 Facts at a Glance
Full country name: United Republic of Tanzania
Area: 945,090 sq km (368,585 sq mi)
Population: 29 million
Capital city: Dar es Salaam
People: 99% native African (over 100 tribes), 1% Asian, European and Arabic
Languages: Swahili, English, indigenous.
Religion: 45% Christian, 35% Muslim, 20% indigenous beliefs
Government: Republic (multi-party state)
President: Benjamin William Mkapa
A land of plains, lakes and mountains with a narrow, low-lying coastal belt, Tanzania is East Africa's largest country.The bulk of the country is a highland plateau, some of it semi-desert and the rest savannah and scattered bush. The highest mountains - Meru (4556m/14,943ft) and Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest at 5895m/19,335ft) - are in the north-east along the border with Kenya.
 What could be greater than Mt Meru's crater? (19K)
Nowhere else on earth will you see wildebeest, gazelle, zebra and antelope in such enormous numbers - and Tanzania's characteristic plains make spotting wildlife easy. Blessed with some of the world's largest game reserves, the country also has one of the highest concentraions of elephant, buffalo, crocodile, hippo, hunting dog and chimpanzee.
Tanzania's widely varying geography accounts for its differing climatic conditions. The altitude of the high plateau considerably tempers what would otherwise be a tropical climate. In many places it can be quite cool at night. The coastal strip along the Indian Ocean and the offshore islands of Pemba, Zanzibar and Mfia have a hot, humid, tropical climate alleviated by sea breezes. Only on the mountain slopes of the north-east does the country enjoy an almost temperate climate for most of the year. If there's a time to avoid Tanzania, it's during the long rainy season from March to May when it rains almost every day. There's also a short rainy season from November to January.
Although a Tanzanian gorge recently yielded a few bits of our old mate, Homo erectus, little is known about the country's really early history. Recorded history begins around 1800, when the Masai warrior tribes were migrating from Kenya to Tanzania. While the country's coastal area had long witnessed maritime squabbles between Portuguese and Arabic traders, it wasn't until the middle of the 18th century that Arab traders and slaves dared venture into Masai territory in the country's wild interior. European explorers began arriving in earnest in the mid-19th century, the most famous being Stanley and Livingstone. The famous phrase `Dr Livingstone, I presume', stems from the duo's meeting at Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika.
As the 20th century loomed, Germany got busy colonising Tanganyika - as the mainland was then known - by building railways and going commerce crazy. If not for the pesky little tsetse fly, the area could have become one vast grazing paddock for the fatherland. But losing the war didn't help the German cause much either, and the League of Nations soon mandated the territory to the British. The Brits had already grabbed the offshore island of Zanzibar, which for centuries had been the domain of Arab traders.
Nationalist organisations sprang up after WWII, but it wasn't until Julius Nyerere founded the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954 that they became effective. Tanganyika won independence in 1961 with Nyerere as the country's first president. Zanzibar was stuck with its British stiff upper lip for another two years, after which the mainland forged a union comprising Zanzibar and the nearby island of Pemba. And so Tanzania was born.
But unity and a charismatic first president weren't enough to overcome the country's basic lack of resources. Nyerere's secret ingredient was radical socialism, a brave concept considering the communist paranoia of potential aid donors such as the USA. Under the leader's Chinese-backed reforms, the economy was nationalised, as were great swathes of rental properties, and the better-off were taxed heavily in an attempt to redistribute wealth. The early 1960s saw Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda linked in an unlikely economic threesome, sharing a common airline, telecommunication facilities, transportation and customs. Their currencies became freely convertible and there was free and easy movement across borders. But predictable political differences brought such cosiness to a halt in 1977, leaving the Tanzanians worse off than ever.
