An alphabetical journey through Tanzania - a fabulously diverse country that’s more than qualified to have letters after its name…

A IS FOR … ANOTHER SPECTACULAR SUNRISE
Dawn in Tanzania has an epic quality, the sun sitting low on the horizon like a smouldering fireball, refracting every imaginable shade of RED, PURPLE, ORANGE AND PINK. STUNNING CREPUSCULAR SKIES are a feature of life on safari, from the Selous to the Serengeti, but when it comes to the ultimate sunrise experience, Kilimanjaro is difficult to beat.

B IS FOR … BROWSING FOR SHOPPING
Tanzania is a great place for souvenir shopping, whether you opt to haggle at a market stall or pay fixed prices at shops. Take your pick of the best buys:

• A bright and lively painting in the style of the pioneering artist Edward Tingatina
• A bizarre statue carved by the animist Makonde of the Mozambique border region
• A CD of Swahili Taarab music, which fuses Arabic and African influences
• A traditional Maasai shuka (red robe) to use as a drape
• A used Maasai calabash, complete with smoky village smell
• The colourful batiks that adorn curios stalls all over Arusha
• The latest compilation CD of ‘bongo flava’ (Tanzanian hip hop)
• If you’re paying, a beaded Maasai necklace or copper bracelet
• If somebody else is paying, Tanzanite jewellery, made from a gemstone unique to Tanzania

C IS FOR … CHIMPS AND MONKEYS
Mention Tanzania, and most people think of wide-open plains, but this astonishingly varied country is also the best place to track our closest living relatives in the wild. On the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe Stream is home to the celebrity chimpanzee community studied by Jane Goodall in the 1960s. A generation or three later, Gombe’s chimps remain exceptionally well habituated to tourists, as do their counterparts in the larger Mahale Mountains National Park on the southern lakeshore.
For sheer impact, few wildlife experiences match seeing - and hearing - wild chimpanzees. But all primates are natural born entertainers, and Tanzania boasts a wealth of these captivating creatures, from the baboons and vervet monkeys of the savannah to the colobus monkeys that leap spectacularly through the highland forests. Most remarkable of all is the endemic Kipunji monkey, which lurked undetected in the southern highland forests until 2003, when it became the first new genus of primate to be discovered in 83 years.

D IS FOR … DIVING AND SNORKELLING
The kaleidoscope of colourful fish at places like Mafia and Zanzibar can be seen to breathtaking effect simply by donning a mask and snorkel. For dedicated divers, Tanzania’s reef-fringed coast provides opportunities for encounters with everything from turtles to whale sharks.

E IS FOR … ENDEMIC BIRDS
A checklist of 1,130 bird species makes Tanzania one of Africa’s great ornithological destinations. First-time safari-goers are invariably enchanted by the country’s more iconic species, like the colourful rollers and weaver birds, and the vultures, eagles and kites that lord the skies.
For dedicated twitchers, Tanzania’s biggest draw is the presence of at least 32 national endemics -bird species that are unique to the country. Half a dozen of these Tanzanian ‘specials’ are quite easily seen on an ordinary safari, including two brightly coloured species of parrot-like lovebirds and the quirky rufous-tailed weaver. The majority, however, are associated with the forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains and Southern Highlands, an area that ranks among Africa’s top birding hotspots.

G IS FOR … GREAT RIFT VALLEY
Stretching for 5500 kms between Arabia and the Zambezi Valley, the Rift Valley formed some 20-30 million years ago along a pair of fault lines that converge on Tanzania’s southern highlands. Prominent landmarks, like Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Crater, are volcanic by-products of the rifting, which will eventually cause the region to split into two separate land masses.
The eastern Rift, which runs through the heart of Tanzania, is nowhere seen to better advantage than on the sheer escarpments that hem in Lakes Manyara and Eyasi. Further north, Lake Natron is overlooked by Africa’s most active volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, which last blew its top in 2007. The flooded western Rift forms the border with the DRC, where it rises in majestic verdancy either side of Lake Tanganyika.

H IS FOR … HOT AIR BALLOONING
There ‘s no finer start to a day in the Serengeti than taking a serene HOT-AIR BALLOON TRIP above the wide open plains, watching herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo scatter in your shadow, before touching down to a sumptuous champagne breakfast, eaten al fresco wherever the wind has blown you.

I IS FOR … INDIGENOUS CULTURES
Home to more than 100 tribal cultures, and to significant numbers of Christians, Muslims and traditional animists, Tanzania is that rare country where cultural diversity is embraced as a cause for national unity rather than ethnic factiousness. Fascinatingly, every key phase in human socio-economic development is represented here - the hunter-gatherer Hadzabe, the pastoralist Barabaig, the agriculturist Chagga, the trade-based Swahili - and for the most part these people adopt a ‘live-and-let-live’ attitude. Emblematic of Tanzania’s culture of tolerance are the red-robed Maasai, who still herd their previous cattle through some of Africa’s finest big game country.

