28 Dec

#Lifestyle • Tanzania, The Jewel Of East Africa

VENTURES AFRICA - The mere mention of a trip to Tanzania immediately revives the images of animals in the wild, African savannah landscapes or large tracts of land, interrupted only by natural parks and lakes in the sumptuous beauty, like Tanganyika and Victoria.

More realistically, Tanzania, which is located in East Africa, remains a very poor country where the literacy rate applies only to two-thirds of its 41 million people. Life expectancy is low and does not exceed 52 years as a result of the presence of a number of infectious diseases in the image of yellow fever and dengue.

Twice as large as France and just like any other African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Tanzania has yet attempted to liberalize tourism and a real economic take-off has been noticeable since the early 2000s. But major efforts are still needed: its infrastructure remains precarious though, with 3700 km of railways, the country has a relatively well-developed rail network compared to other African countries, and a road is ten still not paved.

Inaccessible to the local population because of its price, the airline companies may nevertheless provide some links between major cities. Other spots: the skills of staff and inadequate hygiene conditions are not ideal.

Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. Tanzania still has all the signs of a developing country and draws its resources primarily on agriculture and mining industry only really developed. If Tanzania is still very dependent on international aid, tourism development it also provides valuableforeign exchange.

In order to develop this sector, the country seems to have relied heavily on its accommodation: some offer basic comfort, the lodges are the basic accommodations in national parks. The hot water is not available at all hours of the day, electricity is provided by generators.

Living conditions, however, should not obscure the interest of a tourist destination in Tanzania. Excluding Dar es Salaam, the economic capital, the rest of the country gives the image of a largely preserved from human intervention.

The World Heritage of UNESCO includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, situated in the North of the country; the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani, which respectively include the Great Mosque of Kilwa the palace and that of Mkutini Husuni Kubwa, but also the ruins of Songo Manara, the Selous Game Reserve or the rock art sites of Kondoa, covering some 200 caves decorated with paintings.

The list would not be complete without naming Tanzania’s national parks, including the Serengeti, or the Kilimanjaro, the name of the mountain which rises to 5,895 meters. One other interesting attraction is observing animals in the wild, especially if you opt for the safaris tours. The Serengeti has no less than 4 million animals, many birds including lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, zebras and hyenas but they roam freely under the amused eye of the tourist.

Earth retaining its original charm, Tanzania does not necessarily a great place to visit throughout the year. The country remains under the influence of two seasons: the dry season, which runs from May to October, and the heat stifles especially from December to February. However, from early November to mid-December, the country is under the influence of light rain: precipitation will occur a few hours in the day and, then after, the time is right to explore new landscapes.