ABOUT TANZANIA

Tanzania is comprised of the mainland and the Zanzibar archipelago, is the largest country in East Africa and borders Kenya to the north Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC to the west, Zanzibar, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, Uganda in the east. Tanzania is located between 29 and 41 degrees east and between 14 and 12 degrees south.
This jewel of East Africa is one of the leading tourist destinations of the region.

This jewel of East Africa is one of the leading tourist destinations of the region. It has got of the greatest number of game reserves in the world as well as beautiful beaches, exotic islands like Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia Island, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world, the Kilimanjaro Mountain.

Tanzania lies just south of the equator in East Africa, on becoming independent, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania. Agriculture is the main economic activity, with products like coffee, tea and cashew nuts. Zanzibar is historically referred to as the ‘Spice Island’, because it is one of the biggest producers of cloves and other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric and vanilla..

Capital city
Dodoma as the administrative capital
Dar es Salaam as the business capital

Tanzania’s time is at GMT +3 and with approximately 35 million people with and area of 9450,000 sq km. Tanzania has some ethnic groups among them are the native African 99% of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes, other 1% are Asian, Europeans, and Arab. Zanzibar it’s mainly Swahili, native Africa, Arab, Indian and Chinese.

Religion
In Tanzania’s mainland Christianity is the dominant religion with approximately 45%, followed by Islam with about 35% and the indigenous beliefs with 20%. Zanzibar is dominated by Islam with 99%, 1% is made up of Hindu, Christianity and Zoroastrian.

Language
In Tanzania, Swahili and English are the mostly widely spoken languages, in addition to many tribal languages.

Local currency
The Tanzania shilling that is to say, TSH or TZS is the national currency. As for foreign currency and credit cards that is (Access, master card, Visa, American express, Eurocard Dinners) are accepted by top hotels around the country and in some banks have branches in major towns, ATM money machines and money link machines. Travelers’ cheques in pounds sterling or US dollars are recommended though it may be difficult to exchange them outside the main cities. Foreign currencies may be exchanged at banks or any of the numerous bureaux change.

Climate
Tanzania is predominately a tropical climate with the average daily temperature of 30 degrees. Coastal areas are usually hot and humid, with cooling sea breezes. Tanzania has two rainy seasons, the long rains run from late March to June, and the shortest being November to January. The hottest time of the year is from December to March before the long rains begin. The coolest months are June and August, when the weather is often overcast. In high- altitude areas such as Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro highlands, temperatures can fall below freezing point.

Safari Attractions in Tanzania
• Serengeti National Park
• Zanzibar
• Ngorongoro Crater
• Kilimanjaro
• The Great Migration

Tanzania is still gloriously wide. Roads run through it, of course, and it's spotted with campgrounds and lodges. But mostly the wildlife has it to themselves, huge herds of elephants and wildebeests, flocks of flamingos, silent families of giraffes, and noisy packs of wild dogs. Lions have no trouble finding lunch; zebras skitter about, worried they'll be lunch; vultures wait to clean up.

The wild remains wild because it is protected. A huge portion of Tanzania is set aside as national parkland -- from Serengeti in the north, which sweeps uninterrupted from neighboring Kenya's Masai Mara park, to Selous in the south, with its long distances and large variety of animals. No area is more protected, by geography as well as by permit, than Ngorongoro Crater, whose steep walls create a separate ecosystem with its own representative collection of animals. Because these spaces are protected -- and because they are so wild -- the best way to see them is by guided tour. (And at Ngorongoro, you can't go on your own.) Even the most adventurous traveler will benefit from the guides' expertise: They know where the animals are, and they can take care of the paperwork quickly.

Although most visitors spend their time in the wildlife areas, travelers should make time for Tanzania's other attractions as well. The country boasts Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa; white-sand beaches on the Indian Ocean; and reefs for diving off the exotic, evocative island of Zanzibar.

Visa requirements
Before departing for Tanzania, it is important that you check with the Tanzania embassy or consulate regarding the visa requirements for entry. It is advisable to purchase a visa before coming to Tanzania in order to avoid delays upon arrival. However it is possible purchase a visa upon arrival in the country, but this means standing in long queues for along time and in an international flight it becomes tiresome and only US dollars are acceptable.

Health
As requirement and regulations are bound to change on short or without notice all visitors are requested to contact the nearest Tanzania diplomatic mission or travel health advisor well in advance of their intended date of departure. They will be able to advise you on which vaccinations to take and which anti-malaria pills are most suitable.

Communications
The international country code for Tanzania is +255. And cellular telephone coverage is generally good, particularly near the major towns and cities. Internet cafes are common and public phones operate on credit card system, the cards can be purchased from most small shops.

Transport
There three international airports in Tanzania, that is Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.
And they have got different air lines that operate in these airports, Air India, British airways, Egypt air, Ethiopian airlines, gulf stream, Swiss and KLM. South African Airways, Oman air, Kenya airways, and fly in Tanzania many carriers fly to Nairobi where they connect to any Tanzania airports are made daily. Charter planes also operate throughout the country.

Distances between the nearest airport and other major cities of Tanzania
Dar es Salaam airport is 15 Kms from the city centre.
Bagamoyo is approximately 63 Kms from Dar es Salaam and its 73 Kms from the airport.
Arusha is approximately 50 km from Kilimanjaro international airport.
Moshi is also approximately 34km from Kilimanjaro international airport.
Zanzibar is approximately 7 km from the stone town.

Railways run throughout Tanzania and the Tazara train line runs between Dar es Salaam and kapiri Mposhi, in Zambia. This rail line goes via Mweya and the Selous nature reserve. The central line links Dar es Salaam with Kigoma and Mwanza, via Dodoma and is one way to travel to the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika regions.

Cuisine
The multicultural nature of the population is reflected the international cuisine and any dietary needs are easily accommodated. In hotels and restaurants it is customary to reward service with Excellency.