Overview

If someone mentions that they are going on a safari in Africa, what is the first country that comes to your mind?

Kenya, of course.

Most people don't immediately think of Tanzania.  Interestingly though, the most famous parks of Kenya, Maasai Mara and Amboseli, are along the border with Tanzania, and this is no coincidence.  For every 1 square mile of parkland in Kenya, Tanzania has 3.  Tanzania is vast.  The parks are huge on a scale that no other place on earth can rival.

Take Serengeti National Park, for instance.  One of the most famous parks in the world.  It's larger than Delaware.  And the Selous Game Reserve, the largest in the world, is twice the size of Maryland. The Selous has an estimated 75,000 elephants within its bounds.

It amazes me why so many people are willing to spend more, in order to see less in Kenya.  It all comes down to marketing, I guess.  Kenya has successfully branded itself as THE safari destination.  Which is great for Kenya.

But it's not true.

From a base in Arusha, the "Safari Capital of the World," you can reach Kilimanjaro National Park, Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Maasai tribal lands. 

Tanzania is truly a microcosm of African landscapes and wildlife.  The arid, high altitude desert landscapes of the Maasai tribal lands, North of Ngorongoro crater.  The lush, rainforest climate on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru and Ngorongoro.  The world famous savannahs of the Serengeti.  The alpine desert on the Shira Plateau.  The tropical islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, with their incredible reefs.  The swamps of the remote Selous Game Reserve.  The cosmopolitan city streets of Dar Es Salaam.

The country is not without its faults.  A few, frustrating attempts to pay for anything with a credit card will drive an American to tears.  And the roads!  Well.  They are African roads, and subject to the same laughable upkeep as all other roads in Africa.

Much of Tanzania's woes can be attributed to Julius Nyerere, the former President, who pursued Socialism when Kenya was thriving with Capitalism.  The remnants of a Socialist infrastructure are like an anvil tied to the ankles of the safari operators in Tanzania.  Monetary issues and telecommunication disruptions plague the economy.

I am convinced that if (1) Tanzania made the Shilling fully convertible, (2) safari operators, travel agencies, hotels and restaurants could accept credit cards and (3) ATT, MCI and Sprint were allowed to set up access codes for tourists to call home, Tanzania's tourism industry would explode.  Guaranteed.