Tanzania is a challenging country to travel around; it is deceptively vast and years of socialism have hampered the development of tourism and infrastructure.  This is not without its advantages, for it offers some of the wildest and most prolific game viewing in East and Southern Africa, but it helps to set your expectations accordingly.  The landscapes of Tanzania are also worth the extra effort.  Its volatile geological past is responsible for some of the most iconic features in Africa including the snowy Mt Kilimanjaro, the great caldera of Ngorongoro Crater and the mineral-rich plains of the Southern Serengeti where a million wildebeest gather to calve every February.

Although there’s no denying that these spectacles are worth seeing, some of our favourite areas never make it onto more mainstream itineraries.  The lunar landscape of Lake Natron that lies at the foot of the ashy cone of Ol Donyo Lengai (the Mountain of God), is one such place.  This is home to the Maasai who live much as they have for centuries.  In complete juxtaposition are the lushly forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains where one of the few remaining populations of wild chimpanzees pass their days, overlooking the gin clear Lake Tanganyika.  There’s exceptional big game viewing to be had too in the Maswa Game Reserve and Grumeti Reserves, with the added benefit of exclusivity, and luxury on tap should you be looking for it.

Tanzania is for those that understand that the best things in life are seldom offered up on a plate, but that the rewards for a little extra effort are weighty.