There is no single reason to make the journey to this most African of African nations, but probably most appealing to a prospective visitor to Tanzania are the country’s many national parks. Contained within one central and easily accessible region are the three main destinations of Kilimanjaro National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. However within this area there is also the Arusha National Park, the Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park and many other sites of interest to the nature and wildlife enthusiast.
One of the largest national parks in the world, and the largest in Tanzania, is the Selous National Park in the south of the country, named after the legendary British hunter, guide, philosopher and writer Frederick Courtney Selous. Most of the Big Five are found in this park in larger numbers than anywhere else in the country, while walking safaris are permitted here where they are not in most other wildlife areas.
Of equal interest and importance are the coasts and islands of Tanzania. Perhaps the most obvious of these is Zanzibar Island, which is perhaps one of the most visited destinations in sub-Saharan Africa, and for excellent reasons. The island is the quintessential spice island, with the aroma of cloves mingling with fish and a bounty of other unidentifiable smells. It is also an area of unique cultural and architectural interest, not to mention its situation on one of the most intrinsically beautiful islands in the world.
Although Zanzibar is also a sought after dive and marine sports location, further south is the smaller Mafia Island, the southern half of which has recently been declared a marine park. The whole island is host to a variety of unique ecologies, but in particular the surrounding waters are home to a patchwork mosaic of coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangrove forests and inter-tidal flats. From the point for view of a dive or a general nature or birding enthusiast this is one of the principal destinations along the east coast of Africa
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