Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania is located south of the Kenyan border northeast of Arusha. It is 300 kilometres south of the equator near the city of Moshi covering an area of 1,688 sq. km.

It also covers the whole of Mountain Kilimanjaro, which is 5,895m high and the biggest attraction in the park. The dormant volcano with three volcanic cones namely Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres above sea level and about 4,900 metres above its plateau base.

Kilimanjaro’s five unique ecosystems from tropical to glacial (bushland, rain weald, heath & moorland, highland barrens, and ice) make it rich in biodiversity and unique. It is also one of the seven summits and one of the volcanic seven summits with a UNESCO heritage site status given to it in 1987.

Species diversity:
About 150 species of mammals live on or around Kilimanjaro. These include 7 primates, 25 carnivores, 25 antelopes, 24 species of bat, and over 200 bird species. Others like the elephants and buffalos have been spotted above the tree line.

Size and accessibility:
1,688 square kilometres in size and 300 km south of the equator.
Kilimanjaro National Park can be accessed by both road and air.

By car:
Driving from the surrounding areas to Kilimanjaro National Park is possible.
From Arusha city, it is about 1-2hours
From Serengeti National Park, it is about 4-5 hours
From Tarangire National Park, its approximately 4-6 hours

By air:
The Kilimanjaro International Airport is only a 3-4 hours drive from the national park. There are flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Hiking Kilimanjaro:
Mount Kilimanjaro has several routes for hiking to the peak of Uhuru however, each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. To have a successful hike, climbers are advised to give the climb enough time, be fit and carry enough water and fluids.
Some of the best Routes to hike Mount Kilimanjaro:
Marangu route
The 72km route is the oldest and the only route with permanent accommodation while the other 5 routes use temporary campsites, meaning clients must have porters to help them carry some of the extra necessities in order to have a successful hike.
It is also a cheaper and shorter option with about 40% successful hikes to the peak.
Machame route
The 62 km long route is famous among experienced hikers with a better acclimatization. It also has a beautiful scenery of steep ridges, moorland, and alpine desert.
Lemosho route
The newest route boasts of the most successful hikes about 70% success to the peak. It goes through a rainforest and plenty of flat spots compared to the other routes on the mountain. This can also be compared to the Rongai route a 73km route considered the longest but also one of the most successful routes.
Umbwe route
The hardest of all routes, this is famous for the adventurous and visitors that would like to be challenged, it is short but has steep hikes with a 32km sharp ascent.

Activities:
Birdwatching
Day and Night Game drives
Primate trekking
Visiting the Chala crater lake
Cultural tours to the Chagga tribe
Cycling around the Chagga village

Ruaha National Park became the largest national park in Tanzania in 2008. It covers an area of about 20,226 square kilometres making it the largest protected area in Tanzania and East Africa at large. It is in the centre of Tanzania about 130 kilometres from the city of Iringa. The park is part of a more extensive ecosystem, which includes Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve, and several other protected areas that make up a total of 45,000 square km. The park’s name is derived from the Great Ruaha river which is an important water source for the wildlife.

The dry season is the best time of viewing wildlife in the park as the Ruaha, Mwagusi and Mzombe rivers become the main sources of water to the animals meaning larger concentrations of all sorts of animals along these water sources. The blooming flowers of the miombo woodlands and the beautiful scenery add up to the wildlife to create an amazing safari paradise. Migrating birds increase in the months of November to March making them great months for birders to visit.

Species and diversity:
The Great Ruaha river, which flows along its south eastern margin provides water for a great diversity of animals and birds. Ruaha National Park homes approximately 10% of the world’s lion population and has the 3rd largest population of wild dogs in Africa. Other animals found in Ruaha include greater kude, elephants, buffalos, antelopes, leopards, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, elands, impalas, bat eared foxes and jackals, crocodiles, snakes, monitor lizards, agama lizards and frogs. The great deal of fauna, over 1,650 species from the baobab to the acacia create a beautiful scenery to view.

