Location Information

Zanzibar-Stonetown, Zanzibar/Tanzania
Language: English
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS)

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa. Tanzania is bordered by Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean.

Tanzania is home to some of the oldest human settlements unearthed by archaeologists, including fossils of early humans found in and around Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania, an area often referred to as "The Cradle of Mankind". What is now Tanzania was a colony and part of Germany from the 1880s to 1919. It was British from 1919 to 1961. Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania on April 26, 1964. One-party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s.

The climate is tropical and coastal areas are hot and humid. The rainy season lasts from March to June. The central plateau is dry and arid. The north-western highlands are cool and temperate and the rainy season here lasts from November to December and February to May.

Once the capital city (this function has now moved to Dodoma), the major port of Dar es Salaam is the natural starting point for trips in Tanzania. It is near the island of Zanzibar. The fishing village of Msasani, 8km (5 miles) from Dar es Salaam, contains tombs dating back to the 17th century. Further south, at Kilwa Klsiwani, there are ruins of Portuguese and Arab architecture. Many beautiful beaches are within easy reach of Dar es Salaam, such as those at Kunduchi, Mbwa Maji and Mjimwena. Mbudya Island is an uninhabited island forming part of a protective coral reef which is a good place for diving, snorkelling and fishing.

The island of Zanzibar, once the metropolis of East Africa, variously ruled by Shirazi Persians, the Portuguese, the Omani Arabs and British colonials, is only 20 minutes' flight from Dar es Salaam.

Most hotels serve local Tanzanian food while the major hotels offer Western and other international food.

In Dar es Salaam, there are several nightclubs, cabarets and cinemas. Generally, the nightlife centres are in the top tourist hotels and restaurants.

Stone Town or Mji Mkongwe, in Swahili, is the old part of Zanzibar City, the capital of the island of Zanzibar, a part of Tanzania.

The town was the centre of trade on the East African coast between Asia and Africa before the colonization of the mainland in the late 1800s after which the focus moved to Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. The main export was spices and particularly cloves. For many years Stone Town was a major centre for the slave trade; Slaves were obtained from mainland Africa and traded with the Middle East.

Two large buildings dominate the main front of Stone Town. One is Beit-El-Ajaib or the House of Wonders, which was built by Sultan Seyyid Barghash as a grand palace for ceremonial purposes. The other is the Arab Fort which stands on the site of a former Portuguese settlement and was converted to a fort during the 18th Century.

It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors - there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork. You can spend many idle hours and days just wandering through the fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways.

Medical Precautions:

Recommended Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Polio