Many factors have contributed to the woes of modern Tanzania, and not all have been self-inflicted - it is, after all, one of the world's poorest countries. Even the incorporation of Zanzibar, once one of Africa's richest countries, has only made new problems. And adopting a multi-party political system doesn't seem to have helped much either. Zanzibar and the neighbouring island of Pemba have experienced violent unrest and political scare-mongering ever since an election stalemate on Zanzibar divided the islands. Meanwhile, the mainland - under President Benjamin Mkapa - has had to cope with a flood of Rwandan refugees fleeing fighting in their homeland. In late 1996 the Mkapa government issued a statement backed by the United Nations declaring that Rwandan refugees were to leave Tanzania. Amid reports of excessive force and rape, thousands still remain in Tanzania. In August 1998, terrorists bombed the US embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, killing over 250 people and injuring more than 5000.
Such tensions have not helped a country already destabilised by long-standing tribal friction, particularly among the Chagga (Mt Kilimanjaro region). It's unlikely Tanzania will dissolve into the tribal conflicts which have haunted neighbouring Rwanda and Kenya over the last few years, but political paralysis and deep rifts between minorities look set to stay with Tanzania for a long time yet.
GDP: US$21 billion
GDP per head: US$750
Inflation: 40%
Major industries: Tobacco, sugar, sisal, diamond and gold mining, oil refining, cement, tourism
Major trading partners: Uganda, Kenya
Tanzania's 100 or more different tribal groups are mostly of Bantu origin. The Arab influence on Zanzibar and Pemba islands is evident in the people, who are a mix of Shirazia (from Persia), Arabs, Comorians (from the Comoros Islands) and Bantu from the mainland, though the latter predominate. Asians are a significant minority especially in the towns and cities. Europeans (either by descent or expatriate) are a smaller minority. The major non-Bantu people on the mainland are the Masai (Nilotic speakers) who inhabit the north-eastern section of the country.
Swahili and English are the official languages, with English the principal language of commerce. There are also many local African tongues, reflecting the tribal diversity of the country. Outside the cities and towns, far fewer local people speak English than in comparable areas in Kenya. It's said that the Swahili spoken on Zanzibar is of a much purer form than elsewhere, and quite a few travellers head for the island to learn it.
The two main religions are Christianity and Islam, with Hindus making up about a quarter of the population. The majority of Muslims are concentrated along the coast and in the islands. Compared to Islam, Christianity took a long time to make an impact, and even then (during the 19th century) it was practiced mainly among tribes of the interior. There are still many tribes who follow neither of the big-name religions and instead worship the ancient spirit of their choice. Principal among them are the Masai, who put their faith in the god Engai and his Messiah, Kindong'oi, from whom their priests are said to be descended. It's claimed that there is no religious bias present in the country's political and civil administration.
Tanzanian music and dance dominates much of East Africa. Strong in rhythm and renowned for hard-hitting lyrics, the country's Swahili-based sounds are kept very much alive by a thriving dance-band scene. Remmy Ongala is the country's best known exponent. Zanzibar is at the heart of the distinctive taraab, or sung poetry, tradition. The goddess of this haunting style is Siti bint Saad, the first East African singer to make commercial recordings, way back in 1928.
There's precious little difference between local food in Kenya and Tanzania - which is not great news for gourmets. As in Kenya, nyama choma (barbecued meat) has taken over in a big way, especially in restaurants with attached bars. But on the coast and in Zanzibar and Pemba islands, there's a decent range of traditional Swahili dishes based on seafood. The national brew is Safari Lager and the local liquor is a lethal white-rum-style concoction called konyagi.
 Events
The biggest annual event in Tanzania begins at the Serengeti National Park near the Kenyan border, when huge herds of wildebeests head for greener pastures in Kenya. Starting in April each year, more than 2 million of these animals migrate across the Serengeti's southern plains accompanied by zebras, antelopes, gazelles, lions and tourists. Tanzanian Independence Day (December 9) somehow pales in significance.
Visas: All visitors require a visa except citizens of some Commonwealth countries (Canada and the UK excepted), Scandinavian countries, the Republic of Ireland, Rwanda and Sudan. For these nationalities, a free visitor's pass, valid for one to three months, can be picked up at the point of entry (you'll be asked how long you plan to stay - three months is no problem).
