Tanzania has grown up quietly in the shadow of its northerly neighbour, Kenya, and while some bemoan its rickety tourist infrastructure, most regard it as a blessing.
Its biggest attractions are most easily visited, like Mount Kilimanjaro, which sits like a giant upturned bucket on Tanzania's dusty northern plains.
Rising from scrub and acacia, it supports a seemingly impossible range of ecosystems beneath its snowy summit. Climbing Africa's highest mountain requires more stamina than technical ability, and you should be prepared for a dose of humility as the guides whip past you in flip-flops.
After looking up at a peak, you can look down into a crater. If Noah hadn't set his ark down on Mount Ararat, he couldn't have done much better than the collapsed volcano that forms the Ngorongoro Crater.
The volcanic rim encloses a national park that is home to the most concentrated population of predators in Africa, as well as some of the continent's more elusive animals, such as the Black Rhino.
The Arab traders brought Islam and clove trees, and an influence that lives on strongly in Tanzania's old capital Dar-es-Salaam. From here you can take a ferry to Zanzibar, a magical island of spice plantations, sumptuous seafood and the ancient alleyways of Stone Town.
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