilder spectacle. The Serengeti with its sweeping grassy savannah, rocky kopjes, flat-topped acacias and profusion of animal life, fully justifies the label of iconic. Every year, a grunting, dust-kicking throng of up to two million wildebeest, accompanied by thousands of gazelles and zebras as well as other antelopes, migrates around it, following the seasonal grasses.

Between January and February, wildebeest calving occurs on the Serengeti’s southern plans before the herds start migrating north from April. The most dramatic months are June to October, when great numbers gather to dash across the Grumeti and Mara Rivers, while a host of predators – lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles lie in wait.

• Learn about Swahili Culture on Zanzibar 

Zanzibar Island piques the senses with the scent of spices, the heat of sun, the sight of tropical beaches. The Indian Ocean Archipelago is an excellent choice for beach relaxation after a safari or Kilimanjaro Climb, but it is also unmissable for its fascinating Swahili Culture.

A trading post since around ninth century, Zanzibar is a heady blend of African, Arab, Persian, Indian and European influences. You can see it all in Stone Town, a UNESCO – listed warren of narrow valleys and coralline stone palaces and town houses with ornate balconies and intricately carved doors. Among them are bazaars bright and fragrant with fresh fish, imported cloth, beaded jewellery, cinnamon and fresh ginger.

Dhow cruises hint at the journeys of past traders, while local dishes such as tangy urojo soup (made with mango, turmeric, potato and lemon) and octopus curry give a taste of Zanzibar’s multicultural history.

• Dive off Pemba 

Relatively smaller, quieter and less – visited than its famous sister Zanzibar, this lush, undulating Pemba Island offers a more offbeat Indian Ocean escape. It still has the clove-scented air, the white-sand beaches and the swaying coconut palms, but tourism is in its infancy here.

Chake Chake, the main hub of Pemba is no equal to Zanzibar intoxicating Stone Town, but nearby is Pujni, the ruins of a 13th-century Swahili settlement, while the coast is speckled with old fishing villages, the waters a-bob with wooden ngalawa boats. The snorkelling and diving is superb, particularly off the west coast, where coral gardens throng with fish.

Encounters with manta rays, dolphins and turtles are common in Pemba Island.

• Sail around Mafia 

Situated a hundred miles south of Zanzibar, Mafia Island is a further leap into the laid – back. Its marine park protects a spectacular swathe of the archipelago’s southern waters, reefs, mangroves and islets and is the best dive spot in Tanzania. The crystal – clear shallows of Chole Bay are perfect for beginners and teem with life, for more experienced divers, there are vibrant walls, caves and overhangs frequented by dolphins, giant grouper and sharks.

Mafia Island itself doesn’t have the best beaches, but sailing by dhow to dazzling sandbars and being castaway with a hamper full of fresh fish and cold beers is as close to paradise as it gets.

• Take tea in Mufindi 

The Tanzania’s southern highlands of Mufindi is a breath of fresh air. Forget the dry, dusty plains, this landscape of verdant hills swirled in mists and cloaked with tea plantations. It is a great place to explore on horseback, mountain bike, by kayak or on foot. Trails wend amid the lakes and montane forests, where monkeys and a multitude of birds might be seen or heard.

Mafunidi Highland Lodge established on a family essentially open the area to tourism, and remains dedicated to the preservation of its indigenous forest. The lodge’s log cabins, 6,500ft up in the hills, offer a cool stay.

• Climb Mount Kilimanjaro 

At 5,895m (19.341ft) Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest point and climbing it is an unforgettable experience. The trek itself isn’t technically difficult, it is less sheer scramble, more constant upward plod. But the breath-stealing altitude presents a serious challenge. There are seven route to choose from, and most start in the mountain’s lush montane rainforest zone, at around 2,000m (6,550ft), reaching the summit require a hefty amount of elevation gain, in around six days. Along the way, expect to awed by the giant lobelia and eerie lunar-like plateaux, the strength and stamina of the porters, the camaraderie among fellow trekkers, the quantities of food you need to consume and the rush of emotion that hits when if you make it to the top, joy, wonder and relief to say the least.

• Take a ferry across Lake Victoria 

Formed in a shallow depression between the Western and Eastern Rift Valley, Lake Victoria is the second –largest freshwater lake in the world – only North America’s Superior is bigger. Indeed, its dimensions are so vast, it appears less lake, more inland sea.

Its northern shores stretches Kenya and Uganda, Tanzania claims the lake’s southern half and some of its largest islands, including rocky Ukerewe and idyllic Rubondo, now a national park. Sprawling Mwanza is Lake Victoria’s main port, accessible by plane, train and boat, hopping a board one of the ferries that ply the lake is the best way to appreciate its size, and maybe spot some of the resident birds.

Nearby is the diverting Bujora Sukuma Museum, which offers insight into the culture of the Sukuma, Tanzania’s largest tribe.