The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tanzania

19 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Tanzania

Updated August 16, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Tanzania

Soda and algae formations near the shore of Lake Natron.

Monduli, Tanzania

Lake Natron

A salty red wasteland in Tanzania is a breeding spot for endangered flamingos.

Michamvi, Tanzania

The Rock

Sitting atop a rock on Michamvi Pingwe beach, this restaurant becomes its own island at high tide.

Grand Mosque

Kilwa Masoko, Tanzania

Kilwa Kisiwani Ruins

Stunning ruins of what was once the center of one of the greatest empires in East Africa.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar's Night Market

After sunset the heart of Zanzibar's historic Stone Town neighborhood transforms into a culinary playground.

The Underwater Room at The Manta Resort

Tanzania

The Underwater Room at Manta Resort

Stay in your own little bubble.

Kuza Cave.

Kusini, Tanzania

Kuza Cave

This sacred, circular cave is lined with pools so clear and still that it's hard to tell where the water begins.

Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano erupting

Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Ol Doinyo Lengai

This rare volcano spews the strangest and (literally) coolest lava in the world.

Liwale, Tanzania

Selous Game Preserve

The largest game reserve in Africa is home to thousands of species but refuses to house humans.

See All 19 Things To Do in Tanzania

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Tanzania

Michamvi, Tanzania

The Rock

Sitting atop a rock on Michamvi Pingwe beach, this restaurant becomes its own island at high tide.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar's Night Market

After sunset the heart of Zanzibar's historic Stone Town neighborhood transforms into a culinary playground.

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Stories About Tanzania

Podcast: APOPO Rats

An episode that might have you rethink your stance on the humble rat.

by The Podcast Team

August 16, 2023

Medieval buildings at Songa Mnara, one of many coastal Swahili ports and settlements that connected East Africa to Arabia, Persia, China, and Southeast Asia.

Ancient DNA Restores the Origin Story of the Swahili People

New research complicates both modern and colonial-era ideas about the medieval East African civilization.

by Chapurukha Kusimba and David Reich

Podcast: Lake Natron

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

African wild dogs are often considered to be well adapted to the savanna, but research suggests the animals fare even better in more wooded ecosystems.

African Wild Dogs Survive by 'Living in the Cracks' of a Landscape

The lanky, wily pack hunters fare better than lions in habitats increasingly fragmented by human activity.

February 28, 2022

Podcast: Kilwa Kisiwani

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

Surf's up—or not—in this microscopic view of a prase opal gemstone.

This Rugged Coastline Is Not What It Seems

An avid microscopist captured an unusual image that has nothing to do with surf and sand.

by Gemma Tarlach

Did Early Humans Invent Hot Pot in Geothermal Pools?

A mystery microbe found at Olduvai Gorge inspired scientists to speculate about the origins of cooking.

by Isaac Schultz

September 30, 2020

Exploring the Ruins of a Medieval East African Empire

Kilwa Kisiwani ("Isle of the Fish") was once the heart of Swahili culture and commerce.

by Lizzie Philip

January 2, 2019

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