D E S T I N AT I O N S
WORDS LARK GOULD
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GREEN DREAMS IN
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frica has its own seasons. From November to April, while many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are donning winter coats and battling sub-zero temperatures, the great plains of the Serengeti are springing to life with fresh green growth on hardy acacias and lofty crotons and flaming red blooms on ubiquitous tulip trees. This is called “the Green Season,” and it contrasts from Africa’s peak safari season, from July to September, in some dramatic ways – making it Africa’s “Secret Season” for the wealth of rare natural treasure to be discovered. Tanzania is a land of Edens within this drama, bringing the wildlife spectacles to be found at Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park in the north as well as the Ruaha and Selous Game Reserves in the south. Lake Manyara frames a vista of exploding pinks against blinding blotches of black and white as flamingoes nest, herons light and zebra, wildebeest and giraffes cool off in the equatorial sun. Mt. Kilimanjaro looms in the distance on a clear day as the highest (19,341-foot) mountain on the continent and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. All of this is within reach of Arusha, fast becoming one of the top MICE locations in Africa. The Arusha International Conference Centre is a spectacular custom-built facility with the capacity to host up to 10,000 delegates. “We are steadily preparing the country for the big time when it comes to business tourism,” says Arusha ICC CEO Elishilia D. Kaaya in an interview with AfricaLive.net. “Arusha is home to some of the most acclaimed natural sites in the world and our center is closely associated with these amazing sites because of our proximity to them. We want people to think about these wonders of the world whenever the Arusha International Conference Centre is mentioned.” The development of the industry in Tanzania will see continued investment in infrastructure and facilities with new conference
SEPTEMBER 2020
centres developing close to the country’s main tourist and business hubs such as Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. For those who want to mix meetings with a magical immersion in Tanzania’s natural beauty, there is no shortage of luxury safaris that can fill the bill. Familiar names include Micato Safaris, African Travel, Collette, Globus, Gate One, Goway, SITA, Intrepid, Tauck, Travcoa and many more. They manage group travel, private travel, super luxury travel, even jet safaris. Choices come into play for level of luxury and lodging rather than animal sightings. In Tanzania, Big Five conquests come with the territory. It’s important to note that in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many governments advised against all but essential travel to Tanzania. However, as the situation evolves, these advisories are likely to change. At time of press, international flights were operating to and from Tanzania and Emirates resumed services to the capital, Dar es Salaam, on August 1.
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Access to Tanzania has been boosted in recent years by the return of national carrier Air Tanzania in 2016, which was able to establish direct flights from Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Travellers can now fly easily into air fields near Kilimanjaro and the other three national park zones as well as Zanzibar – the Spice Islands, all well worth the exploration. If Tanzania were to delve into the top five reasons to visit, it might look something like this: • Wildlife Safaris: The great migrations, Ngorongoro Crater National Park that is home to the largest volcanic crater on earth with the largest concentration of varied wildlife to be found on the planet – and all this comes with the comforts and luxuries of five-star travel.