There are over 500 species of birds here some of which are migratory like the red billed wood hoopoe, racquet-tailed roller, purple-crested turaco. Other local ones such as the black-collared lovebird, ashy starlings, hornbills, and vultures also add up to the high number of species making Ruaha a great birding destination.

Size and accessibility:
The largest protected area in East Africa covers 20,226 square kilometres.
Ruaha National Park can be accessed from various parts in Tanzania by both air and road.

By car:
From Iringa town, the 130km drive can last between 2-3 hours while from Dar-es-Salaam City, a 625km distance, a drive can last about 7-9 hours. The road into the park is passable throughout the year.

By air:
The park has airstrips located in Msembe and Jongomero that can be accessed by both scheduled and chartered flights mainly from Arusha, Dodoma, Kigoma and Dar-es-salaam.

Activities:
Day and night game drives
Nature Walking safaris
Cultural tour
Bird watching
Hot air balloons
Boat tours
Fishing

The Zanzibar archipelago is made up of various islands and islets. Its located in the Indian ocean off the coast of Tanzania.
Unguja island found the Indian ocean off the eastern coast off Tanzania is the biggest amongst all the islands that make up the Zanzibar archipelago which most of the people refer to as Zanzibar island. These islands are also known as spice islands and are part of the mainland Tanzania. The spice islands are made up of four main islands, three primary islands with human populations and the fourth is a coral island that serves as a breeding ground for seabirds. There are several smaller islets and an isolated tiny islet that make this whole region an amazing destination.
Unguja island is 35-50km off the Eastern coast of Tanzania and has some of the best beaches and marine life in Africa. Its capital, Zanzibar City has a historic centre of Stone Town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two main islands and the numerous smaller islets together cover an area of about 2,462 km².
The major islands include: Unguja-the largest covering an area of 1,464 km², followed by Pemba, Latham and the smallest being Mafia.

Species diversity:
The wildlife of Zanzibar consists of both land and water flora and fauna. Its vegetation is categorized among the Coastal forests of Eastern Africa and they are home to different animal species mostly small animals, birds, and butterflies. Zanzibar has a unique primate species, the Zanzibar red colobus which is endemic and highly endangered due to deforestation and hunting for meat. The people of Zanzibar would also hunt it to keep as pet. Others include water animals like giant tortoises, sea turtles, dolphins and even whales can be spotted. Coconut crabs, Pemba flying fox, chameleons, blue sykes monkey, bush baby, aders duiker, hyrax, monitor lizards and Zanzibar servaline genet are among some of the land species in Zanzibar.

Size and accessibility:
The islands of Zanzibar cover an area of 2,462 square kilometres.
Zanzibar is an island with no road connection from the mainland.

By air:
From Dar es Salaam domestic airlines include Precision Air, Zan Air, and Coastal Air have daily scheduled flights to the island.
Flights from Kilimanjaro International Airport or Julius Nyerere International Airport to Zanzibar’s International Airport (Abeid Aman Karume) are also available. The flights might last between 1-2 hours.

By ferry:
On a 2 to 3 hours journey you can reach Zanzibar with a ferry.

Activities in Zanzibar:
Cultural & historical tours
Swimming and relaxation along the beaches
Scuba diving
Snorkelling
Kitesurfing
Island tours
Birding
Dolphin tours
Boat tours
Nature walks

Udzungwa Mountains National Park covers an area of 1,990 km₂ and has the second largest biodiversity of a national park in Africa. It has various types of habitats each housing unique biodiversity. The tropical rain forests, mountain forests, the miombo woodlands, grassland, and steppe.

Udzungwa Mountains are part of the eastern arc mountains thus hiking and trekking, are the highlights of this national park as there are no roads and the park is only accessible by foot. The hiking trails range from the short one-hour treks to 6-day camping treks. And attractions to see include: Sanje, the 170m waterfalls, mountain ranges, forests to mention but a few.

