With its mountains, rugged terrain and Indian Ocean
coastline, there’s plenty for the activity enthusiast to
do in Tanzania.
BALLOON SAFARIS
Balloon safaris over the Serengeti provide an exciting
vantage point for viewing the wildlife beneath.
BUDGET CAMPING
Budget camping, as opposed to fly camping at luxurious
lodges,
involves travelling with all necessary equipment,
setting up camp and, perhaps, cooking your own meals.
Very economical - and great fun.
CAMEL SAFARIS
Explore the bush on the back of the “ship of the
desert”!
CANOEING
Canoe safaris in Arusha or Lake Manyara National Parks
offer an
ideal opportunity to get close to the wildlife, while
kayaking on lakes, such as Lake Tanganyika, are great
fun.
CAVING
The Amboni Caves, just north of Tanga, form the most
extensive cave system in East Africa. There are ten
caves with chambers up to 13 metres high which support
stalactites and stalagmites. It is essential cavers go
in pairs, with a guide, as there have been fatalities
when people have explored on their own. The caves are
home to many bats.
DEEP SEA FISHING
Some of the richest sports fishing seas are to be found
off the
Tanzanian mainland. Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia islands,
and the Kilwa coast, were the haunts of Ernest Hemingway
and amongst
the record-breaking prizes to be caught are kingfish,
marlin, horse
mackerel, sailfish and rock cod.
DIVING
The waters of the Indian Ocean, particularly those off
the coasts of
Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia Islands, provide superb
opportunities for scuba divers. The coral reefs, teeming
with colourful fish, can be
explored on diving expeditions for both beginners and
experts.
Encounters with dolphins and turtles add to the wonder
of this
underwater world.
HORSERIDING
Equestrian safaris and horseback expeditions allow
horse-lovers the experience of riding across unfenced
wilderness, or private
game ranches, in close contact with the wildlife.
Riders can expect to see a variety of plains animals
including gazelle— both Thompson's and Grant's—giraffe,
gerenuk, warthog,
wildebeest and zebra. Other specie often seen include
eland, kudu, oryx and ostrich. Sizeable herds of
elephant are frequently seen, it is surprising how close
one can come to these huge animals when on horseback,
while it is even possible to sometimes canter alongside
herds of wildebeest and zebra.
FISHING
The rivers and lakes of Tanzania offer anglers ample
opportunity to
cast for trout; fish for tilapia or giant Nile perch; or
do battle with
ferocious tiger fish
GOLF
While Tanzania cannot be considered one of the most
renowned golf destinations in the world, keen golfers
will find good courses in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and
Moshi. There are also courses in
Iringa and Morogoro.
JET SKIING
Jet-skiing is available at several coastal hotels.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Cycling up mountains and down valleys; through deserts
and forests; and close to herds of giraffe, zebra,
wildebeest and other antelope is an exciting experience.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
For climbers, the major draw is the 5,869 metre (19,340
ft.) Mount
Kilimanjaro, covered in greater detail elsewhere in this
publication.
However, Mount Meru, another volcanic peak reaching
4,560
metres, is also a popular climb, partly because of the
lovely flora
and fauna which can be observed on the way to the top.
It takes about two days to climb this, Africa’s fifth
highest peak while Ol Donyo Lengai, coupled with Lake
Natron at the base of the volcano, is another favoured
climb.
SAILING
Tanzania’s huge lakes with their offshore islands are
ideal for a leisurely sail on a converted dhow or banana
boat or aboard a luxury catamaran, lake cruiser or
yacht.
SKYDIVING
Board a light aircraft for a scenic flight to 12,000 ft.
Then, harnessed to your professional tandem master,
tumble into the sky for a 5,000 ft free-fall, at speeds
of up to 200 kmp, before the parachute opens and you
gently float to the ground.
SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS
Watching and swimming with dolphins can be exciting and
educational. However care must be taken to avoid
disturbing the
animals.
TREKKING AND WALKING
In addition to the more publicised Kilimanjaro, Mount
Meru and
Ol Donyo Lengai treks there are numerous trails on Mount
Hanang, Africa’s ninth highest mountain, and in the
Udzungwa
and Usambara Mountains.
The Kitulo Plateau is known as a hiker’s paradise.
WATERSPORTS
The coast, the islands and some lakes provide a wide
variety of
watersports including sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling,
surfboarding and water skiing.
