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Private safaris out of beaten tracks
TANZANIE - TANZANIA
Web guide about beachs holidays and African safaris
Please remember that I am an African wildlife photographer and not a tour or ground operator. However my extensive experience in these regions enables me to advise you on the best tour and ground operators - those who live in the area, who will take care of you best and for the best prices.
Safaris are very expensive! This is why I recommend directly contacting local tour operators who live on site in Africa; they alone know the tours really well (they are at home).
The best option
Using my advice you choose a local tour operator, a professional (who speak and write English) who lives on site in Africa, a member of the association that monitors tours operators , i.e. TATO (Tanzania association of tour operators) for Tanzania and KATO (Kenya association of tour operators) for Kenya. These agencies that I recommend have vast safari experience, climbed Kilimanjaro, Masai etc. - sometimes for 30 years. Feel free to ask me about my ground operators !HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY TANZANIA, ZANZIBAR
The coastal regions are lined with coral reefs, and form a fairly flat relief. Zanzibar located approximately thirty kilometres off the African coast, covers an area of 1,660 km² and is 90 km long. It is the
largest coral isle on the African coast. The island of Pemba, stretches for 68 km and is half the area of Zanzibar. The two islands form a relatively flat relief. The rest of the country comprises a vast plateau, at
an average 1,200 m altitude. The forest, covering almost a third of the land, is one of the richest natural resources. The main tree species are the mahogany and the camphor laurel.
The Rift Valley crosses Tanzania from north to south. This huge fault line carved out the Olduvaia gorges and created Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest summit (5,895 m), located near Moshi on the
border with Kenya. A second section of the Rift Valley runs along the the western border where three natural lakes can be found - Lake Tanganyika Lake Victoria and Lake Malawi.
Practically all the large African mammals are found in Tanzania, and a quarter of the country's area is devoted to 14 natural reserves, including the nature parks of the Serengeti, Lake
Manyara, Ruaha, the Tarangire nature reserve and the Ngorongoro crater (20 km wide and 600 m deep). Tanzania has precious stones, gold and diamonds, as well as coal, iron, mica, lead tungsten tin and kaolin.
REMINDER : Some important dates
9th century : the Gulf Arabs united with the native Bantus to gradually form the Swahili people and civilisation.
1498 : the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama became the first European to discover the country.
1652 : the Arabs drive away the Portuguese, who were dominating business in the area and insured their strength along the coast.
mid-19th century : the start of the European expeditions within the country especially from Britain (Stanley and Livingstone). This was also the beginning of Anglo-German rivalry for
domination of the country.
1891 : the country (mainland area) became a German protectorate after the island of Zanzibar became an English protectorate one year earlier.
1920 : the League of Nations entrusted Great Britain with the severed northwest part of the country, that was renamed Tanganyika.
1961 : Tanganyika gains its independence; Nyerere is in power until 1985.
1963 : Zanzibar gains its independence. After a year under a sultan the island became a republic following a local uprising.
1964 : Zanzibar and Tanganyika are united to form the new state of Tanzania, a member of the Commonwealth.
1967-1985 : socialist experiment and sole ruling party.
1986 : opening to liberalism.
1992 : return to multiparty system.
Good safari in Tanzania. And if you do not know how to do? contact me !
