One of the most epic things you can do in Tanzania is to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, on a 6-day long trekking trip of a lifetime through some of the most beautiful parts of the country. There are several routes you can take to get to the top of Kilimanjaro but you should go with the 6 or 7 days Machame Route which is considered to be one of the prettiest routes to take and one that has a more reasonable acclimatization profile.

The Machame Route begins at Machame Gate, 1,743 m above sea level and you will gradually gain altitude as you continue on with a few acclimatization days at 3,000 - 4,000 meters before you go for the summit. With such an acclimatization profile, your percentage of success will be a lot higher than going on a shorter route like Marangu Route. If you are into adventures and are looking to challenge yourself while being surrounded by stunning scenery, climbing Kilimanjaro is one of the best things you can do in Tanzania.

If you are visiting Tanzania, you should go on a safari trip to Serengeti National Park, one of the most well-known safari destinations in Africa. It has been awarded the best national park in the world multiple times and it is known to be the place to witness the greatest wildlife show on earth, the Great Wildebeest Migration. With more than a million animals living on this virgin savanna covering more than 15,000,000 hectares (37,000,000 acres) across the northwestern part of Tanzania, there is no better place to go on a safari than here.

During your time in Serengeti, you will go on a daily safari game drive around the vast plain to track down all the Big Five of Africa (leopards, lions, buffalos, elephants, and rhinos) as well as other rare animals you might not find anywhere else but in Africa. Be sure to pack a binocular or a telephoto lens for your camera so you can observe the animals from afar. You won't be very close to them as Serengeti has a strict rule that prohibits going off-road to protect the animals.

As mentioned before, Serengeti National Park is one of the best places to witness the greatest wildlife show on earth, the Great Wildebeest Migration where more than a million animals across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, mainly wildebeests and zebras, migrate across the plain from Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya in search of grazing and water.

With millions of animals on the move in unison crossing all kinds of terrain from plains to rivers, you are sure to see a ton of actions during this time with predators going on big hunts from lions to leopards to crocodiles, making sure only the finest of the finest survives. If you want to visit this once-in-a-lifetime event, make sure that you align your visit between June and July. Unfortunately, the migration doesn't run on a schedule so the timing may vary and you will have to coordinate with your safari tours to make sure you are there when the event happens.

Spending a night in Serengeti is an experience in and of itself. If you are visiting Serengeti with a tour group, you will be able to choose where to spend your night in Serengeti national park. You can choose either a camping ground or a luxury tented camp, but the experience will be quite similar as you will find yourself surrounded by nature and wildlife, from giraffes to gazelles as well as the sneaky ones like hyenas roaming around the camp at night freely.

At night, you will be accompanied by a ranger every time you walk from your tent to the main dining area as it isn't uncommon to stumble upon a hyena (with glowing eyes and all) roaming around, looking for food and the last thing you want to do is to startle them. The luxury tented camp like Angaata Seronera Camp is an awesome place to wind down after a long day of safari or you can go with a full-blown luxury resort like the Four Season Safari Lodge where you can swim in a pool as you watch elephants and giraffes go by, the ultimate Serengeti luxury experience.

Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera formed by volcanic activities millions of years ago. What makes Ngorongoro Crater so special is how rich the vegetation on the crater floor is, which is not so common for a volcanic caldera. When the volcano erupted, it collapsed onto itself creating a large floor as deep as 600 m (2,000 ft) and covering over 260 square km (100 square ml). Due to this collapse, a stream nearby was drained into the lake at the center of the crater creating a condition where animals can strive.

What makes a game drive in Ngorongoro Crater so special is the fact that the terrain there is completely different from the one you saw in Serengeti. A trip to Ngorongoro Crater is often included in a 3-day tour itinerary and you will be spending half the day driving around the crater floor, observing all kinds of wildlife such as lions and even rhinos.

If you have an extra day or 2 in Tanzania and are looking for national parks to explore that aren't part of the Serengeti ecosystem, Tarangire and Lake Manyara are some of the best national parks in Tanzania that you shouldn't miss while you are here. Both Tarangire and Lake Manyara offer varying types of landscapes and animals that differentiate them from Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, making them worthwhile to visit. Tarangire is known for its abundance of elephants and baobab trees with a more hilly scenery unlike what you will find in Serengeti.

Lake Manyara on the other hand is known for its high density of baboons and monkeys as well as all kinds of colorful bird species you can see. Since the area is a little more foresty, it is a little harder to track big predators as they are often hidden up high in the trees most of the time.

Have you ever wanted to swim with sea turtles? If that is your dream, you can finally tick it off the list at Baraka Natural Aquarium in Zanzibar. Baraka Natural Aquarium is located on a rocky coastal area with shallow water where the sea turtles often come and feed on seaweed and it is a popular place for local tourists to go and swim with them.

There are more than a dozen sea turtles swimming around this shallow pool and with such clear water coming from the Indian Ocean through cracks in the coastal rocks surrounding the area, you can see these beautiful animals as clear as day even from above the water. The place gets crowded quite early so be sure to be there right when the gate opens at 8 AM if you wish to experience it in a more solitary environment. You can also rent snorkeling goggles for 10 USD if you wish but the water is clear enough even without them.

One of the reasons why would want to visit Zanzibar is to have a nice and quiet beach vacation and there are no better beaches in Zanzibar than Nungwi Beach located on the northern tip of the island. Nungwi Beach is witness to amazing sunset views, which will surely score points for those who want to get social media-worthy photos. Locals also offer a sunset cruise on a Dhow boat. This is one of the reasons that make Nungwi a popular romantic destination for couples.

As the sun sets, Nungwi Beach continues to thrive with its vibrant nightlife perfect for those who have fun with a few drinks in hand. Cholo’s Bar is the oldest bar in the village and it is host to parties on Thursday nights while Mangi’s Bar is the most popular bar in the village. It is a great place for a sunset drink just before the party starts.

Exploring the crisscrossing streets of Stone Town surrounded by colonial buildings is probably one of the highlights of visiting Tanzania. Due to its rich history as the spice capital of East Africa during the days, you will find all kinds of foreign influences in Stone Town that you wouldn't find anywhere else in the country.

From one corner, you might find a little Arab/Persian influence and from another, a bit of Portuguese/British influences as well as some Indians all scattered throughout Stone Town, waiting for you to explore. An entire town is all crammed into a small area where you will be able to navigate through these narrow pathways connecting and sometimes even hiding all sorts of hidden gems in plain sight like the 17th Century Old Fort built by the Omani Arabs, St Joseph's Cathedral, a catholic church built by the French-based on that of the Marseille Cathedral in France, and many more.

The Rock is a quaint restaurant built upon a bed of stone on the ocean floor on Michamvi's Pingwe Beach. In low tide, you can walk up the stairs and into this small boutique of incredible flavors and aromas, but during high tide, it becomes its own island, and a boat must bring you to its doors – hence its nickname, Tidal Island.

The Rock experience more than satiates your physical appetite, it elevates it. While European-inspired, everything on the menu is a fusion of local ingredients (seafood, fruit, and vegetables) and sultry spices – the perfect mixture of Asian and African influences. The grilled lobster served with scarab potatoes and salad is heaven’s gift to mere mortals.