Practical Information
Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa. The country covers over 937,000 square kilometres (twice the size of Sweden) and lies just south of the equator, and also boasts a magnificent Indian Ocean coastline.
There are several clearly defined regions: the coastal plains, the Maasai Steppe in the north (from which several dormant volcanoes rise, including Kilimanjaro) and a high plateau in the south of the country. Savannah and bush cover more than half the country and semi desert covers the remaining area, except for the coastal plains. The continuation of the Rift Valley runs through Tanzania.
On the whole Tanzania remains untouched by mass tourism.
What is Tanzania today? Once a British protectorate, Tanganyika, as it was then known, became independent on 9 December 1961. A few days later the country was accepted as the 104th member of the United Nations and Julius Nyerere, at 39, became the world’s youngest national leader. In 1964 Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form one country, known as the United Republic of Tanzania.
Although blessed with a large number of tourist lodges and hotels Tanzania is still one of the world’s poorest countries. Conditions may look very different to those at home.
Tanzania is a peaceful and friendly country and a vist will remain with you for a long time.
Listed below is information that you will find helpful. Quick links are in the list below:
WEATHERHEAT
VACCINATIONS/MEDICAL PRECAUTIONS
MALARIA
PHYSICAL WELL BEING
DENTAL CHECKS
BUGS, INSECTS, CREEPY CRAWLIES
CLOTHING
FOOD AND WATER
PHOTOGRAPHY
BINOCULARS
SUGGESTED READING
LUGGAGE
LODGES AND HOTELS
ELECTRICITY
TIME DIFFERENCE
DISTANCES
CUSTOMS AND TRADTIONS
SECURITY
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
INSURANCE
CURRENCY AND COSTS
TIPS AND GRATUITIES
WEATHER
Tanzania has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons, the long dry season and the rains.
The main rainy season falls during the months of April and May, and the 'short' rains fall during November and December, and sometimes in January as well. Cloud cover can often build up on the mountains in the afternoon throughout the year.
Daytime temperature is usually about 30 degrees on the coast and drops to a cool 20 degrees on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Nights are cooler and it is advisable to carry a sweater or light fleece for evening wear.
HEAT
The equatorial sun of Africa can produce searing heat during the day. You will find the first few days of this expedition particularly hot and care must be taken to avoid heat stroke or heat exhaustion. We recommend that you drink plenty of fluids during every part of your trip either on safari on by the sea. You should also ensure that you have adequate screening against the sun, both by sun cream and long clothing, as well as a good sun hat. You should ensure that areas of the body particularly prone to sunburn, such as the backs of legs, forearms, necks and heads, are well covered.
VACCINATIONS AND MEDICAL PRECAUTIONS
There are no longer any obligatory vaccination requirements for visitors entering mainland Tanzania; if you are travelling to Zanzibar your still require a Yellow Fever vaccination. A certificate is mandatory. You should also consider, in consultation with your doctor, inoculation against cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, tetanus, polio and meningitis.
MALARIA
Tanzania is a malarial area, and you will need to take a malarial prophylactic. You should seek the advice of your doctor over which malarial tablets you should use. Malarone is supposedly the most effective malaria prophylactic now but is expensive. Some users suffer side affects; your doctor's advice is therefore essential!
PHYSICAL WELL BEING
Your medical fitness and welfare does rest with you. If you suffer from any medical complaint no matter how small you must notify Go2Tanzania. We cannot be held responsible for any decisions that you may take based on such advice or on any outcomes that affect you medically.
As with all African countries you will need to take anti malaria tablets. A yellow fever vaccination is still required for Zanzibar. Please remember to take with you any medication you are currently taking.
DENTAL CHECKS
It is important that you have a thorough dental examination before your trip. There are dentists in the main towns but they are not easily found in the middle of the Serengeti.
BUGS INSECTS AND CREEPY CRAWLIES ('DUDUS' IN SWAHILI)
Tanzania does have its share of creepy crawlies but generally they scuttle away long before you ever get to them. There are also ones that bite or sting, so bring a good insect repellent. You may see snakes; please do not go anywhere near them, as most of them are poisonous. Don’t be put off please - most Tanzanians probably see one a year.
