The Best Off the Beaten Path Spots in Tanzania That Only the Locals Know About

The plains of the Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro are huge draw cards for travelers to Tanzania and while these tourist favorites are spectacular, Tanzania also boasts of other attractions that lie beyond the typical tourist trail. These spots are usually Tanzania’s best-kept secrets but now, they’re secrets no more. Here are the best off-the-beaten path spots in Tanzania that only locals probably know about:

Lake Natron

Located between Serengeti and Arusha, this gorgeous lake made of shallow sliver of hyper-saline water is definitely worth a stop. It is a Ramsar wetland and is often overshadowed by Lake Manyara, another soda lake that has gained more popularity.  

Covering an area of about 56 km, this soda lake features a backdrop of the Ol Doinyo Lengai, fondly called the Maasai “Mountain of God”, which is an active volcano standing 2,960 meters from the low-lying Rift Valley floor. Aside from the wondrous backdrop, Lake Natron also remains fascinating all year-round. Its landscape (and seascape) varies from season to season, with water levels diminishing considerably due to evaporation in the driest, hottest months. What’s amazing is that despite its water’s high temperature and high salinity which makes it very inhospitable to fauna, it is the only known breeding ground for East Africa’s 2.5 million lesser flamingos.

Mahale Mountains National Park

While Tanzania is famous for its incredible wildlife and stunning African landscapes, did you know it is also an amazing place to see primates? Lying outside of the well-trodden tourism area in the south and north is Mahale Mountains National Park in the western circuit. It lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, guaranteeing stunning views.

The park is one of only two protected areas for chimpanzees in Tanzania, and it is highly remote, which means it must be experienced by foot and the only way in and out of the park is via boat on the lake.

Ukerewe Island

If you’re looking into getting a genuine feel of the local life in Tanzania, Ukerewe island is an ideal place to go. It spans approximately 530 km² making it the the largest island in Lake Victoria and the largest inland island in Africa. You can explore beaches, forests, caves and scenic sunsets over the lake, and you can also explore the island on bike tours as well as try authentic Tanzanian food.

Ukerewe island is approximately 50 kilometers north from Mwanza, about a 4-hour ride by ferry from Mwanza. The island is covered in orange trees, which is a source of income for many locals. In fact, if you visit around December, the orange season is in full swing and you can really smell the aroma on the island’s air.

Saadani National Park

Love bush and beach safaris? Saadani National Park is the only wildlife safari park with a beachfront. It is located in the eastern part of Tanzania, about 4 hours away from Dar es Salaam, fronting the beautiful island of Zanzibar. It serves as an alternative location to see the Big Five: lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and rhinoceroses, including other animals like giraffes, zebras and many more. What’s amazing is that you have the unique opportunity to see the Big Five interacting with the sea. You can also see dolphins and whales passing by the Zanzibar channel, if you’re lucky. Due to the park’s accessibility plus its gorgeous coastal scenery, the park is deemed one of the most family-friendly destinations near Dar es Salaam. So, if you want, you can easily add this national park to your list of must-visits on top of the Tanzania Family Safari tours you may have.

Bagamoyo

Like an Arabian town in Africa, Bagamoyo features African mixed with Arabian elements. It has narrow streets, German colonial buildings, gorgeous mosques nestled just across the stunning Indian Ocean, a lot of fish markets and a string of white sand beaches.

Two hundred years ago, Bagamoyo lay at the end of the slave trail and was a bustling colonial town. It sits on the eastern coast of Tanzania and many people are fascinated with its history and local scenery, far from the typical tourist scene.

Mkomazi National Park

Remote and initially inaccessible, Mkomazi National Park is located in northeastern Tanzania in Kilimanjaro Region and Tanga Region. The park is a spectacular refuge for two endangered species: black rhinos and African wild dogs. Featuring 3,500 square kilometers of wilderness made up of shallow valleys of grassland, grey-green nyika bush, ancient baobab trees and isolated rocky hills, Mkomazi hosts 78 mammal species and about 400 bird species.

Although only a few travelers make it to this national park, those who do will be wowed with views of Mount Kilimanjaro along with large herds of elephant, giraffe, zebra, lions and more. The park also borders Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, so it can easily be combined with a Tsavo safari. Together with Tsavo, it forms one of the largest and most important protected ecosystems on earth.

Ruaha National Park

Did you know that Ruaha National Park is the largest park in Tanzania? It spans 20,000km² of beautiful wilderness — sand rivers transform into rumbustious waterways after the rains, and groves of baobabs, skinny palms and acacia are dotted around rolling hills and vast savannas. The park also presents an extraordinary wildlife. It hosts 10% of Africa’s lions, several packs of endangered wild dogs, and East Africa’s largest population of elephants, with an estimated 12,000 elephants migrating through the greater Ruaha ecosystem each year. Other animals that can be easily spotted around the park are zebras, jackals and bat-eared foxes.

Well worth a visit!

Tanzania is indeed rich in history, culture, wildlife and phenomenal sceneries, whether you follow the tourist trail or not. It’s true that the famous destinations are Tanzania’s highlights for a reason but if you want to explore Tanzania beyond the usual things we read about, or you just want to be somewhere less visited, exploring off-the-beaten path spots could be something that would give you more surprising adventures