Tanzania is home to many magnificent wildlife areas and vast tracts of untouched wilderness; names such as Serengeti, Zanzibar, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro are sure to conjure up magical images of adventure.

During the greener months - from December to May - the great wildebeest migration takes place in the southern Serengeti and on the short grass plains of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where the animals in their tens of thousands come to calve. This incredible spectacle is played out on the vast horizonless plains and makes for an unparalleled safari experience. Combined with a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world, and Olduvai Gorge where Lara’s grandparents, Drs. Mary and Louis Leakey, made so many of their initial discoveries of early hominids, your safari will yield an unforgettable encounter with Africa.

In the dry season - from late July to mid–October - southern and central Tanzania come into their own. Our favourite dry season areas in Tanzania include Ruaha, Tarangire, Katavi and the Selous. As the surrounding areas become parched huge numbers of animals move in towards the last remaining water, resulting in concentrated numbers of game. There are some excellent opportunities to walk in true wilderness.

If you go to southern Tanzania then a trip to the Mahale Mountains National Park to see the chimpanzees is well worth the effort. Hiking through the forest tracking the chimps is an incredible experience and spending time with them is a privilege. The mountains rise up from the shores of Lake Tanganyika, whose crystal clear water is full of dozens of different species of fish and whose beaches are tranquil and picturesque. On many occasions we have watched hippos bound - as if in slow motion - across the sandy bottom of the lake twenty feet below the hull of our dhow.

Tanzania is totally different in the dry and wet seasons and the best itineraries reflect this.

Have a look at photos from a recent safari that included Tanzania.

Credit and thanks for the images included here goes to Ninian Lowis, Nomads, and Asilia. If we have left anyone out this has not been intentional and we apologise.