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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS;
 
Mount Kilimanjaro



Above the gently rolling hills and plateaus of northern Tanzania rises the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, its slopes and glaciers shimmering above the rising clouds. Kilimanjaro is located near the town of Moshi and is a protected area, carefully regulated for climbers to enjoy without leaving a trace of their presence.

The mountain’s ecosystems are as strikingly beautiful as they are varied and diverse. It is made up of three extinct volcanoes; Kibo 19,340 feet (5,895 meters), Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5,149 meters); and Shira 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). Apart from its dramatic geological features Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s the perfect destination for wildlife and plant enthusiasts.

Kilimanjaro contains an example of virtually every ecosystem on earth - glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle, all of which found on the mountain. Some visitors say, the descent from the summit to the mainland, is like walking from the North Pole to the Equator in just one day.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highlight of most visitors’ experiences in Tanzania

Serengeti National Park



The Serengeti is Tanzania's first national park and remains the flagship of the country’s tourism industry, providing a major draw to the “Northern Safari Circuit”, encompassing Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Arusha national parks, as well as Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The park covers 14,763km² of grassland plains and savanna as well as riverine forest and woodlands. The park lies in the north of the country, bordered to the north by the Tanzania and Kenyan border, where it is contiguous with the Masai Mara National Reserve. To the south-east of the park is Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the south-west lies Maswa Game Reserve, and to the western borders are Ikorongo and Grumeti Game Reserves, to the north-east lies Loliondo Game Control Area.

Human habitation is forbidden in the National Park with the exception of staff for TANAPA, researchers and staff of Frankfurt Zoological Society, and staff of the various lodges and hotels. The main settlement is Seronera which houses the majority of research staff and the park’s main headquarters, including its primary airstrip.

As well as the migration of ungulates, the park is well known for its healthy stock of other resident wildlife, particularly the "Big Five", named for the five most prized trophies taken by hunters, lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo. These species remain the key attractions to tourists, but the park also supports many further species including cheetah, gazelle and giraffe as well as a large and varied bird population.
 
Park contains an estimated three million large animals, most of which take part in a seasonal migration that is one of nature's wonders.

The annual migration of more than 1.5 million wildebeests as well as hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles is triggered by the rains. The wet season starts in November and lasts until about May. Generally the herds congregate and move out at the end of May. Their movement is a continual search for grass and water - the moving mass of animals requiring over 4,000 tons of grass each day. The exodus coincides with the breeding season which causes fights among the males. As the dry season sets in the herds drift out of the West, one group to the North, the other north-east heading for the permanent waters of the northern rivers and the Mara. The immigration instinct is so strong that animals die in the rivers as they dive from the banks into the raging waters, to be dispatched by crocodiles. The survivors concentrate in Kenya's Maasai Mara National reserve until the grazing there is exhausted, when they turn south along the eastern and final stage of the migration route. Before the main exodus, the herds are a spectacular sight, massed in huge numbers with the weak and crippled at the tail end of the procession, followed by the patient, vigilent predators.

The Seronera Valley in the Serengeti is famous for the abundance lion and leopard that can usually be seen quite easily. The adult male lions of the Serengeti have characteristic black manes.

About Serengeti:
Size: 14,763 sq km (5,700 sq miles).
Location: 335km (208 miles) from Arusha town, stretching north to Kenya and bordering Lake Victoria to the west.

Getting there:
Scheduled and charter flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara and Mwanza.
Drive from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire or Ngorongoro Crater


Ngorongoro Conservation Area;

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a huge area containing active volcanoes, mountains, archeological sites, rolling plains, forests, lakes, dunes and of course, Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge.

The views at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater are sensational. On the crater floor, grassland blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and mountains - all a heaven for wildlife, including the densest predator population in Africa. The crater is home to up to 25,000 large mammals, mainly grazers - gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and warthog. You will not find giraffe as there is not much to eat at tree level, or topi, because the competition with wildebeest is too fierce, nor will you find impala. The crater elephants are strangely, mainly bulls. There are a small number of black rhinos here too. The birdlife is largely seasonal and is also affected by the ratio of soda to fresh water in Lake Magadi on the crater floor.

In the northern, remote part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, you will find Olmoti and Empakaai Craters, Lake Natron and Oldoinyo Lengai, Mountain of God, as named by the Maasai. Lake Natron is the only known breeding ground for East Africa's flamingoes.

The ruins of a terraced stone city and complex irrigation system lie on the eastern side of Empakaai - the Engakura Ruins. Their origins are a mystery as there is no tradition of stone building in this part of Africa.

Olduvai Gorge;
Olduvai is the site of some of the most important fossil hominid finds of all time - "Nutcracker Man" or Australopithecus boisei who lived 1.75 million years ago - by Leaky


OTHER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS;

Nymba Ya Mungu Reservoir - A great place for birds watching, with fishing settlements around the lake. On the way you pass the TPC Sugar Plantation, a scenic drive especially when the flame trees are in blossom.


Kikuletwa Hot Springs – a natural clean spring water. Ideal for swimming in the warm water and relaxation. The surrounding areas provide stunning views with a great picnic spot and tour into one of the Maasai huts will be worthwhile.

Lake Chala – 30 km east of Moshi, this crater lake fed from Mount Kilimanjaro is truly an off the beaten track. The views of the surrounding area and the shores of the lake provide a magnificent picnic site. The lake is not safe for swimming as it is home to crocodiles.

Njoro Forest (Rau) - on the east of Moshi town in an area of high ground water fed by run-off from Mt. Kilimanjaro. A guided walk in the forest will give you the chance to see an abundance of nature, tree and woodland, including the tall Mvule trees. Watch Colobus monkeys eat wild fruits.

Lake Duluti – 50 minutes from Moshi. Walk round the shores of the lake and enjoy a drink or some food at the café or have a picnic.

Uru Waterfalls - Lies about thirty minutes out of Moshi town. The 50 meter waterfall is one of the hidden treasures of Kilimanjaro Region. Hike through coffee farms and enjoy spectacular views. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the base of the waterfall and swim in the pool of the waterfalls. Source: http://www.tanzaniajourneys.com/who-moshi.html

 

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