This post's overview:
In this post, we will tell you about the top 3 things not to miss on your trip to Tanzania.
Tanzania is a landlocked East-African country famous for its wide savanna areas. It is also known as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ owing to the great size and varied ecosystems it has to offer. It has many top-end tourist spots, including the Mafia Island, where you can shop till you drop, and get some stunning views of the Indian Ocean.
The coast, home to the Indian Ocean beach, is an ideal place for surfing, water-skiing, and snorkelling. On the Indian Ocean, the Tanzania coastal resorts of Dar es Salaam and Mahale National Park offers some of the most beautiful beaches in Africa and offer a perfect getaway for families, solo travellers, couples, and friends!
Tanzania safaris also take visitors to the numerous wildlife parks, which are home to some of the most varied and remarkable animal life on earth. The Ngorongoro crater is a huge volcanic outcrop, which provides visitors with fantastic game viewing. In Tarangire national park, a large number of zebras, antelopes and other grazing animals can be seen.
Tanzania safaris are an ideal way to discover Tanzania’s diverse and unique flora and fauna. The country boasts a large variety of plant life, including palms, acacia, date palm, wild yams, black beans, and Tanzania’s unique zebra bush.
Read on to learn how to get a Tanzania evisa and what are the three attractions that simply cannot be missed!
Tanzania visa and passport requirements
The visa and passport requirements have been altered to ease the travellers’ lives. Since 2018, when the government of Tanzania has introduced the eVisa system, most travellers can apply for an electronic entry permit online.
The customs officials, upon arrival, will check if you have the following two documents:
- a printed Tanzania eVisa & passport that will stay valid for a minimum of 6 months from the planned date of the trip
Be prepared, submit the visa application form online at least 10 business days ahead of the trip. The approved entry permit will be delivered in the form of a PDF file directly to your email box!
Use your phone or any other device with an internet connection and provide some basic personal and travel details in the online form.
TIP! Double-check the provided information to make sure there are no errors. Any mistakes in the personal data can lead to delays or issues with approval.
Completing the 3-step application process takes just minutes and later on, you have ten days to plan your trip itinerary. Cross the Tanzania border stress-free with an electronic visa!
Best Tanzania attractions
The top three attractions we have selected are not the most obvious ones, like Mount Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar. Take a look at the following list and consider adding them to your travel plans:
Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve lies in Southern Tanzania, bordering the Indian Ocean and the Western Central Serengeti plains. It is one of the most visited Tanzania attractions, popular for its beautiful scenery and extreme biodiversity.
The Selous Game Reserve has a special status within the government and is a World Heritage Site. It is a protected reserve that covers a landmass of approximately 50,000 square kilometres. It was officially designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 because of its astounding natural diversity and unaltered nature.
You will have a great time during your visit to the park, as there are many things that you can do, such as:
- hiking,
- trying a jeep safari,
- going on an elephant safari,
- seeing the wildebeest migration,
- game viewing and much more.
Many tour packages also offer night tours to the Selous River. You will have a chance to see the animals that tend to come out at night in their natural habitat!
Pemba
Pemba Tanzania is among the top attractions of the country. It is situated in the Zanzibar archipelago off the East coast of East Africa. It is well known for its green, lush plantations and exquisite clover forests. The Pemba Channel separates this island from the Zanzibar mainland. The main town, Chake, has an old fort with an authentic museum.
Offshore from Chake is F Fischer’s Island, home to Fischer’s turaco. F Fischer Island has white sand beaches and reefs perfect for scuba divers and snorkelers. This island also offers a variety of diving and snorkelling tours to offer. There are more than forty dive sites on Fischer Island.
The best time to visit Pemba is between April and June when the waters are calm, and the coral is healthier. The biggest advantage of visiting Pemba is the fact that it’s not as packed with tourists as Zanzibar! If you’re craving some relaxing time away from the crowds with delicious, freshly caught seafood, make sure to put Pemba on your travel list!
Mahale Mountains National Park
The Mahale Mountains National Park is located on the borders of Lake Tanganyika in the Kigoma Region, Tanzania. It is one of very few protected locations for wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. The area is very rich in animal life and birds such as flamingos, eagles, crested landbirds, and more.
Travelling to the Mahale Mountains National Park will definitely be an unforgettable experience for you. Since visiting this park means hiking and trekking, you may want to prepare yourself with the proper equipment prior to your trip.
If you are a first-time traveller to Tanzania, the staff in charge of security in the park will help you with the appropriate apparel for your stay as well as with the equipment needed to trek safely through the jungle.
One of the best things about Mahale Mountains National Park is that it is a protected region, which does not allow commercial farming. Therefore, travellers to this park will be able to enjoy a free-spirited vacation without having to worry about disturbing local communities!
Summary of 3 things not to miss on a trip to Tanzania
As soon as travelling is accessible yet again, make sure to visit Tanzania and make it your priority!
Besides visiting the staple tourist attractions and sites, think about visiting the places listed above. Plan your trip, pack your bags, and hesitate no more! Tanzania is waiting to be discovered! We hope that this post about the 3 things not to miss on a trip to Tanzania was helpful for you and you added them to your travel bucket list!
Some other posts that you might like:
8-day safari in Kenya & Tanzania – our itinerary
Travel Bucket List – places we’d like to visit in our lifetime