City/Region: National Parks and Reserves
Email Address: info@tanzaniaparks.com
Website: www.serengeti.org
Hours: Daily 6am to 6pm
Admission: US$50 (adults) and US$10 (children 5-16) for 24 hours, and US$40 per foreign registered vehicle; concessions apply to Tanzanian nationals
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
City/Region: National Parks and Reserves
Rising above the plains of the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a vast protected area that includes the important archaeological site of Olduvai Gorge, and its main attraction Ngorongoro Crater. Once the site of an active volcano, the crater was formed about two million years ago when its cone collapsed on itself and today the crater floor, supplied with permanent water and grazing and ringed with towering forested sides, serves as a natural cradle for an astounding abundance of wildlife. With an incredible width of 12 miles (20km) and a depth of 2,001ft (610m), the crater is the largest caldera in the world and is home to about 30,000 animals, including black rhino, buffalo, and large herds of zebra and wildebeest. There are also dense concentrations of predators attracted by the large variety of grazers, and prides of lion with magnificent black-maned males are one of the highlights. The lakes attract a rich variety of birdlife, including flamingos, and wallowing hippos, while some animals can be found surrounding the crater rim or on the forested slopes, such as giraffe and elephant. The views from the crater rim are spectacular and all the lodges are situated along its edge affording superb vistas over and into the crater. Access onto the crater floor is by four-wheel drive only and a game ranger must accompany all vehicles.
Hours: Daily 6am to 7pm
Mt Kilimanjaro National Park
City/Region: National Parks and Reserves
Rising 19,341ft (5,895m) above the African plains, the magnificent solitary peak of Mt Kilimanjaro is the dominant feature of this national park, surrounded by a vast protected area. The lush rainforest on its lower slopes is home to a number of animals including elephant, buffalo, rhino, monkey and leopard. The dormant volcano is remarkable in many ways, not only for its snow-covered peaks and glaciers rising out of a humid equatorial jungle, but it is the highest freestanding mountain in the world, a huge cone unattached to a mountain range, and Africa's highest peak. The magnetism of its twin summits and slopes has attracted researchers, mountaineers, naturalists and adventurous travelers for years. It is the only mountain of its size that can be scaled by inexperienced hikers, although altitude sickness is common and can be fatal. There are six different routes up Mt Kilimanjaro with varying degrees of difficulty, and a wide range of organized treks and experienced guides available, but the easiest and most popular way to reach the summit is on the Marangu trail, which takes about five days staying in huts along the way. Views from the top are breathtaking, especially at dawn, and the sense of achievement experienced is incomparable. The best time to climb the mountain is between August and November.
Address: The Kilimanjaro National Park headquarters is situated at Marangu
Phone Number: 272 503 471
Email Address: info@tanzaniaparks.com
Website: www.tanzaniaparks.com
Admission: US$60 (adults) and US$10 (children 10-16) for 24 hours, and US$40 per foreign registered vehicle; concessions apply to Tanzanian nationals
National Museum (Peace Memorial Museum)
City/Region: Zanzibar
Home to a wealth of Zanzibar's memorabilia, the National Museum is a great place to discover the intriguing history and culture of the islands. With exhibits including traditional carvings and local wildlife displays covering reptiles and birds, visitors can also view relics from the age of the Sultans and early explorers such as Chinese porcelain, an old palm oil-powered bicycle lamp and David Livingstone's medical chest. Built as a peace memorial by British architect J.H. Sinclair, the beautiful spherical design of the National Museum acknowledges Zanzibar's Arab influence and is reminiscent of the eastern architecture of Istanbul and India. Lookout for the cumbersome land tortoises that inhabit the Museum's lush garden.
