I Went to Tanzania for the Safari. I Didn’t Expect the Rest of the Country to Stay With Me

That was basically it. And honestly, if that is what brings you to Tanzania, I understand. It is difficult to think about Tanzania without thinking about wildlife. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was looking at the country too narrowly. Because after the animals disappeared from view and the dust settled, there was still so much of Tanzania left.

And some of my favourite parts had nothing to do with a safari vehicle.

The safari is only the beginning

There is a particular feeling you get when you see a wild animal in its natural environment for the first time. You can watch videos all day, but it is different when you’re actually there.

You hear the vehicle stop. Everyone gets quiet. The guide points somewhere in the distance. You look. And suddenly there it is a lion or an elephant or a group of giraffes moving across the landscape.

For a moment, nobody is checking their phone. Everyone is just looking. That alone is worth the trip. But here’s something I wish more first-time visitors understood:

Don’t build your entire Tanzania trip around what happens inside the national parks. There is another side of the country waiting outside them.

Talk to people

One thing I’ve started paying more attention to when I travel is the people around me. It’s easy to get so focused on the places you came to see that you forget the people who actually live there.

Talk to your guide.

Ask questions. Ask where they grew up.

Ask what people eat at home.

Ask what music they listen to.

Ask what they would recommend if you had one free afternoon.

You will probably learn more from those conversations than you expected. And you might get recommendations that no travel website would have given you. That’s one of the reasons having a local guide can make such a difference. Not because you are incapable of finding places yourself. You probably can. It’s because a local can give you the little pieces of context that make those places mean something.

Don’t rush through the food

I think food is one of the easiest parts of travel to overlook. You arrive somewhere new and immediately start thinking about attractions. But food is an experience too.

In Tanzania, give yourself time to try local dishes. You might come across ugali, nyama choma, pilau, chapati or dishes you’ve never heard of before. Don’t worry about knowing everything beforehand. Ask what something is. Ask how it is normally eaten. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. Try something else.

The point isn’t to become an expert in Tanzanian food in three days. It’s to give yourself the chance to discover something. Sometimes the best meal of a trip isn’t the one with the best reviews. It’s the one you had while sitting somewhere simple, talking to people and wondering what you had just ordered.

Then there is Zanzibar

If you’re already in Tanzania, it can be tempting to think of Zanzibar as just the place you go after the safari to relax. And yes, you can absolutely do that. But Zanzibar deserves more attention than being the final few days on your schedule.

Walk through Stone Town.

Get a little lost.

Look at the old doors.

Visit a market.

Try local food.

Listen to the different languages around you.

Pay attention to the architecture.

You start to see how many different histories have met on this island. And suddenly, the beach isn’t the only reason you came.

Give yourself one slow day

This might be the most useful advice I can give. Have at least one day where you don’t try to do everything. No rushing from one attraction to another. No waking up already worried about the next activity.

Just explore.

Walk around.

Eat.

Talk.

Sit somewhere.

Watch people.

Travel can become exhausting when every hour has a purpose. Sometimes you need an empty afternoon. Those are often the days when you actually notice where you are.

A good guide shouldn’t feel like a teacher

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. When you’re traveling somewhere unfamiliar, there is a difference between being shown a place and being helped to understand it. Anyone can point at something and say: “That’s the market.”

A good guide might tell you why people come there, what you should try, what to look out for and how the place fits into everyday life. That’s the kind of experience we’re trying to build with Gidi Tour. Not a trip where someone rushes you from one checkpoint to another. Something more relaxed. Something where you can ask questions. Something where you can experience a place instead of simply passing through it.

If you’re planning your first trip to Tanzania

Yes, go on safari. You will probably love it. But don’t stop there. Give yourself time to experience the food. Talk to people. Learn a little history. Explore a neighborhood.

Spend time in Zanzibar if your itinerary allows it. And leave some room for things you didn’t plan. Because Tanzania is not just a place where you go to see animals. It is a country full of people, food, music, history, landscapes and stories.

The safari might be what gets you on the plane. But it doesn’t have to be the only thing you remember when you come home.