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This new, thoroughly updated fifth edition of Bradt Travel Guide: Northern Tanzania Safari Guide remains the only full-length guidebook focussed exclusively on the country’s north and on Zanzibar. Reflecting tourism’s shift away from backpackers and budget camping safaris to upper-end and mid-range safaris and beach holidays, it is tailored closely to the requirements of anyone going on a safari to northern Tanzania, followed by a few days on Zanzibar.
Northern Tanzania is dominated by Africa’s finest safari circuit, offering spectacular game-viewing year-round. Centred on the legendary Serengeti National Park and its world-famous wildebeest migration, this circuit also incorporates the Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks. Geographically northern Tanzania is one of Africa’s most varied regions, with a palm-fringed Indian Ocean coastline complemented by the scenic wonders of the Great Rift Valley, and several impressive volcanically formed mountains, most notably snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa and a popular goal for hikers. Lesser-known gems include the prehistoric rock art at Kondoa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the forested Arusha National Park and Amani Nature Reserve, and the spectacular Ol Doinyo Lengai – Africa’s most active volcano.
Serviced by a well-developed safari industry, northern Tanzania’s superlative reserves are complemented by a stopover on the legendary Spice Island of Zanzibar. With its atmospheric old town, idyllic beaches and offshore reefs teeming with marine life, it is every bit as evocative as its name.
Written by acknowledged Africa experts and prolific guidebook writers Philip Briggs and Chris McIntyre, this guide prioritises practical information about the area’s peerless collection of national parks, game reserves and other safari destinations. Accommodation listings for the safari destinations are the most detailed and authoritative available, the authors weeding through the ever-growing number of lodges and camps to create a critically selective list of the best properties across all price points. Meanwhile, a colour wildlife field guide provides great detail about wildlife and where to see it. All in all, Northern Tanzania Safari Guide is the most authoritative source available for visitors – an essential travel companion for both first-time visitors and seasoned safari-goers.
Chapter 1 Background Information
[At a glance], Geography, Climate, Habitats and vegetation, History, Government and politics, Economy, People, Language, Religion
Chapter 2 Tanzania Wildlife Guide
Mammals, Reptiles, Birds
Chapter 3 Practical Information
When to visit, Highlights, Itinerary planning, Tourist information, Tour operators, Red tape, Getting there and away, Safety, What to take, Money and banking, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays, Shopping, Media and communications, Cultural etiquette
Chapter 4 Health Preparations
Common medical problems, Unusual medical problems, Other safety concerns
PART 2 THE GUIDE
Chapter 5 Arusha and Around
History, Getting there and away, Orientation, Getting around, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, Tourist information, Safari operators, What to see and do
Chapter 6 Arusha National Park and the Moshi Highway
The Moshi Highway, Arusha National Park, West Kilimanjaro
Chapter 7 Moshi and the Kilimanjaro Foothills
History, Getting there and away, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, Tourist information and tour operators, Around Moshi
Chapter 8 Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Geology, History, Vegetation and biology, Climbing Kilimanjaro
Chapter 9 Usambara and the Northeast Lake
Jipe, Mkomazi National Park, Lushoto and the Western Usambara, Amani Nature Reserve and the Eastern Usambara
Chapter 10 Tarangire and the Central Rift Valley
Tarangire National Park, Babati, Mount Hanang, Kondoa Rock Art Sites, Dodoma
Chapter 11 Lake Manyara and the Northern Rift Valley
Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Eyasi and the Yaeda Valley, North of Manyara
Chapter 12 Ngorongoro and the Crater Highlands
Karatu and surrounds, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Chapter 13 Serengeti National Park
History, Flora, Fauna, Fees and further information, Ndutu and the southeastern plains, Seronera and the south-central plains, The Western Corridor, Lobo, Loliondo and the north-central Serengeti, The Mara River and the far northwest
Chapter 14 Rubondo Island National Park
Geography and vegetation, Wildlife, Getting there and away, Where to stay and eat, What to see and do
Chapter 15 Zanzibar
History, Getting there and away, Getting around, Zanzibar Town, Around Zanzibar Town, Islands close to Zanzibar Town, Northern Zanzibar, The east coast, The west coast, Pemba Island
Appendices Language
Philip Briggs has been exploring the highways, byways and backwaters of Africa since 1986, when he spent several months backpacking on a shoestring from Nairobi to Cape Town, and first visited Tanzania, bussing from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam then catching the Tazara Railway to Zambia. He has returned to Tanzania numerous times, spending nearly two years in country, including to research and author the first Bradt guide to Tanzania in 1992/3, as well as all subsequent editions. Tanzania aside, he has visited over two dozen African countries and written about most for travel and wildlife magazines, including BBC Wildlife, Travel Africa and Wanderlust, and in ten other Bradt guidebooks, including East Africa Wildlife. He spends at least four months on the road every year, usually accompanied by his wife, travel photographer Ariadne Van Zandbergen, and spends the rest of the time in the sleepy South African village of Wilderness.
Chris McIntyre went to Africa in 1987, after reading Physics at Queen’s College, Oxford. He taught with VSO in Zimbabwe for almost three years and travelled extensively, before writing his first guidebook (Bradt’s guide to Namibia and Botswana) in 1990. He has since written all Bradt’s guides to Namibia, Botswana and Zambia – and co-authors (with his wife, Susan) Bradt’s guide to Zanzibar and (with Philip Briggs) Bradt’s guides to Tanzania. When not travelling, Chris is managing director of the specialist tour operator Expert Africa, where he leads a team of dedicated Africa addicts who provide impartial advice and organise great safaris to Africa, including Tanzania and Zanzibar, and also includes the Wild about Africa trip programme, led by top professional guides. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, McIntyre now lives in Surrey with his wife Susan and two children.
Review of previous editions:
"but here he has done an outstanding job for the North. His clear style, balanced judgments and immense knowledge alone make the book worth reading. Briggs' love for Africa, and his deep respect for its people, inform and illuminate the whole experience. It goes without saying that both titles are supported by the immense apparatus of practical information we have come to expect from this publisher. This information includes all aspects of health and safety, which leaves the Rough Guide to Travel Survival in something of a limbo. Its coverage is universal, and no doubt very sound, but rather thin. Bilharzia, for example, the bane of many parts of Africa, gets a mere mention, where both Bradts give it a full page"
– Travel Africa
"Required reading for all travellers to Tanzania"
– Terri Rice
