Tanzania: In the Footsteps of Legends

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This is a guest post by Hugo Davison, a travel writer from London

Tanzania: In the Footsteps of Legends

“Dr Livingstone, I presume?”

These were the immortal words spoken by Henry Stanley, an American reporter turned rescuer who was sent to find the famous explorer Dr David Livingstone after he had mysteriously disappeared on expedition into the Tanzanian jungle in 1871.

Livingstone had good reason to visit Tanzania in East Africa. His primary motive was to seek out the source of the river Nile and his search eventually led him to the shores of Lake Victoria (which he was the first to discover, and as an Englishman, named the lake after the then reigning Queen Victoria).

This was before he lost his way, almost starved to death, grew a great beard and ended up in Ujiji – a small tribal village on the edge of lake Tanganyikaa – with all hopes of rescue vanished (before Stanley turned up, offering a ride home).

You cannot label Dr Livingstone a tourist, but in some ways he was. He was utterly compelled by the same awe-inspiring sights that thousands travel to Tanzania every year to explore.

Firstly, Tanzania is home to Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro. This inactive volcano is forever popular with the amateur mountain climber. Unlike other well-known peaks (such as Mt Everest or Mt Annapurna in Nepal) it’s possible to reach the summit in only a few days, and there are choices of different routes depending on individual climbing ability (but climbers still should research it thoroughly if planning an ascent).

Kilimanjaro is situated on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya and is less than 200km from Nairobi, making it easy access for travelers.

Secondly, Tanzania is home to the world famous Serengeti National Park, which offers some of the best spots in the whole of Africa to witness game migration (notably Wildebeest and Zebra).

It’s in Serengeti (and in the nearby Ngorongoro reserve) that some of the most authentic accommodation in Tanzania is found. ‘Safari camps’ are the norm, where visitors pay to sleep under tented accommodation. From here, expert bushmen guide visitors into the African wild, hot on the heels of the big five: lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant.

The camps range from the luxurious 5* marquee style tents to the communal, more basic shelters, depending on your budget. Visitors are also taught basics in bush tracking and wildlife spotting, as well as learning some of the Swahili tribal language.

Thirdly, Tanzania’s eastern shoreline is met by the spectacular Indian Ocean and includes the semi-independent archipelago of Zanzibar. Zanzibar’s golden white beaches make it the perfect island destination for relaxation after time spent in the bush or trekking up Kilimanjaro.

Some of the best places to eat in Tanzania are on this island – the locals are renowned for their spices: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper. Delicious with freshly caught fish. Dr Livingstone liked it so much he bought a house here (before he went AWOL) and you can still visit it in the world heritage site ‘Stone Town’ today.

No wonder he got himself lost and held the world at bay while he took time to explore this unique country…

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Author Bio: Hugo Davison is widely travelled and doesn’t plan to stop soon. He lives and works in the city of London and sits down to write wherever and whenever he can. He is now working on his first fictional novel.

Photo credits – Sunset, Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria

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