Things to do in Tanzania

In the north, Arusha, beneath Mount Meru, is the starting point for safaris on the northern circuit, and Moshi, on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, is the base for climbing Africa's highest mountain. Both towns are surrounded by coffee farms, waterfalls and markets.

The northern parks are legendary. The Serengeti hosts the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra, the Ngorongoro Crater shelters lions and rhinos on its floor, Tarangire is famed for elephants and baobabs, and Lake Manyara for flamingos. Off the coast, Zanzibar's Stone Town is a maze of carved doors and spice markets, and the island's beaches are white and palm-lined.

Ugali and nyama choma are everyday fare inland, while coastal cooking, with pilau and coconut curries, shows Swahili and Indian influences, and tropical fruit is everywhere. The long dry season from June to October is the classic time for safari, the herds calve in the southern Serengeti early in the year, and the long rains arrive in spring.