Health: Yellow fever, malaria, bilharzia, tsetse fly, cholera, hepatitis, meningitis, and typhoid. HIV/AIDS is a serious risk, though not as prevalent as in Uganda. Tampons are imported and available only in the bigger towns and cities. Locally made sanitary napkins are generally plentiful.
Time: GMT/UTC plus three hours
Electricity: 230V
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)
 Money & Costs
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TSh)
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$3-10
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$8-15
- Top-end restaurant meal: $US15 and up
- Budget room: US$10-15
- Moderate hotel: US$30-40
- Top-end hotel: $50 and up
Hotels range from fleapits and brothels to grandiose establishments. The choice is yours and there's usually plenty to choose from. On the rougher side, camping sites with facilities are scarce except in national parks. For a comfortable enough budget trip, you can get by on US$20 a day. Around US$100 a day is quite normal for a safari. With a little sniffing about, good value restaurants and hotels make it possible to really live it up for no more than US$30-35 a day.
Despite the liberalisation of the currency, there is still an official exchange rate, which is US$1 = TSh 345. This should only affect you if you use international credit cards (American Express will bill you at the foreign exchange rate if you're going over US$1000). This makes using credit cards a tad ridiculous, but having the plastic for emergencies doesn't hurt. Sticking with cold hard cash, there are forex bureaus in most towns and cities offering free-market exchange rates. Banks will generally only change money at the official (read laughably unfair) rate. There's no black market for hard currency, so if anyone says there is, get a good grip on your wallet and head in the opposite direction.
 When to Go
The standard tourist season is in January and February, when the hot, dry weather at this time of year is generally considered to be the most pleasant. But to catch the Serengeti at its best you want to avoid the dry season when virtually all the animals go on holiday to Kenya. Be prepared if you're heading into the big wet, as many roads - particularly on on the south coast - can become too squishy to drive on.
 Attractions
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's premier city. The `Haven of Peace' started life as a fishing village in the mid-19th century when the Sultan of Zanzibar got the urge to turn a creek (now a harbour) into a safe port and trading centre. Now it's a teeming metropolis of 1.5 million people where Arab dhows mingle with huge ocean-going vessels. Like most African cities, there are substantial contrasts between the various parts of the city. But while the busy central streets around the colourful Kariakoo Market and clock tower are a world away from the tree-lined boulevards of the government quarters to the north, there's no evidence of slums. The place is warm and salty with a heady cultural mix and none of the underlying aggro of Nairobi.
Dar's National Museum is next to the Botanical Gardens in the city centre. It features important archeological collections, especially the fossil discoveries of Zinjanthropus (Nutcracker Man), and the sordid history of the Zanzibar slave trade. About 10km (6mi) from the city centre, the Village Museum is also worth a look. It's a living breathing village of authentic dwellings from various parts of Tanzania. Traditional dances are performed here on the weekend. Oyster Bay, a beautiful (for now) stretch of tropical coastline, is the city's nearest beach.
Be aware that finding a place to stay in Dar can be difficult. It's not that there's a lack of hotels, it's just that they always seem to be full - this applies to the cheap, expensive and the in-between. So, whatever you do, don't pass up a vacant room because you don't like the curtains. Take the room and look for something better later. The city is Tanzania's major international arrival point for flights and there are plenty of airline offices here. The TAZARA train line runs between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi (Zambia). Buses to most parts of the country leave from a variety of places within the city. There's no central bus station.
Ah Zanzibar - the world's oldest and sexiest Spice Girl. Trading under the name Spice Island, this paradise off Tanzania's north coast has lured travellers for centuries, some in search of cloves, some in search of plunder and still others in search of an idyllic home. The island got engaged to Tanzania relatively recently, after a string of torrid affairs with the Sumerians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguese, Omani Arabs, Dutch and English. But it was the Shirazi Persians and the Omani Arabs who stayed to settle and rule - and it's their influence which lingers most strongly on the island.
