Tanzania is an East African state with many neighboring countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia and Uganda. Tanzania also borders the Indian Ocean – in which the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Unguja and Mafia Island, which are part of Tanzanian territory, are located. However, other facts make Tanzania known. It is the country in the north of which the Serengeti is located, in which the Kilimanjaro massif rises up with Africa’s highest mountain, the 5,895 m high Kibo, and both Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika lie in the border area – the former largest, last deepest lake in Africa. But also nature in the form of salt lakes, extensive hill country, highlands, wet and dry savannah, semi-desert, Volcanoes and huge craters as well as a coastal plain up to 64 km wide with tropical vegetation. In between national parks – although those in the south are far less visited (possibly because the infrastructure there is less developed) and have large game populations. If you want to encounter urban Tanzania, you can do so in the capital Dodoma or in Dar es Salaam, the largest city, economic center and seat of government in the country. In both you can also explore the cultural and historical side of Tanzania – but also in typical fishing villages, on colorful markets, when visiting various ruins, traditional buildings, mosques or tombs or in the midst of the population, which is made up of different peoples. Zanzibar with its island capital Stonetown, whose old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, should also not go unnoticed. However, Zanzibar is also recommended for tours to spice plantations, due to its wonderfully white sandy beaches, and for diving or snorkeling.
Kilimanjaro
Location of Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain range in Africa. It is also the most powerful free-standing mountain on earth. It measures 5895 meters above sea level. M. and is located in the east of the continent on the edge of the East African Rift. Its mightiest mountain is the Kibo in northeast Tanzania, near the city of Moshi. This region has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Landscape of Kilimanjaro
The Kilimanjaro massif offers mountaineers a wide variety of landscapes. The massif itself is made up of three inactive volcanoes. Various craters can be seen on the summit of Kibo, such as the Kibo crater, the Reusch crater and the inner cone. Despite its location on the equator, Kilimanjaro is home to a few glaciers. Unfortunately, its ice has melted nearly 85% over the past hundred years. In addition to the remaining ice regions or snow fields and ice deserts, there is a large number of mountain streams and magnificent vegetation, which is transformed into a rainforest in the lower regions of the mountains. In this primeval forest, at an altitude of around 1,400 to 3,000 meters, the plants are usually larger than in other regions. Not only the flora is an experience, but also the fauna. Numerous mammals and birds, e.g. monkeys,
Visit to Kilimanjaro
The best time to travel to eastern Tanzania is from December to February, when it is warmest with a clear view. Between July and September it is dry but not that warm. Here visitors not only find a summit, but also experience breathtaking nature. You embark on a climatic journey that begins in the tropics and ends in the Arctic. The national park with its numerous animal species and its lush mountain forest begins at around 2,700 meters. The moorland is a little higher. At an altitude of 4,000 meters or more, the alpine wasteland with its few mosses and lichens comes into view. All vegetation has disappeared even higher and snow and ice are spreading. At the end of the trip, the beauty of the summit is overwhelming
Ngorongoro crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is probably the most famous nature reserve on earth and is related to the equally famous Serengeti. As the passage area for the largest animal migration on earth, the Ngorongoro Crater offers an indescribable picture every year. In addition, the crater has the greatest density of predators in Africa: nowhere else can you see so many lions, leopards and hyenas.
Made famous by Grzimek
The famous wildlife filmmaker Bernhard Grzimek, who was able to elevate the Serengeti to a natural heritage, as well as his son Michael, who died here in an accident, who wanted to follow in his footsteps, are buried here, as both of them saw the cradle of the earth and mankind here.
The Ngorongoro Crater is located on the national territory of Tanzania. This state is at least currently not the scene of Islamist attacks or civil war-like conditions, which unfortunately cannot be said of neighbor Kenya. Tanzania is therefore ideal as a travel destination for tourists who can feel relatively safe here.
Most vacationers, however, come to this country either to visit the legendary island of Zanzibar or to go on safari. The Ngorongoro Crater is the ideal place here.
The largest animal migration worldwide takes place in this region every year: More than a million wildebeest, plus hundreds of thousands of zebras and antelopes cross the crater every year and migrate southwards to take advantage of the rainy season in the Serengeti.
This ensures an immense array of predators such as lions and leopards, which makes it almost certain for you as a tourist to gain spectacular impressions.
Overgrazing hazard
The Ngorongoro Crater is now exposed to high settlement pressure. The approximately 8,200 square kilometers are illegally used by almost 600,000 herd animals of the Maasai, which naturally leads to a tense relationship between humans and nature. Although the government is trying to defuse the situation by buying land around the crater, it is to be feared that this paradise will only be admired for a few years.
