The best off-the-beaten-path spots to visit in Tanzania
The best off-the-beaten-path spots to visit in Tanzania: Tanzania has a number of tourist hotspots, including the Serengeti Plains, Zanzibar Island, and Mount Kilimanjaro. While these tourist favorites are breathtaking, Tanzania also has a number of lesser-known and less-frequented destinations that are well worth seeing. If you want a more private Tanzania safari and don’t want a busy site like the Serengeti National Park, these are the finest destinations for you. These locations are typically Tanzania’s best-kept secrets and are only known to a small number of people, even though they are worth seeing. Here are the top Tanzanian off-the-beaten-track locations that are worthwhile seeing and that maybe only locals are aware of:
LAKE NATRON
This stunning lake, which has a thin sliver of hypersaline water, is situated halfway between the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Arusha. It is a Ramsar wetland and frequently eclipsed by Lake Manyara, a different soda lake with greater notoriety.
This soda lake, which has a circumference of around 56 km, is surrounded by the Ol Doinyo Lengai, affectionately known by the Maasai as the “Mountain of God,” an active volcano that rises 2,960 meters above the low-lying Rift Valley plain. In addition to the breathtaking background, Lake Natron is fascinating all year long. Its scenery (and seascape) changes depending on the season, with water levels significantly dropping during the driest, hottest months due to evaporation. Amazingly, the 2.5 million lesser flamingos that live in East Africa have only one known mating location, despite the fact that the region’s water is extremely unfriendly to wildlife because of its high temperature and high salt content.
MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Did you know that Tanzania is a fantastic spot to visit primates in addition to being known for its magnificent wildlife and breathtaking African landscapes? Mahale Mountains National Park is located in the western circuit, away from the well-traveled tourist areas in the south and north. Its location along Lake Tanganyika’s shoreline ensures breathtaking views, The best off-the-beaten-path spots to visit in Tanzania
The park is one of only two chimpanzee-only reserves in Tanzania, and due to its extreme isolation, it can only be visited on foot and is only accessible by boat on the park’s lake.
UKEREWE ISLAND
Ukerewe Island is a great destination to visit if you want to experience real local life in Tanzania. With a total area of 530 km2, it is both the largest inland island in Africa and the largest island in Lake Victoria. You may explore the island on bike rides, sample authentic Tanzanian cuisine, and discover beaches, forests, caverns, and picturesque lakeside sunsets.
A 4-hour ferry voyage from Mwanza will take you to Ukerewe Island, which is located about 50 kilometers to the north of Mwanza. Many locals rely on the island’s abundance of orange trees as a source of income. In fact, the orange season is in full force in December, when you can actually smell the aroma of the island, The best off-the-beaten-path spots to visit in Tanzania
SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
Enjoy beach and savannah safaris? The only wildlife safari park with a shoreline is Saadani National Park. It is situated in the eastern region of Tanzania, fronting the lovely island of Zanzibar, about 4 hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam. The Big Five, which include lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and rhinoceroses, as well as other creatures like giraffes, zebras, and many others, can be spotted there in addition to other places. The fact that you have the opportunity to witness the Big Five interacting with the sea is incredible. If you’re lucky, you might even witness dolphins and whales swimming through the Zanzibar canal. The park is one of the most family-friendly places to visit close to Dar es Salaam because of its accessibility and stunning coastal scenery. So, in addition to any Tanzania Family Safari excursions you may have, you can easily add this national park to your list of must-visits.
BAGAMOYO
Bagamoyo combines African and Arabian elements to resemble an Arabian town in Africa. It boasts a lot of fish markets, white sand beaches, beautiful mosques located just over the breathtaking Indian Ocean, German colonial architecture, and tiny alleyways.
Bagamoyo, a busy colonial town, was at the end of the slave trail two hundred years ago. It is located on Tanzania’s eastern coast, and although it is not a traditional tourist destination, many visitors are captivated by its history and local environment.
MKOMAZI NATIONAL PARK
Mkomazi National Park is a remote area that was once inaccessible and is situated in the Tanga and Kilimanjaro regions of northeastern Tanzania. Black rhinos and African wild dogs, two endangered species, are magnificently protected in the park. Mkomazi is home to 78 mammal species and over 400 bird species. Its 3,500 square kilometers of wilderness are made up of shallow grassland valleys, grey-green Nyika bush, ancient baobab trees, and solitary rocky hills.
Few tourists visit this national park, but those who do are awed by the views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the vast herds of elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, and other animals. The park is easily coupled with a Tsavo safari because it borders Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park. It represents one of the biggest and most significant protected environments on earth when combined with Tsavo, The best off-the-beaten-path spots to visit in Tanzania
RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Did you know that Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park is the second country’s biggest park? It covers 20,000 km2 of stunning wilderness, with groves of baobabs, slender palms, and acacia scattered over undulating hills and wide savannas. Sand rivers turn into raging streams after the rains. The park also features amazing animals. It is home to 10% of Africa’s lions, many endangered wild dog packs, and the largest population of elephants in East Africa, with 12,000 or more of them thought to migrate through the wider Ruaha ecosystem annually. Zebras, jackals, and bat-eared foxes are among other animals that are frequently seen in the area.
Well worth a visit!
Whether you follow the tourist route or not, Tanzania is undoubtedly rich in history, culture, wildlife, and breathtaking scenery. It’s true that the well-known locations are Tanzania’s highlights for a reason, but if you want to experience Tanzania in a way that goes beyond what we typically read about or if you simply want to be somewhere less crowded, checking out off-the-beaten-path locations might provide you with more unexpected adventures.
