Jonathan (second from left) presenting a souvenir to Ramadhani. From left are Shahrul Aman, Ashwin and Ooi in Penang. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
TANZANIA, an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas, is welcoming Malaysians to experience its diverse offerings.
Its ambassador Dr Ramadhani K. Dau said there was plenty to explore in Tanzania and invited Malaysians to discover the country’s stunning wildlife, seductive beaches as well as ancient towns, archaeological sites and geological wonders.
Major attractions in Tanzania include the Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro.
“The Serengeti National Park, known for the largest annual animal migration in the world, of over 1.5 million blue wildebeest and 250,000 zebras along with smaller herds of Thompson’s gazelle and eland,” said Ramadhani.
“The national park is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site and is also home to the largest lion population in Africa.
“Being the most visited national park in Tanzania, it received about 470,000 visitors in 2019.
“Lake Manyara National Park offers more than 350 bird species to be observed at the lake.
“Among the most extraordinary destinations of the continent is the Ngorongoro Crater, where visitors can spot the Big Five – the African lion, African leopard, African elephant, Cape buffalo and rhinoceros.
“Here, people can also get up close to the local Maasai tribe, an indigenous ethnic group that’s famous as herders and warriors,” he shared during a presentation at the Tourism and Culture Ministry Penang office in Lebuh Pantai.
Ramadhani also said that serious adventurers must visit Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest summit on the African continent and the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895m above sea level.
“It takes about five to 10 days to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and descend to the finishing point.
“The peak is covered in snow and ice; scaling to the top is an achievable bucket-list option for most fit people,” he said.
Ramadhani assured Malaysians that access to Tanzania was simple through agreements made between both governments to ease travelling.
“There are three international airports in Tanzania, namely Julius Nyerere International Airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport and Zanzibar's Abeid Amani Karume International Airport.
“Malaysians do not need to apply for a visa to visit Tanzania and can stay for up to 90 days,” he said.
Also present at the presentation were Tourism Malaysia (northern) director Shahrul Aman Sabir Ahmad, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry Penang director Jonathan Freddy P. Bagang, Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau chief executive officer Ashwin Gunasekeran and about 30 tour agents.
