Thanks to its famous national parks and impressive wildlife migrations, Tanzania is one of Africa’s top wildlife destinations. Just South of Kenya, Tanzania’s side of the Masai Mara is the Serengeti National Park - 8 times the size of the Mara. In addition to the seemingly endless plains of the Serengeti, Tanzania is home to the massive Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park with its towering baobab trees. The Great Migration - 1.5 million wildebeest and several hundred thousand zebra - pass through the Serengeti and its adjacent concessions from approximately late October through June before moving into the Masai Mara in Kenya. The wildebeest aren’t the only animals that migrate in Tanzania, in the dry season months of August through October, massive herds of elephants move into the Tarangire National Park in search of water from the park’s permanently flowing river. Just one of a handful of African nations where tracking chimpanzees in the wild is possible (Uganda and Rwanda are other options), Tanzania’s Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream are widely considered the best chimp tracking destinations. Not only do the Mahale Mountains boast habituated troops of chimps, but the mountains also skirt the edge of picturesque Lake Tanganyika where the romantic Greystoke Mahale lies (it’s one of Lyndsay’s top 5 camps in Africa). Coastal Tanzania, and the offshore archipelago of Zanzibar offer easy access for a sandy finish to your safari. While Tanzania’s Northern Circuit (Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti), is by far the most popular safari option, the remote parks of Ruaha, Katavi and the Selous can be ideal for safari veterans looking to get off the beaten path. Boating, fly camping and walking are available on the Southern Circuit and the number of visitors is fractional compared to the North. That said, the wildlife viewing can be challenging depending on where and when you visit. Tanzania offers a variety of cultural experiences of varying quality and Amani has worked carefully to offer cultural interactions that are both comfortable and authentic as possible. Mto Wa Mbu, a contemporary Tanzanian village, is home to 120 different tribal groups and grows 30 different types of bananas that are exported from the area. Amani travelers enjoy the community-run cultural visit here. Lyndsay also recommends a visit to the Lake Eyasi community, just an hour and a half from Karatu. Eyasi is home to the highly threatened Hadzabe (hunter-gatherer ‘bushmen’), and the semi-nomadic pastoralist Datoga. Lyndsay works closely with a Datoga metalsmith who crafts beautifully customized jewelry for Amani travelers and jewelry aficionados.