General Information
| Languages : | Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages |
| Currency : | Tanzanian shilling (TZS) |
| Time Zone : | East African Time (+8hrs EST) |
| Capital City : | Dar es Salaam (traditional capital), Dodoma (location of legislature) |
| Population : | 39.3 Million |
| Government : | Republic |
| Total Area : | 364,900 mi² |
| Climate : | Varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands |
| National Holidays: | Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April |
| Additional Info: | Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania, is an area often referred to as "The Cradle of Mankind" due to it being the home to some of the oldest human settlements unearthed by archaeologists, including fossils of early humans. |
Destination Activities
»»» Check out Special Destination: Mount_Kilimanjaro
Activity Details
Trekking
A great destination for trekkers, the lush rain forest of Tanzania with the spectacular peak of Mount Kilimanjaro looming over you.
Fly into Kilimanjaro Airport. Head for the Machame Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park (elevation approx 6,000ft). Within 4 hours of hiking you should reach the Machame Hut Campsite. This hike traverses the lush rainforest that belts Kilimanjaro. Machame Route: trek high and camp low, which allows you to acclimatize to the altitude. Include an overnight trek from 15,000ft to the summit. Trek on for a 5-6 hour hike, traversing the lower moorland and heath land. The rainforest gives way to large shrubs that decrease in size with increasing elevation. The west face of the Kibo volcano looms above the campsite. Elevation 12,500ft.
Next, trek 5-6 hours continuing through the lower moorland which sometimes climbs steeply and sometimes descending just as steeply to reach Barranco Hut Campsite directly below the south face of Kibo. Views of Northern Tanzania are amazing and the ever present Kilimanjaro is spectacular. Climb to the Barafu Hut Campsite on the southeast side of Kibo to meet the summit trail, stopping there for lunch. This 4-5 hour hike traverses the alpine desert where the sheer ruggedness of Kilimanjaro is breathtaking. Begin the summit climb: the winding switchbacks climb slowly toward the crater rim and Stella Point (18,500ft elevation). From Stella Point you can see the inner crater and ash cone and the amazing glaciers covering the south face of Kilimanjaro. Continue another half-hour to the roof of Africa-Uhuru Peak at 19,340 feet. At this range Kilimanjaro's glaciers are as awe-inspiring as they are pristine.
Photography
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