Tanzania's greatest landscapes

Tanzania's most famous park stretches across nearly 15,000 km² of open grassland, acacia woodland and granite kopjes. It is the stage for the Great Migration — around 1.5 million wildebeest, with zebra and gazelle, moving in a year-round loop between Tanzania and Kenya's Maasai Mara.

Beyond the herds, the Serengeti has some of Africa's best big-cat viewing: lion prides on the kopjes, cheetah on the short-grass plains and leopard in the Seronera riverine trees.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest unbroken volcanic caldera — a 260 km² bowl ringed by 600-metre walls. Its permanent water and grazing keep around 25,000 large animals on the crater floor all year.

It is one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five in a single day, including a small population of protected black rhino. The crater rim is cool and green, so pack a warm layer for early game drives.

Kilimanjaro rises 5,895 metres from the plains — the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Climbers pass through five climate zones, from rainforest and heath to alpine desert and the glaciers of the summit.

No technical climbing skills are needed. With a well-paced route of 7 days or more, good guides and steady preparation, most fit travellers can reach Uhuru Peak.

Tarangire is a short drive from Arusha yet feels far from the crowds. In the dry season the Tarangire River draws some of the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania, gathering beneath ancient baobab trees.

It is also excellent for birding, with over 500 recorded species, and its quieter tracks make it an ideal first stop on a northern-circuit safari.

Lake Manyara National Park packs groundwater forest, open floodplain and a shimmering alkaline lake into a compact area beneath the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment.

It is famous for lions that rest in the branches of acacia trees, large troops of baboons, and seasonal flocks of flamingos and pelicans along the shore.

After the dust of the safari trail, Zanzibar is the perfect place to slow down. The island's east coast has white sand beaches and warm Indian Ocean water, while the west holds Stone Town — a UNESCO-listed maze of carved doors, markets and Swahili history.

Spend your days snorkelling coral reefs, touring spice farms, swimming at Mnemba Atoll or watching dhows sail out at sunset.