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Africa's most captivating wildlife destinations are stacked in Tanzania, the largest sovereign state in central East Africa. Tanzania is a nation of geological extremes, having the highest summit (Mount Kilimanjaro), the lowest point (Lake Tanganyika), and the largest lake (Lake Victoria) in Africa. The country's tourism basket is full of visual and adrenaline treats such as safaris, Stone Age sites, and also the cradles of civilizations usually seen only in the shows of Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. The name "Tanzania" is a union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the two states that combined in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Tanzania now offers travelers a wide array of options, from volunteering and adventure, to studying a cultural mosaic of over 100 ethnic groups.
January and February may be Tanzania's hottest months, but this is the best time to ride a truck towards Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire, or the parks and game reserves of the northern circuit, considered as the country's best mainly because of their accessibility from Dar-es-Salaam and from Kilimanjaro's international and domestic airports. These parks' major attraction is the wildebeest migration of over 1.5 million animals including cheetahs, leopards, hippopotamuses, zebras and elephants. Perhaps the greatest attraction is Mount Kilimajaro, the world's highest free-standing mountain, renowned especially for its easy-to-reach peak.
Serengeti's ecosystem is one of the Earth's oldest. In Serengeti's Olduvai Gorge, the earliest man appeared about two million years ago. In Ngorongoro, a large caldera (volcanic crater) has the world's highest density of lions. It is one of East Africa's rare places to see a black rhino. A bird watcher's paradise, Tarangire, houses over 570 identified bird species. It also has the country's highest number of elephants.
Tanzania's less-visited southern circuit is revered as an off-the-beaten path. The parks here include Selous, Mikumi and Ruaha, which are noted areas for boat safaris and safari camps. Mikumi's most unusual phenomenon is the "midget" elephants, while ancient rock paintings are in Ruaha's Kolo village.
The shopping districts of Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar boast of local crafts such as Makonde masks and Tinga Tinga (East African) painting. Zanzibar's Stone Town is a World Heritage Site for its historic Slave Market. On the road, the traditional colored buses or daladala are the ideal modes of conveyance, but on water, dhows (motorboats with sails) are trendy especially for those on a snorkeling or dive trip to see Mafia Island's whale sharks.