J IS FOR … JAMBO!
“JAMBO!” - Swahili for HELLO! - you’ll hear this cheerful greeting wherever you travel in Tanzania, often followed by a friendly “HABARI YA SAFARI?” (HOW IS THE TRIP) or “KARIBU!” (WELCOME!).

K IS FOR …KARIBU TO KILIMANJARO
Africa’s highest mountain needs little introduction. For the more sedate traveller 5895m Kilimanjaro is simply one of the world’s most thrilling geographic icons, a perfect volcanic dome whose snow-capped peak often emerges from a cloudy shroud at dusk.
The tallest free standing volcano in the world, Kilimanjaro (known as the Roof of Africa), is climbed by thousands of tourists annually. You need to be reasonably fit to reach the top, but not extraordinarily so - past conquerors of its icy summit have spanned the ages of 11 to 74. You should, however, be prepared to set aside the best part of a week in order to complete the climb safely.
Kilimanjaro is not the only large mountain in Tanzania. Overlooking the safari capital of Arusha, Mount Meru is the fifth highest in Africa, an extinct 4566m volcano whose craggy summit offers stunning views to Kilimanjaro, only 50km to the east. Other high-altitude highlights include the lush slopes around Ngorongoro Crater, the standalone Mount Hanan south of Arusha, and the Eastern Arc Mountains and Southern Highlands - a scattering of forest-swathed ‘montane islands’ whose dazzling biodiversity has led to them being dubbed the Galapogos of Africa.

L IS FOR … LION
Biologists reckon there’s no better measure of ecological health than a high predator count, so it says much for the Serengeti and Selous that they vie with each other as hosting Africa’s largest leonine population - indeed, recent figures suggest that Tanzania harbours at least one -third and possible half of the world’s remaining wild lions!

M IS FOR … MIGRATION
The annual migration of the Serengeti’s two million wildebeest dominates Tanzania’s safari calendar. Visit between January and February for the calving season, May-June, to catch the northward trek that precedes the spectacular Grumeti and Mara River crossings, or August-October when the wildebeest cross into Kenya.

N IS FOR … NORTHERN SAFARI CIRCUIT
Tanzania’s northern circuit is one of Africa’s ultimate safari routes. At its core, there’s the immense Serengeti National Park, the lynchpin of a migratory ecosystem that supports the world’s greatest concentration of large mammals: an estimated 2.5 million wildebeest, zebra, gazelle and other ungulates, and a corresponding abundance of well-fed lions, cheetahs, leopards and other carnivores.
Then there’s the scenic wonder of Ngorongoro Crater, not only the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, but also a splendid wildlife sanctuary in its own right. Lake Magadi, in the heart of the crater, is tinged pink by thousands of flamingos, while its marshy perimeter forms something of a retirement home for bull elephant ‘tuskers’. Ngorongoro also hosts the world’s densest populations of lion and spotted hyena, as well as being an important refuge for black rhino.
Three other national parks complete the northern circuit - each possessing ecological elements that compliment their more famous neighbours. Arusha National Park, in the shadow of Mount Meru, supports a cover of lush montane forest teeming with birds and monkeys. Tarangire National Park forms the hub of a vast migratory ecosystem whose residents - including some 4000 elephants - crowd along the perennial Tarangire River in the dry season (July-November). Lake Manyara National Park, meanwhile, is a birdwatcher’s paradise famed for its population of tree-climbing lions.

O IS FOR … OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
The possibilities for getting off the beaten track in Tanzania are practically limitless. Take Saadani National Park, for example, where a stretch of Indian Ocean coastline is frequented by lions and elephants. Then there are the atmospheric old Swahili towns of Pangani and Miikindani, the endemic-rich Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Amani Nature Reserve, the lovely inland ports of Kigoma and Bukoba, the game-rich floodplains of Mikumi National Park, and the weird rockscapes of Isimila Gorge.

P IS FOR … PREHISTORIC SITES
The first evidence supporting Darwin’s once scandalous proposition that man’s earliest ancestors lived in Africa was unearthed by Louis and Mary Leakey in 1959 at Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge. The discovery of a jawbone from a male Austraalopithecine that lived and died 1.75 million years ago also proved that hominid evolution stretched back more than a million years. A replica of the jawbone can be seen in the National Museum in Dar es Salaam, but the informative site museum at Olduvai Gorge itself is easily visited en route between Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.

Q IS FOR … QUEEN’S FREDDIE MERCURY
Tanzania’s most famous son - Farrokh Bulsara to his parents - was born on Zanzibar on 5th September 1946. Mercury’s, on the Stone Town Waterfront, is the place to have a drink in memory of the iconic rock star.

R IS FOR … RELAXATION
It isn’t all about dusty game drives or mountain trekking, Tanzania has some great chill-out venues, like the beach resorts of Zanzibar or Bagamoyo, where a day’s activity might amount to little more than a pampering session at the onsite wellbeing spa.

