The ultimate adrenalin destination
Some people will do anything for an adrenalin rush; they’ll drink three litres of Red Bull, get up before dawn for the Boxing Day sales, place an unlikely bet on England’s football team winning the World Cup, knock on someone’s door and not wait for them to answer… that kind of thing. But how about going to Tanzania? Not many people think of that when they’re plotting their next assault on the sale rails.
Tanzania is a vast land of startling diversity, offering a plethora of activities to turn even the most sensible of gentlemen into feverish, dribbling, chest-thumping animals. Mt Kilimanjaro is a good place to start. Africa’s highest mountain is an iconic feature of the continent from which it rises, and the trophy that many visitors come to Tanzania to claim. If the idea of walking uphill for 4-7 days doesn’t exactly set your heart on edge, the thought of standing on the summit of Africa should. It is an achievement that few can say they have accomplished.
Climbing Kilimanjaro
There are plenty of other lesser-known mountain ranges in Tanzania as well, most of which are located in the north and east of the country. Mount Meru is used by many as an acclimatization expedition before taking on the might of Kilimanjaro, although it is certainly no second-rate summit. Neither should the ranges of the Eastern Arc, Monduli, Pare, Udzungwa, Uluguru or Usambara be scoffed at; each is ineffably inspiring, and climbers undoubtedly receive a boost in adrenalin with the knowledge that few people can pronounce the name of the rock they’re standing upon, never mind say they’ve already done it themselves.
If you prefer action and adventure to hard-earned achievement, head to Zanzibar and try your hand at kite surfing. With feet strapped against a board and hands clasped tightly around a bar which controls a parachute-like kite, kitesurfers carve waves in between gravity-defying leaps that are reminiscent of a graceful trapeze artist. To be propelled by the unstoppable power of wind alone is an exhilarating feeling like no other.
Defying gravity on a kite board. CREDIT: Photo of Gian Schachenmann, taken by Justin Trappe
Alternatively, scale the heart rate back a little with a sea kayak safari (though be warned – things soon become more animated when the weather turns), or get even closer by scuba diving in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Tanzania’s submarine coastline is still a relative mystery, untouched and unexplored, harbouring secret spectacles that will trigger a rush of excitement as you discover them for the first time.
However voracious your hunger for adrenalin, there can be no greater thrill than the wild east African bush, a collection of epic national parks that form the picture most people think of as Africa. If the prospect of seeing the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) in the wild isn’t exciting enough, you may get to feel the ground tremble under the thundering hooves of a migration in the Serengeti, experience the tense thrill of knowing that only a thingauze tent separates you from a prowling lion in Ruaha, or witness the circle of life in motion as a cheetah chases down an elegant gazelle for its lunch. We’re breaking into a sweat just thinking about it.
An adrenalin-fuelled holiday in Tanzania will awaken your sense of adventure, leaving you breathless and tingling with exhilaration. Don’t be surprised if you need a second holiday to recover from the whole experience!
Carving waves on a kite board. CREDIT: Photo of Gian Schachenmann, taken by Justin Trappe
