The Tanzania tourist activity is, of course, the safari - but it's entirely up to you whether you do it rough or smooth, or a bit of both. A trek to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro is the pinnacle of outdoor adventure, in more ways than one. There's some great floating to be had in hot-air balloons over the Serengeti. And swimming with dolphins is all the rage on the island of Zanzibar. Snorkelling and scuba diving is equally popular around the world-class coral reefs off nearby Pemba and Mafia islands.

The biggest annual event in Tanzania begins at the Serengeti National Park near the Kenyan border, when huge herds of wildebeests head for greener pastures in Kenya. Starting in April each year, more than 2 million of these animals migrate across the Serengeti's southern plains accompanied by zebras, antelopes, gazelles, lions and tourists. Tanzanian Independence Day (December 9) somehow pales in significance.