Tanzania

Tanzania, in East Africa, is one of the world's greatest wildlife and adventure destinations, home to Africa's highest mountain — the snow-capped 5,895-m Kilimanjaro — and to the legendary Serengeti, where the Great Migration of nearly two million wildebeest and zebra thunders across the plains. It holds the vast Ngorongoro Crater, a natural wildlife arena, and a wealth of other parks teeming with lions, elephants, and rhinos.

Beyond the safari heartland lie the tropical islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago, with their spice plantations, coral reefs, and historic Stone Town, making Tanzania a country where you can climb a glacier-capped equatorial peak, witness one of Earth's greatest wildlife spectacles, and unwind on an Indian Ocean beach.

Climb Kilimanjaro, safari in the Serengeti to witness the Great Migration, descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, explore the wild Selous and Ruaha, dive and relax on Zanzibar's reefs and beaches, and meet the Maasai of the northern highlands.

The dry season (June–October) is best for safari and Kilimanjaro, with the migration river crossings around July–September; the calving season is around January–February. Zanzibar is warm year-round, best outside the heavy rains of April–May.

Tanzania's wildlife is unmatched: the Serengeti's Great Migration, the Big Five, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, flamingos on the Rift Valley lakes, chimpanzees in the western forests, and the rich marine life and reefs of Zanzibar and Mafia Island.

Tanzania spans the volcanic highlands and Great Rift Valley of the north (with Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Crater), the vast Serengeti and Maasai plains, the central plateau, and the coral coast and islands of the Indian Ocean, including Zanzibar.

The region around Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important sites for human evolution, and Tanzania has been home to many peoples, including the Maasai. Formed from the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964 after independence, it has been a stable, peaceful nation known for its conservation and cultural diversity.

Tanzanian culture spans over 100 ethnic groups unified by Swahili language and a strong national identity, from the iconic Maasai herders of the north to the Swahili coastal culture of Zanzibar, with its Arab, Persian, and African heritage.

Safari and climb in the dry season, and time the Serengeti for the migration. Use reputable operators and guides, acclimatize properly for Kilimanjaro (choose a longer route), and combine the wildlife of the north with the beaches of Zanzibar.