In the evenings, sensible dress (shoes and long sleeves) will act as a guard against annoying insects. It is advisable to use a repellent such as dimethyl phthalate, which can be rubbed onto exposed skin (in the form of cream) and on the clothes (in the form of liquid). Boots Jungle Formula and we are told that the AVON products are also very good.
CLOTHING
Whilst on safari we suggest you dress for comfort, light coloured, as well as weight, shorts and shirts are ideal. Garments with lots of pockets can also be useful if you are carrying a lot of camera equipment. Evening attire is smart casual, with a jumper or fleece for the colder nights. If you have particularly sensitive skin be wary when wearing shorts; those pale legs may get very sunburnt. Remember a hat.
FOOD AND WATER
Whilst you are in Tanzania you should use bottled water at all times even when brushing teeth. Most of the lodges supply either bottled or boiled and filtered water for this purpose.
All safari vehicles carry water, but we advise that you check each morning before leaving the lodges and hotels that you have sufficient for the day. Please note it is exceptionally easy to become dehydrated, we advise that you drink at least 2 full litre bottles per day. You can always run behind a bush!!
Tanzanian’s live on Ugali this is a maize meal made into quite a lumpy substance, which is then eaten with beans or a spinach type of vegetable.
All lodes and hotels provide western meals and often have a Swahili option. The banana stew is delicious so do try it. (Please see our separate sheet on food in Tanzania).
PHOTOGRAPHY
Most visitors to Tanzania want to capture wonderful memories the onslaught of digital makes life very simple these days but a couple of useful tips would be to bring an extra chip just incase! Spare battery and a good cover dust is not very forgiving.
If you are a dinosaur then a couple of extra lenses on your SLR wide angle 20,24 or 28mm or zoom lenses 24 – 80mm and a flash for fun night photos.
BINOCLUARS
We no longer provide bins in our vehicles as we nearly went bankrupt replacing them. We highly recommend a good pair and if your budget will stretch we suggest a pair each, harmony will prevail if you are not squabbling over bins!! Top end Zeiss 10x40, Leica 10x42 or Swarovski 10x42.
Good mid range ones are Bushnell 10x40 or 8x42, Nikon 10x40. There are a lot of very good quality mini binoculars on the market now it is worth going to a good supplier for some advise first.
SUGGESTED READING
Bird book to take if you are keen; Stevenson and Fanshawe Field Guide to Birds of East Africa ISBN 0-85661-079-8 or Zimmerman Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania ISBN 1-875091-11-4. Mammal Book; The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Lonely Planets Watching Animals is also a reasonable general guide.
LUGGAGE
The normal international airline luggage allowance is 20kgs. However, on the internal flights within Tanzania, the luggage allowance is restricted to 15kgs. If possible when travelling to Tanzania can you ensure that you have soft bags weighing no more than 15kgs. One piece of hand luggage is permitted up to 10kgs.
LODGES AND HOTELS
Hotels, safari lodges and tented camps cater for every budget and level of comfort. You can expect running water, en suite facilities and electricity provided either by solar power or generator. In mobile camps there will be hurricane lamps.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity is 240 volts A.C. - The same as the UK. They also use the same 3 pin square plugs. In most tented camps generator provides power. If you have camera batteries we suggest you speak to the reception at the camp as they have special adapters for charging.
TIME DIFFERENCE
Tanzania time is GMT + 3 hours.
DISTANCES
Distances are deceptive in Tanzania. We do our utmost to ensure you do not have long transit days, but as the name suggests a safari is an adventure. It can sometimes involve long days driving on unmade rough dusty roads.
During the rains, these dusty roads can turn into interesting mudslides; don’t worry our guides are all highly experienced bush drivers and cope admirably with such situations. The unforeseen can sometimes happen so do be prepared. It can be great fun too and just adds to the excitement if you need to help out. (We don’t force you though)!! We may have to take a detour due to weather or road conditions.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
The people of Tanzania are incredibly friendly and greetings form an important part of your visit. Most people will always enquire about your health and well being. If you can master just a few basic words such as Jambo or Si Jambo (meaning Hello) and asante (thank you) you will be enthralled by the response you receive.