Address: Creek Road, Stone Town
Northern Beaches
City/Region: Zanzibar
There are many superb white beaches, warm waters and picturesque villages around Zanzibar ideal for those wanting to get away from the bustling town life, particularly along the northern east coast. Modestly veiled women make bright splashes of color along white sandy stretches of beach, dhows with curved sails drift along close to shore and fisherman offer their fresh catches of the day to the simple seaside restaurants. Miles of pristine beaches are dotted with pockets of guesthouses, particularly around Kendwa and the fishing village of Nungwi, renowned for its tradition of boat building, and one of the most popular locations, particularly with a younger crowd. There is excellent diving and deep-sea fishing off the coast. One of the most beautiful and isolated beaches is at Matemwe. The small offshore island of Mnemba has a fine coral reef for some of the island's best diving.
Old Fort
City/Region: Zanzibar
Built at the turn of the 17th century on the remains of a Portuguese church and crumbling Arab garrison, the burly Old Fort was constructed to fend off the enterprising Portuguese seafarers and Mazrui Arabs of Mombassa keen to gain power of the industrious 'Spice Island'. The Mazrui Arabs launched an attack in 1754 coming off unsuccessfully against the stoic Old Fort. The thick caramel walls and castellated battlements later acted as a place of incarceration, detaining locals and slaves. In later years the fort functioned as the depot for the Bububu railway, Zanzibar's first railway, traveling from Zanzibar Town to Bububu, which is no longer in existence. Nowadays the Old Fort houses shops and henna painting stores and the Cultural Center where visitors can marvel at the fine artistry of local craftsmen at work. In the evening local music and dancing at the open-air theater brightens up the night and occasional film screenings are shown.
Address: Sukokuu Street, Stone Town
Hours: Daily 9am to 8pm
Admission: Free
Palace Museum
City/Region: Zanzibar
Illuminating the lifestyle of the Sultan legacy in Zanzibar, the Palace Museum, (originally called the Sultan's Palace), became the official residence of the Al Busid dynasty in 1911. Built in the 1890s the extensive white building situated on harbor road with breathtaking sea views, is the most recent of the Sultans' palaces and was occupied till the revolution in 1964. The Palace Museum houses a myriad of the Sultans' elaborate furniture and possessions as well as a room dedicated to the life of Sultan Sayyid Said's daughter, Princess Salme. Renowned for her manuscript called 'Memoirs of an Arabian Princess', this significant autobiography is the only written account of what life was like for Arab women of the Royal court in the 1800s. Excerpts from the book, family photographs and samples of Princess Salme's wardrobe are also on display. Outside the museum is the Makusurani graveyard where some of the sultans are buried.
Address: Mizingani Road, Stone Town
Phone Number: (255) 24 223 1158
Hours: Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and weekends from 9am to 3pm
Anglican Cathedral and Slave Market
City/Region: Zanzibar
The colossal Anglican Cathedral in Stone Town is located on the grounds of the islands largest slave market, which closed down in 1873. The cathedral's altar stands on the exact location of the former whipping post, a tree where slaves were brutalised to show their strength and resilience to potential slave owners. Building began in 1873 to commemorate the end of the slave trade and was conducted by Edward Steere, third bishop of Zanzibar and a fervent abolitionist. The cathedral has a combination of Gothic and Arabic styles and is noted for its Basilica shape and barrel vault roof, which the populace believed would never hold. Taking ten years to build, Edward Steere died of a heart attack during construction and was buried behind the altar. Look out for the stark memorial outside the cathedral, a sculpture of a slave family bound round the neck by a historic chain.
Address: Stone Town
House of Wonders (Beit el-Ajaib)
City/Region: Zanzibar
The first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and the first building in East Africa to have an elevator, Beit el-Ajaib (which translates into the House of Wonders) was the former ceremonial palace of Sultan Barghash and was built in 1883 on the site of Queen Fatuma's residence. A striking white building, the House of Wonders has undergone much tenure, used by the British as their local offices and as the headquarters of Tanzania's political party CCM. Reopened in 2005 after a renovation project to maintain Beit el-Ajaib's cultural heritage, visitors can now freely admire the intricately carved doors, the Portuguese cannons dating from the 16th century and the tiers of pillars and wraparound balconies, which make the palace so attractive. Don't miss the immaculate views from the top story, the museum displays of coastal East African history and culture or the craft market playing out on the veranda during the day.
