Tanzania: Enticing Safari & Beach Experience

by Leigh Kemp, 8 April 2008

Who wouldn't want to have it all?

Who wouldn't want to enjoy the best of both worlds on their next African safari holiday?

End off an unforgettable wildlife safari with a laid-back stay at a coastal resort; a safari and beach style African travel experience. Combining some of Africa's legendary safari destinations with its superb coastlines, makes Tanzania the ideal location for a "safari and beach experience in one" country.

Tantalising Tanzania

Tanzania is renowned for its safari names such as the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater as well as beach names such as Zanzibar, and these are the locations which many people immediately think of when Tanzania safari and beach trips are mentioned. Indeed, it's true to say that these names represent some of the supreme travel destinations on earth.

However, there are whispers in safari circles of a new and exciting area to visit in Tanzania, set to rival the traditional route: The Southern and Western Safari Circuit. On a recent trip to Tanzania, I was privileged to visit a few of these new areas and returned home confident in the knowledge that Africa does, indeed, still have plenty to offer travellers in its new attractions.

Haven of Peace

The best-known city in Tanzania, and its one-time capital, Dar Es Salaam (Haven of Peace), lazes on the shores of the translucent Indian Ocean. The city is located at the centre of this new safari destination and connects all the pieces together.

The stunning islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago and the remote game reserves of the south and west of the country; can be seamlessly combined into, arguably, the ultimate safari and beach vacation in Africa.

All the islands are less than an hour's flight from Dar (as Dar Es Salaam is affectionately known), as is Selous Game Reserve, ensuring that minimal time is spent travelling between destinations. The city provides terrific accommodation for a rest night before, or after a safari, and many travellers choose to spend more than just one night in Dar to fully experience the energetic vibe of this fascinating place.

Into the Wilds

West of Dar Es Salaam, two of Africa's legendary, yet least known, wilderness areas can be found. Vast and game-rich, Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park, offer wildlife experiences that successfully compete with - and in many minds, outshine - all the other famed African safari destinations on the continent.

The main attraction of both the Selous and Ruaha reserves is the aura of absolute, uncharted isolation. With only a few lodges scattered over vast areas, guests quickly get the feeling that they're far from civilisation.

This ideal was supported on my recent trip to Selous when we spent an entire afternoon on a game drive and didn't see another vehicle. Although this might not always happen, it was an indication that the area is untrammelled by mass tourism. Ruaha National Park and the even less-known and more secluded, Katavi National Park, provide additional hints of this feeling of true wilderness that the parks of southern Tanzania provide.

To add to the growing reputation of the region is Mahale Mountains National Park on the shores of picturesque Lake Tanganyika. The park is a stronghold for the chimpanzee and through years of study some of the family groups have become habituated to people being near them, permitting a more intimate encounter with our closest relatives.

Tanzania also boasts an exclusive reserve where the wilderness and the beach meet. Saadani National Park gives visitors the rare opportunity to view elephants at playtime splashing in the surf.

I've been fortunate to experience many of Africa's greatest wilderness areas but my trip to Mahale and the other southern parks of Tanzania, rates as one of my top safari experiences.

From Safari to Beach

The Zanzibar Archipelago is situated off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. The archipelago is made up of numerous islands, the largest and best known of which is Unguja - better known as Zanzibar Island.

From the beautiful, organised shambles of Stone Town on Unguja Island to the spicy scent that pervades the air, Zanzibar bursts with a rich and dramatic history. Slaves, sultans, colonisation and exploration, Zanzibar has it all - much of which is echoed in the buildings and ruins around the islands.

But what the islands are becoming most popular for are their beaches. With a variety of activities such as diving, snorkelling, fishing or just lazing in the sun on the white sands; the islands of the archipelago are fast gaining a reputation among the beach holiday set as the places to be. Even I, a confirmed land-lubber, was taken in by the silky smooth sand and sky blue water, even daring to wade into the ocean - up to my knees.

Although Unguja is the best known of the archipelago, there are other new names staking their claim such as Pemba Island and Mafia. Both illustrate traces of the history of this part of the world; have incredible beaches and lay claim to the best diving and watersports in the archipelago.

Although less developed than Unguja Island, Pemba and Mafia provide a more intimate getaway, far from the boisterous crowds that can be found frequenting other beach destinations.

So, if it's an unforgettable wildlife safari you're looking for, then southern Tanzania is the place to visit for one of Africa's best kept secrets. If it's a laid-back beach holiday you desire, then the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago will surely meet your expectations and more.

But for the holiday of a lifetime a combination of these two destinations must first be experienced to be accurately described. I've been there and will never look at Africa travel in the same way again.

Travel Fact File

Leigh Kemp visited southern Tanzania in March 2008. His trip took him through the southern and western parts of the country where he experienced some of Africa's most dramatic wilderness areas including Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park. He then went on to visit the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago including Pemba Island and Mafia Island.

As a self-confessed land-lubber he was nonetheless taken in by the experience of the islands and recommends a Tanzania safari and beach experience above all others. His advice: pack your bags for Tanzania now.

Readers' Comments:

Should a wildlife safari be combined with a beach holiday? Have you experienced a safari and beach holiday and was it an ideal combination? Let us know.

Print this page | Send to a friend