Species diversity:
The Udzungwa landscape covers many small isolated mountain ranges, each having its unique habitats and animal species. There are more than 400 bird species, 10 species of primates, 3 of which are endemic: the red colobus, the Matunda galago and the Sanje crested mangabey. Over 2,500 plant species-25% of which are endemic. There are also amphibians, reptiles, and butterflies.
Some of the mammals you will find here are buffaloes, elephants, duikers, honey badgers, klipspringers, bush pigs, bushbucks, rock hyrax, sables, civets, giant elephant shrews and so much more. The notable carnivores such as lions, leopards can also be seen here.

Size and accessibility:
Udzungwa Mountains National Park’s with an area of 1,990 km² is near Mikumi National Park which acts as a link. Udzungwa National Park can only be accessed on foot.

By car:
A good surfaced road connects the park to Dar es Salaam via Mikumi, a 5-6-hour drive.

By air
Both scheduled and charter flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha are available to Mikumi making the park easy to access by road. However, the park can only be explored on foot.

Activities:
Nature and forest walks
Hiking and trekking
Mountain climbing
Birding
Game viewing
Swimming
Primate trekking
Camping

Selous Game Reserve is in the southern part of Tanzania about 219 kilometres from the busy city of Dar es Salaam, a 4-5hour drive. It is the largest protected game reserve on the African continent covering an area of 54,600 square kilometres composed of vast wilderness with forests, grassy plains, mountains, and open woodlands. It was established in 1922, declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982 because of its rich diversity of wildlife.
In 2019, the Tanzania National Parks Authority proposed and declared a change in identity of the northern sector of the reserve, to be known as The Nyerere National Park as a way of honouring the first president of Tanzania, President Julius Nyerere. Today the boundaries of this Nyerere National Park are being properly established but it is believed that this park will encompass the photographic sector in the northern part of the reserve and stretch out all the way to the wilderness area of river Rufiji to the south. Selous Game Reserve offers tourists an unforgettable experience because of its less crowds compared to the famous destinations like Serengeti and is among the hidden gems in the county.
It is divided into two by the largest river in the country-river Rufiji which forms a network of swamps, channels, and lakes to create a unique ecological system that serves as home to a diversity of wildlife. The Northern Selous covering just about 5% of the total area of the reserve, where hunting is completely prohibited has been exclusively set aside for photographic safaris while the southern Selous separated into various hunting blocks each covering an area of approximately 1,000 square kilometres has been used as hunting grounds.

Species diversity:
The game reserve has one of the greatest numbers of wildlife in the country. Mammals found within this national reserve include approximately 145,000 buffalos, 4,000 lions, 100,000 wildebeests, large hands of giraffes, 35,000 zebras, 40,000 hippos, 250,000 impalas, large numbers of Lichtenstein’s hartebeests, waterbucks, elands and bushbucks, in addition to leopards, crocodiles and hyenas. It is one of the few places in Africa where you can find the Puku antelopes, the African wild dogs as well as the Sable antelope. Previously Selous Game Reserve used to harbour a very large number of elephants but because of excessive poaching these numbers have greatly reduced.
It is also home to over 445 bird species some of which are migrants that live in the various habitats within the reserve. For example, along the lake areas are the giant kingfishers, the pink backed pelicans as well as the African skimmers; along the sandbanks you will see the white-fronted bee-eaters, fish eagles, carmines, ibises and palmnut vultures. The purple-crested turaco, yellow-billed stork, trumpeter hornbill, white-crowned spur-winged plovers, malachite kingfishers and various small waders are among the other water birds.

Size and accessibility:
The largest protected game reserve on the African continent covers 54,600 square kilometres.

By car:
trips connecting from Dar es Salaam can drive about 220km for approximately 4-5 hours via Mikumi National Park.

By air:
From major places such as Ruaha and Dar es Salaam, it takes about 90 minutes to reach Selous Game Reserve.

By train:
You can also travel to Selous via the TAZARA (Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority) railway system from Dar es Salaam and takes you across the wilderness all the way to Matambwe.

Activities:
Nature Walks
Bird watching tours
Boat Safaris
Game Drives
Hot Air Balloon Safaris
Cultural tours