Address: Mizingani Road, Stone Town
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm
Central Market
City/Region: Zanzibar
A vibrant array of colors and spicy scents lure visitors to the animated Central Market in Stone Town. Opened in 1904 as the Seyyidieh Market the myriad stalls run over with tropical fruits, exotic spices, brightly colored khangas (worn by local women) and rare provisions such as pomegranates and red bananas. Locals come daily from the surrounding areas to display their subsistence wares and fisherman display their catch of the day with a pungent array of fresh fish from huge marlins to salty sardines. For an evening snack head to East Africa's best street market held every night by the waterfront at Forodhani Gardens.
Address: Benjamin Mkapa Road (Creek Road), Stone Town
Jozani Chwaka Bay Conservation Area
City/Region: Zanzibar
The largest conservation area in Zanzibar and the only remaining natural mangrove forest on the island, the Jozani Chwaka Bay Conservation Area is renowned for its hairy ape residents, the Red Columbus Monkey. Endemic to Zanzibar, visitors come from far and wide to view the highly endangered Red Columbus Monkey, now numbering only 1500. Due to large-scale cultivation, firewood collection, harvesting building materials and charcoal and lime making, Zanzibar's forests have been largely depleted, making the Jozani Chwaka Bay conservation area a significant natural landscape. Nature lovers can walk through the 100 different towering tree species and marvel at the rich variety of birdlife and other small wildlife that inhabit the cool woodland area.
Address: 23 miles (37km) south of Stone Town
Hours: Daily 7.30am to 5pm
Admission: $8 adults
Maruhubi and Mtoni Palace Ruins
City/Region: Zanzibar
If you are looking for a place to escape the bustle of Stone Town for a few hours, head north to the peaceful Maruhubi and Mtoni Palace ruins. Sultan Said bin Sultan first built Mtoni between 1828 and 1834 after he left Muscat and made Zanzibar his throne and it was also the childhood home of Princess Salme. The decadent Maruhubi Palace was built later in the 1880s by Sultan Barghash, as a harem for his 99 concubines and wife. The structure was mainly wooden and one of the most beautiful of its time, but was gutted by a fire in 1889 and left in ruins. The rolling lawns, bathhouses and water lily ponds are reminiscent of the life of affluence enjoyed by the palace residents over a century ago. To view a well-preserved Hammam from the 1850s continue north to the Kidichi Persian Baths, constructed by Sultan Seyyid Said for his Persian wife.
Transport: Bus 502 Bububu daladalas from Darajani
Admission: Free
Mangapwani Caves
City/Region: Zanzibar
After the abolition of slavery in 1897, the industry literally went underground and the Mangapwani Caves stand testament to this with a natural cave and a man-made cavern on site used for the incarceration of slaves. The slaves were kept here until they were secretly transported to cargo ships and delivered to slave markets across Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The first is a large natural cave with a freshwater pool and the man-made cavern is a dank, dark cell with few air vents protruding above ground. After 50 slaves were forced inside, poles were fitted into gouges above their heads and planks were laid down so that another 50 men could be crammed in on top. To gain some insight into the unspeakable living conditions of slaves in the 1800s in east Africa, it's best to make a turn at Mangapwani.
Address: The caves are located 12 miles (20km) north of Stone Town
Old Dispensary (Aga Khan Cultural Center)
City/Region: Zanzibar
An architectural symbol of the mixed bag of cultures evident in Zanzibar's history, the elaborate Old Dispensary was so named because it long housed a dispensary on the ground floor, with a pharmacy and resident doctor. An affluent Ismaili Indian merchant, Tharia Topan, who financed the building project, laid the first brick 1887 and completed building in 1894. One of the most decorative buildings of the time, the Old Dispensary is adorned with ornate carved balconies, stuccowork and stained glass windows. Restored in the early 1990s, the Dispensary now houses a small museum on the upper level with old photographs of Stone Town's waterfront and displays illustrating the intricate restoration process. There are also some curio shops on the ground floor.
Address: Mizingani Road, Stone Town
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