The old Stone Town of Zanzibar is one of the most fascinating places on the east coast. It's a chaotic, labyrinthine cluster of winding streets lined with whitewashed coral-rag houses with magnificently carved (but fast vanishing) brass-studded doors. There are endless little shops, bazaars, mosques, courtyards and fortresses, two former sultans' palaces, two huge cathedrals, faded colonial mansions, a disused Persian-style public bathhouse and a quite bizarre collection of foreign consulates. Dotted around the island are historical sites such as the ruined Maruhhubi Palace, built in 1882 by Sultan Barghash to house his harem. To take it all in, a `Spice Tour' is recommended. Plenty of guides are on offer for such tours, which include several palace ruins, the Mangapwani Slave Cave, and the various spice and fruit plantations at the island's heart. There's also Jozani Forest, 24km (15mi) south-east of Zanzibar town, a sanctuary for the rare red colobus monkey and the Zanzibar duiker (small antelope).
Air Tanzania operates one daily flight except on Thursday and Sunday in either direction between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, but most budget travellers reach the island by ferry, catamaran or hydrofoil from Dar es Salaam. Dhows and other boats also run between Zanzibar and Kenya's Mombasa, usually once or twice a week in either direction.
An almost perfectly shaped volcano rising sheer from Tanzania's far north-east plains, Mt Kilimanjaro is one of Africa's most magnificent sights. Snowcapped and not yet extinct, at 5895m (19,335ft) it's the highest peak on the continent. From cultivated farmlands on the lower levels, the mountain rises through lush rainforest to alpine meadow and finally across a barren lunar landscape to the twin summits. The rainforest is home to animals including elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and monkey. You may also stumble across herds of eland on the saddle between the summits of Mawenzi and Kibo. It's a travellers's dream to scale the summit, watch dawn break and gaze out over a truly great expanse of bushland - but scaling a 5895m monolith is no Sunday school picnic. A standard five-day trek along the Marangu route costs at least US$400 per person. For the main trekking route, there are heaps of minibuses every day between Moshi (on the main highway) and the starting point of Marangu.
Snow in Africa? Must be Kilimanjaro (21K)
Serengeti, which sprawls across 14,763 sq km (5757 sq mi), is Tanzania's most famous game park. Here you can get a glimpse of what much of East Africa must have looked like in the days before the "great White hunters". The brainless slaughter of the plains animals began in the late 19th century, but more recently, trophy hunters and poachers in search of ivory have added to the sickening toll. On the seemingly endless and almost treeless Serengeti plains are literally millions of hoofed animals. They're constantly on the move in search of grassland and are watched and preyed upon by a varied parade of predators. It's one of the most incredible sights you will ever encounter and the numbers involved are simply mind-boggling. The wildebeest has a starring role in the amazing annual migration. Serengeti is also famous for its lion, cheetah and giraffe populations. Don't forget to bring your binoculars.
The views from this north-eastern area's 20km (12.4mi)-wide, 600m (1968ft) tall Ngorongoro Crater may not impress from the top, but once you've wound your way down through the jam-packed jungle you'll be won over. It's been compared to Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden - and has the added advantage of actually existing. Noah might be a bit a disappointed by dwindling animal numbers these days, but he'd have no trouble finding lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingo wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi, the soda lake on the floor of the crater. Local Masai tribespeople have grazing rights here, and you may well come across them tending their cattle. You can reach the crater by private bus from Arusha (on the main highway) at least as far as Karatu but it may be difficult to find anything going beyond there. There are also plenty of trucks as far as Karatu.
