Tanzania Highlights

Zanzibar

Historic Zanzibar's rich cultural heritage is much in evidence. It's cultural heart is the old city, Stone Town, largely unchanged in 200 years, and characterised by a labyrinth of narrow streets, bazaars and grand Arab houses. Elsewhere are ruined palaces, the famous Persian baths and caves where slaves were once imprisoned.

Zanzibar is a flat, palm-clad coral atoll surrounded by a coral reef structure that ensures abundant marine life. Good visibility (20 - 60 metres) and year-round average water temperatures of 27'C ensures an enjoyable diving experience. Shallow coral reefs, sloping banks and vertical drop-offs with hard and soft corals and over 350 species of Indo-Pacific marine fauna await you and offer an ideal opportunity to learn to dive or to upgrade your diving qualification. Leven Banks, is popular with advanced divers, lying as it does off the north coast near the deep water of the Pemba Channel. Here in strong currents you will find big schools of tuna, trevally, king fish, Barracudas, wrasses, big Moray Eels and large schools of reef fish. The east coast is the oceanic coast of Zanzibar, where untouched reefs face open ocean, offering a huge variety of marine life and the possibility of encounters with big oceanic fish. Whale Sharks migrate through Zanzibar's waters from August to September and February to March, whilst August also sees the migration of Humpback, and Sperm Whales.

Mafia Island

At the centre of East Africa's largest marine park, is wonderful Mafia island. A real sleepy backwater and remnant of the old Swahili coast, retaining a traditional, unspoilt friendly culture reminiscent of the Zanzibar of thirty years ago. With over 400 marine species identified, this is the meeting place for large oceanic fish, as well as those common to coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. Almost all of Mafia's best diving is at less than 30 metres, with an unparalleled variety of hard and soft corals and fabulous shallow reefs, bommies, channels, walls and caves, drift and night dives. Among the grasses of the Majira Channel, you may find the amazing mermaid-like Dugong. Giant Sea Turtles lay eggs on the beaches of small islands to the east of Mafia, while the fascinating giant Madagascan Fruit Bat remains an alluring and unusual visitor's attraction.

Pemba Island
Visit Pemba now - whilst new dive sites still being discovered and the island still untouched by any large commercial tourism! Pemba Island is severed from the African continental shelf by sheer coral walls that drop down to over 300 metres. Spectacular wall diving, the variety of sites, big marine-life, clarity and excellent visibility (40-50 metres) makes Pemba the best diving location in East Africa. Characterised by a mix of drift and pinnacles diving, majestic clear blue water drop-offs and pristine, shallow reefs of lush hard and soft coral gardens, the sea is alive with schools of pelagic marine life, Bottlenose, and Spinner Dolphins, mantas, turtles and coral fish, and creatures from Napoleon Wrasse to brightly coloured reef fish. Mesali Island, Pemba's only Marine Sanctuary, is especially important as a Sea Turtle nesting area. Big pelagic fish such as Tuna, Wahoo, Barracuda, Manta and Eagle Rays, as well as Giant Grouper are common.

Selous Safari Park
The game reserves in southern Tanzania are immense and remote with few settlements. Offering some of Africa's finest virgin bush, unchanged through centuries, and rivers, swamps, woodlands and savannah inhabited by well over a million wild animals, being traversed by the world's greatest remaining herds of buffalo, Elephant, Hippo and Sable antelope. The Selous Game Reserve, founded in 1905, is the largest protected wilderness reserve on the continent, one of only three World Heritage Sites in Tanzania.

Saadani National Park Saadani is East Africa's only National Park with ocean frontage, and, therefore, the only location with a genuinely offer beautiful beaches and safari in a single location. Geographically the closest National Park to Dar es Salaam, Saadani is the only place one can see wildlife and bird life interacting on the coast. There are at least 24 species of large mammals found here including the only permanent Elephant population in the area. The beach areas are breeding grounds for the Green Turtle.

itineraries

	Breezes Beach Club and Spa A beautiful, 70-room, resort situated on the south east coast of the island with endless white beaches.	View itinerary
	Extension Ideas Complement your East African dive holiday with our 3, 4 or 7 day extensions. Choose from short classic safaris, trekking on Kilimanjaro or simply relaxing on a private island.	View itinerary
	Fumba Beach Lodge Situated on beautiful and secluded beaches, in sixteen hectares of exquisite wilderness, Fumba Beach Lodge is a luxurious and peaceful hideaway	View itinerary
	Fundu Lagoon A superb, award-winning beach lodge accessible only by boat, with almost three miles of white sandy beach. The epitome of a bare foot paradise,	View itinerary
	M.V. Kairos Liveaboard The impressively high tech Kairos offers 9 night cruises for serious divers, including microlight aircraft to spot whales and Whale Sharks. Divers can become part of fascinating research projects.	View itinerary
	Tanzania Island Explorer A 17 day holiday split between Mafia Island's small and beautiful Kinasi Lodge and the unique Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel, on the northern tip of Zanzibar, the perfect diving destination.	View itinerary
	Tanzania Safari & Island Diving A 13 day adventure beginning on safari at photogenic Ruiji River Camp, with game viewing by boat, 4WD or on foot, before transferring by light aircraft to Mafia Island's.	View itinerary
	The Undiscovered Spice Islands-Zanzibar & Pemba This 17 day holiday offers the chance to discover the evocative Spice Islands and explore East Africa's best diving locations. Accommodations range from stylish historical buildings to beach-front lux...	View itinerary
	Underwater Archaeology in Kilwa The goal of this underwater archaeological research project is to promote the knowledge of and to broadcast this great Tanzanian underwater cultural heritage.	View itinerary
	Value Tanzania Diving A two centre 17 day itinerary and a wonderful opportunity to contrast Pemba Island's rarely visited deep drift dives with the walls, corals and schooling pelagics of Mafia Island.	View itinerary