Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Bird-Watching
Tanzania is an outstanding birding destination, with well over 1000 species, including nu-
merous endemics. In addition to the national parks and reserves, top birding spots include
the eastern Usambara Mountains and Lake Victoria. Useful websites include the
Tanzania
Bird Atlas
(
www.tanzaniabirdatlas.com
)
, the Tanzania Hotspots page on
Boating, Sailing & Kayaking
Local dhow trips are easily arranged along the coast. They are generally best booked for
short sails rather than longer journeys. Ask your hotel for recommendations; for more on the
realities of dhow travel, see the boxed text,
Click here
. Or contact one of the coastal or island
hotels, many of which have private dhows that can be chartered for cruises. Catamarans and
sailboats can be chartered on Zanzibar, Pemba and in Kilwa, and Dar es Salaam and Tanga
have yacht clubs.
Chimpanzee Tracking
Gombe National Park (
Click here
) and Mahale Mountains National Park (
Click here
) have
both hosted international research teams for decades, and are outstanding destinations if you
are interested in observing chimpanzees at close quarters.
Cycling
Cycling is a seldom-used but fun way to explore Tanzania. When planning your trip, con-
sider the following:
»Main sealed roads aren't good for cycling, as there's usually no shoulder and traffic moves
dangerously fast. Secondary roads are ideal.
»Distances are very long, often with nothing in between. Consider picking a base, and doing
exploratory trips from there.
»You'll need to carry all basic supplies, including water (at least 4L), food, a water filter, at
least four spare inner tubes, a spare tyre and plenty of tube patches.
»Throughout the country, cycling is best in the early morning and late afternoon, and in the
drier winter season (June to August/September). Plan on taking a break from the midday
heat, and don't count on covering as much territory as you might in a northern European
climate.
»Mountain bikes should be brought from home, although it's possible to rent them from
some operators listed following. Local rental bicycles (about Tsh500 per hour, check at ho-
tels and markets) are usually heavy single speeds or beat-up mountain bikes.