Swahili and English are the two official languages and both are widely spoken in the main cities and towns. Out of the main towns Swahili is spoken together with many local tribal dialects.
Tanzanians are generally very modest people. In the towns and cities you will notice most are dressed quite smartly. We ask that you please dress modestly, very short skirts, bikini tops and cut off denim shorts are frowned upon anywhere other than the beaches. Please also note that nude bathing is an offence.
A diversity of religious beliefs is testament to the early Asian influence, particularly in coastal areas. The main religions are Islam, Christianity, and Hindu and there are, of course, other traditional beliefs.
SECURITY
We request that you are sensible while travelling in Tanzania, please do not walk alone along deserted beaches late at night. Please leave valuable jewellery at home or in the safety deposit boxes provided in most lodges and hotels.
Please ensure that you keep your passport and travelling money safe at all times.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Formalities are easy; you will require a visitor’s visa to enter Tanzania. This can be obtained on your arrival in Tanzania at Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar Airports. It is a simple procedure; on board your flight you will be presented a white landing card. You need to complete where indicated, remembering to sign the form. Have this form, together with your passport and $50.00usd ready to hand to the immigration officer on your arrival at the International Airport.
If you would like to apply for your visa prior to travelling to Tanzania, this can be done by downloading the form from the Tanzania High Commission’s website www.tanzania-online.gov.uk. There is a fee of £38,00 and you need to follow the instructions as stated on the web site.
INSURANCE
To travel to Tanzania you must be in possession of a valid travel insurance policy covering the full period of your holiday. Go2Tanzania can offer a policy at very competitive rates, please ask for a quote. If you already have your own policy, we will require a copy of this at the time of booking.
CURRENCY AND COSTS
The best convertible currency in Tanzania is the US dollar and there are exchange bureaus in all major towns. Banks will also exchange currency or travellers cheques. Some hotels and lodges will also exchange your traveller’s cheques but as with all countries the rate will not be too good.
Barclays and a number of other major banks now have branches in the major towns such as Dar es Salaam and Arusha, with ATM machines. As long as your card is either Maestro or Cirrus you should be able to draw cash out of these ATMs; your bank back home will normally make a charge for this service.
The currency in Tanzania is Tanzania shillings; the current exchange rate is £1 = 1,897 Tsh. You cannot purchase shillings before arrival in Tanzania.
For those on safari in the north, the town of Karatu also has a very efficient bank where you can exchange money. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, but there is usually a handling fee so always check first.
Taxi fares can vary. The best idea is to ask at the hotel reception how much a particular journey should cost and agree the fare with the driver before embarking on the journey.
Below is a rough guide of costs
Bottle of beer Tsh3, 000 (Kilimanjaro is excellent if you like a Pilsner type beer).
Wine Tsh5, 000 – Tsh20, 000
Tea and coffee Tsh1,000
Coke Tsh1,000
TIPS AND GRATUITIES
Tipping in East Africa can be the cause of some annoyance to visitors. I must stress that all the guides we use are paid a fair wage for the job they do, therefore tipping is optional. Unfortunately, the precedent has been set and the levels of tips have become exaggerated. To this end we suggest that you reward your guide, hotel staff etc. according to the service they have provided.
As a general rule we suggest that your guide is paid $20 - $40, per person, per day for each safari day. Almost all of the hotels have a tip box either at reception or in the bar, which is shared out equally with all staff members. Again we would suggest somewhere $20 - $40 per person.
Please do not take pens, sweets etc to give to children; this leads to a begging culture. If you would like to make any kind of contribution then please let us know as we support various children’s orphanages and charities in Tanzania.
EMAIL US AT: info@go2tanzania.co.uk
CALL US ON + 44 (0)15242 42018
SPEAK TO CHRISTINE
I would be delighted to talk to you about a holiday to Tanzania and/or Zanzibar