Typical Tanzania: whitewash near Arusha (24K)
Makonde Plateau
Few travellers visit the south-eastern part of Tanzania adjacent to the Mozambique border, but this is where the famous makonde carvings originally came from (they've since been copied by artisans all over East Africa). It's also a beautiful part of the country. Getting there involves a series of bus journeys and overnight stays in the towns en route, but there's no shortage of transport. The first leg is a bus from Mbeya to Njombe, one of the highest and coldest parts of the country. Then it's on to the rowdy town of Songea, and beyond to the remote towns of Tunduru and Masai, on the Makonde Plateau itself. There's also a regular ferry between Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, near the plateau.
This huge, little-visited slab of wilderness is said to be the world's largest game reserve (at 54,600 sq km/21,294 sq mi). Largely untouched by people, estimates suggest it contains the world's largest concentration of elephant, buffalo, crocodile, hippo and hunting dog, as well as plenty of lion, rhino and antelope and thousand of dazzling bird species. One of the reserve's main features is the huge Rufiji River. In the northern end of the reserve is lodge area of Stiegler's Gorge, which is spanned by a cable car. The most convenient way to get to Selous is to fly direct from Dar es Salaam. By land, there are no buses and hitching is virtually impossible - but the TAZARA line train goes as far as Fuga, on the edge of the reserve.
While most travellers do Zanzibar, very few make the journey a little further on to the laid-back island of Pemba. It's not that there are no historic sites to visit, or a lack of good beaches, because there are plenty of these. No, the island is just a bit tricky because there's little public transport off the islands only main road. Jeepneys are on the increase however. Pemba's earliest ruins are those of Ras Mkumbu, on the peninsula west of Chake Chake, where the Shirazis settled about 1200 AD. To the east are the remains of a palace destroyed by the Portuguese in 1520. The island's other main attraction are the surrounding coral reefs, rated by many divers as the best in the world. There are flights from Zanzibar to Pemba every Wednesday, and the most reliable boat connections are between Zanzibar and Mkoani on the island's south-west end.
The Tanzania tourist activity is of course the safari - but it's entirely up to you whether you do it rough or smooth, or a bit of both. A trek to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro is the pinnacle of outdoor adventure, in more ways than one. There's some great floating to be had in hot-air balloons over the Serengeti. And swimming with dolphins is all the rage on the island of Zanzibar. Snorkelling and scuba diving is equally popular around the world-class coral reefs off nearby Pemba and Mafia islands.
Cheap, reliable flights are plentiful between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, as are flights between Zanzibar and Mombasa. By land, there are several connections between Tanzania and Kenya. These include Mombasa to Dar es Salaam, Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Nairobi to Arusha, and Voi to Moshi. By train, there's a a weekly connection between Voi and Moshi. Buses between Rwanda and Uganda can never be entirely relied on, but they're there all right. It's possible to go by dhow between Mombasa, Pemba and Zanzibar but sailings are very infrequent these days. More regular are the lake services between Port Bell (Kampala) and Mwanza (Tanzania).
 Getting Around
Air Tanzania, the national carrier, serves most of the major internal routes, but its fleet isn't exactly high-tech. Several private airlines operate light aircraft on the main routes, minor routes and to the national parks and game reserves of Serengeti, Selous, Ruaha and Rubondo island. Domestic airport departure tax is TSh 1000. Apart from Arusha, Tanzania's major population centres are connected by railway. Driving in Tanzania is a trade-off between speed and potholes. Traffic density is low outside main towns, so your main enemy is the holey road surface. On the mainland at least, car rental is still an expensive option. By bus, don't expect much. On the long-haul routes there's generally a choice between luxury and ordinary, but these are very relative terms. On short hauls the choice is between ordinary buses and dalla dalla - the Tanzanian equivalent of a Kenyan matutu.
 Recommended Reading
- Meja Mwangi is a well-known Kenyan author whose books are a good introduction to East African literature. His most famous works include Going Down River Road, Kill Me Quick and Carcass for Hounds.
- Shiva Naipaul's North of South: an African Journey is a humorously pessimistic account of a visit to Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
- Elspeth Huxley's Flame Trees of Thika tells the story of the white settler experience through the eyes of a young girl. Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa covers similar turf from an adult perspective.
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