S IS FOR … SOUTHERN SAFARI CRICUIT
The national parks and reserves of southern Tanzania form an utterly compelling circuit - one that feels thrillingly untrammelled by comparison to its northern counterpart. The hub of the circuit is the 45,000 sq km Selous Game Reserve, Africa’s largest conservation area that’s teeming with elephant, buffalo, sable antelope, hippo, lion and wild dog. Selous is unique among Tanzania’s major reserves in that boat safaris (along the mighty Rufiji River) and game walks are an integral part of the experience.
Ruaha National Park, a rugged thirstland of boulder-strewn ridges and ancient baobabs, is a favourite with the safari cognoscenti for its varied game viewing, notably prides of 20-plus lion and the localised roan antelope and greater kudu. More remote still, Katavi National Park, serviced by a few tented camps, attracts dry-season concentrations of buffalo, elephant and hippo that evoke Africa as it was a century ago.

T IS FOR … TASTE
For foodies, the coast is the lace to head for - lobsters, prawns and line fish - so fresh they might have leaped straight from the sea onto your plate, plus traditional Swahili dishes soaked in coconut milk and spice. Upcountry, there’s plenty of superb Indian restaurants, or you could try the local staple of ugali (maize porridge) and stew. The local beer comes under such iconic brands as Safari, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and old timer Tusker.

U IS FOR … UNDER CANVAS
You haven’t really experienced the African bush until you’ve slept out under canvas, alert to every unfamiliar noise and movement on the other side. Fortunately, camping in Tanzania doesn’t necessarily mean roughing it - basic camping safaris are still the staple for budget travellers, but the national parks are also studded with a network of tented camps whose aura of authenticity doesn’t preclude good service and luxury.

V IS FOR … VICTORIA
Africa’s largest lake extends over an area comparable to Ireland, and is the source of the White Nile, the world’s longest river. Slightly more than half of its surface falls within Tanzania, which also contains a significant portions of the continent’s second- and third-largest lakes, Tanganyika and Nyasa -Malawi.

W IS FOR … WORLD HERITAGE SITES
Among African countries, Tanzania’s tally of seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites is exceeded only by Ethiopia and South Africa. Five of these - Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro, Selous, Serengeti and Zanzibar Stone Town - are household names, but two lesser-known sites on this prestigious global roll call deserve greater recognition. Kilwa Kisiwani, an offshore island south of Dar es Salaam, supports the haunting ruins of the most important of the Swahili city-states that flourished as a result of the medieval gold trade between Africa and Arabia - indeed, the 14th century globetrotter Ibn Buttata called Kilwa ‘one of the most beautiful and well-constructed towns in the world.’ The Kondoa Rock Art Site, inscribed as recently as 2006, consists of 150-plus painted rock shelters in the vicinity of Kolo in the central Rift Valley. Some of these exquisitely crafted panels are thousands of years old, and several can be visited as a day or overnight extension to a standard safari through northern Tanzania.

X IS FOR … XYLOPHONES
Known locally as a marimba or mbira, a xylophone provides the mlodic substance to most traditional Tanzanian music, and might consist of anything from half-a-dozen to more than 50 metallic or wooden keys amplified by a hollow resonating box. Marimba orchestras, consisting of several interweaving instruments, distinguish the richly melodic music of the Gogo, who live around Dodoma. Other traditional instruments that might provide an earthy soundtrack to a Tanzania safari are the fiddle-like zeze, played by rubbing a bow across the strings whilst manipulating the tone with the fingers of the other hand, and of course the ubiquitous drum.

Y IS FOR … YOUR MOVE
For more information on visiting, check out the official websites of The Tanzania Tourist Board (www.tanzaniatouristboard.com) and Tanzania National Parks (www.tanapa.org). Kenya Airways operates flights from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro International Airport and Zanzibar several times a week.

Z IS FOR … ZANZIBAR
The uncontested jewel of the Swahili Coast, the magical ‘Spice Island’ of Zanzibar is every bit as sumptuous as the popular image evoked by its name. Here, you’ll find some of the world’s best beaches, long ribbons of white sand fringed by swaying coconut palms and lapped by warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Zanzibar is a sun seeker’s paradise, and yet there is so much more to the island than its beaches. Nature lovers can explore dazzling coral reefs, walk within metres of the flamboyantly fringed Kirk’s red colobus monkey (a Zanzibar endemic), goggle at the giant coconut crabs that march around Chole Island, visit the overgrown clove plantations on which the island built its economy, or take a dhow trip into the open water to swim with dolphins.
A centre of maritime trade for more than a thousand years, Zanzibar is dotted with overgrown ruins from 10th-century mosques to 19th-century Turkish baths and harems. At the heart of it all, like a living extract from the Arabian Nights, there is Zanzibar Stone Town, whose shady alleys - lined with timeworn mansions and palaces built by lusty Omani sultans and their sultry princesses - form a unique enclave of traditional Swahili culture set at the physical and spiritual heart of one of the region’s most populous modern cities.

Courtesy of Philip Briggs- Author of Tanzania and Northern Tanzania (by Bradt Guides)