In the heart of southern Africa, Tanzania, its 22 national parks, its exceptional fauna, its topographical, political and religious singularity, arouse curiosity. It is one of the rare countries to have, in a way, “benefited” from the Covid. In the same way as the company Ethiopian Airlines which serves it, among others.
In this essentially Christian country (all forms of Christianity coexist there), the presidency, since 2021, has been held by a woman, Mrs. Samia Suluhu. The previous president distinguished himself in his own way by declaring that prayers would be enough to deal with the Covid pandemic.
As a result, there were no special protection measures or statistics in Tanzania either and President Magufuli died in 2020, aged 55. From a heart attack they say. While the world lived behind closed doors, in Tanzania schools, shops, transport, football matches: everything remained open. Since the death of her predecessor, the new president in office has taken anti-Covid measures, in particular establishing control of vaccines on arrival in the country.
For its part, Ethiopian Airlaines has never interrupted any of its flights and is, enviably, in a profitable situation with, moreover, a recently billed fleet. Another specificity about Tanzania, do you know who were the European tourists at the top of the visitors last year? The French and it will probably be the case this year too.
It’s a Frenchman, Denis Lebouteux, founder and director of Tanganyika Expeditions, who almost acts as an ambassador for Tanzanian tourism. Both a DMC and a hotelier, Tanganyika Expeditions is continually expanding and now has 12 lodges, which have long been respectful of nature, in the territories of northern Tanzania, thus offering some 200 rooms of all types of comfort.
The latest lodges are the Togoro Plains camps opened in June in the Serengeti Park and Ikoma Hills opened in December 2022 in the Grumeti Game Reserve. From next winter, construction work will begin on 4 beach hotels in Pemba, on the Indian Ocean side on the north face of Zanzibar. A situation that Denis Lebouteux recognizes as ideal for a mixed beach and safari stay, targeted towards families.
Many visitors taken by Tanganyika Expeditions have recently become passionate about a new product: bivouacs, whether just for a couple or for an incentive operation. An igloo tent for two equipped with two camp beds (with mattresses, sheets, blankets, bedspreads and pillows anyway!) and here are the secure adventure lovers guaranteed to spend a night
memorable in the middle of the bush, far from the hotel structures. Do not panic, the meals are prepared by a cook.
Kerosene lamps, safari chairs and a campfire certainly allow you to approach without fear the trumpeting of an elephant or the roar of a lion in the dark night. Denis Lebouteux says he is very concerned about multiplying experiences. It offers, during stays, treks, paleontology circuits on prehistoric sites, walks in the company of Massai or Hadzabe tribes. By coming with children, it is even possible to make them spend a day and a half in a Tanzanian school with the children of the country.
The animal reserves in Tanzania are among the richest in the African world and the natural sites (such as the Ngorongoro crater, Lake Natron, Lake Manyara or the vast territories of animal migration in the Serengeti park never leave anyone indifferent. There remains, of course, the concern for the cost of the trip. In view of the increase in air fares, it is a
destination more accessible to CSP+, far from mass tourism and which guarantees an unforgettable experience. Apart from current rates (but they are not set in stone) we are tempted to say like the Tanzanians: Karibu Sana, that is to say welcome…
www.tanganyika.com
www.ethiopianairlines.com
