tanzania
F rom Africa’ s tallest peak and the grasslands of the Serengeti to a tropical Indian Ocean coastline spilling onto pristine archipelagos, Tanzania has long drawn intrepid travellers. The Omanis, Germans and British all staked a claim; however, the declaration of independence in 1961 wasn’ t a turning point just for its citizens— but its wildlife, too. Today, over 40 % of Tanzania’ s land is protected and the number of national parks has grown from just three to 21, spanning 37,500 square miles.
The most famous of all— and the most visited— is the mighty Serengeti. Translating to‘ endless plains’ in the local Maasai language, it extends nearly 6,000 square miles to meet the southern edges of Kenya’ s Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Big Five( elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros) all put on a show here, but its rolling savanna is also the stage for one of the biggest wildlife spectacles on Earth: the Great Migration.
It’ s also worth venturing to the country’ s other wild places. Neighbouring the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the 12-mile wide Ngorongoro Crater— its rim and floor covered with both prey and predators. To the east, the country’ s forested chimp heartland made famous by the groundbreaking research of Dr. Jane Goodall promises both lively and fascinating adventure. The vast southern highlands are characterised by remote landscapes and wildlife-rich boat safaris along the Rufiji River, slinking past bathing elephants and big cats sipping at the water’ s edge.
The sheer size of the herds taking part in the Great Migration is often difficult to grasp from the ground, but a balloon flight can offer a different perspective Previous pages: Elephants cross the open plains of Tanzania’ s Grumeti Reserve image: Florian Kriechbaumer
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