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Tanzania
Getting Started & Practical Information
When to Visit
Tanzania's major climate variations are based on
altitude. The coast can be hot and humid while the interior is cool and dry based
solely on the difference in altitude. Additionally, the interior tends to maintain
a much more consistent temperature year round, while the coast's temperature
can vary to a greater degree.
The inland's average temperatures year round are about 50˚ F (10˚ C) at night
and about 75˚ (24˚ C) during the days. In Dar es Salaam however, the average is
about 82˚ F (28˚ C) and humid from December-February or March and sinks to an average
of about 72˚ F (22˚ C) and fairly dry during July-September
The consistent in Tanzania is the rainy and dry seasons.
The rainy seasons run from mid-March to May and again from November to late December
or early January. These are the worst times to visit Tanzania if you have an interest
in the wildlife. The dry season forces the animals to find water at streams, rivers,
and lakes as the grasslands dry up, making wildlife spotting easier for you and
your guide. Unfortunately, since the dry seasons are also the peak tourist seasons,
hotel and safari prices tend to soar.
Travel plans can be disrupted on the coasts if you're there during Ramadan (ninth
month of the Islamic calendar, which rotates every year compared to the Gregorian
calendar). This Islamic holiday can close shops, restaurants, and coffee shops along
the country's coast and on Zanzibar.
Weather
Although weather can be generalized based upon years past, for more up to date weather
patterns and predicted future weather patterns, visit weather websites like weather.com; many local news sources also have information
for international weather forecasts.
Tours & Cruises
If you're looking for a pre-arranged trip, that involves little effort on your
part, then you should consider going on an organized tour or cruise. Organized tours
and cruises vary from all expenses included to only daily tours and perhaps hotels
included in the price, but all the options below will help you arrange all the details
so you don't have to worry about finding the best deal or right hotel.
Gap
Adventures: Known best among young adults, Gap Adventures provides local
transportation, housing, and food, which cuts costs and introduces the local culture,
but can also be challenging for those seeking luxury.
Intrepid Travel: Boasts
more "off the beaten track" destinations; do your research though since
some tours are very adventurous and involves camping and local hotels.
Kensington Tours: Only offers personal tours for you and your family/friends,
which allows greater flexibility, but also means slightly higher prices.
Micato Safaris:
Boasts an impressive list of "best tour operator" awards from a number
of high end travel magazines; high end, luxurious, and expensive.
Road Scholar: For older adults, Road Scholar offers tours
with an educational emphasis; formerly known as Elder Hostel.
Guidebooks
If you are just traveling on business and have little free time or are already familiar
with Tanzania, you may not need anything more than SafariTheGlobe.com's
Free Mini Guide to Tanzania!
However, if you need more detailed and up to date information, there are a number
of great country-wide, region-wide, and city-wide guidebooks available for travel
in Tanzania.
Fodor's:
Good maps and information for the major tourist locations, but has little information
for anyone heading off the beaten track. Great for those on organized tours.
Frommer's:
Incredible number of lists, which divide travel into various categories based upon
your interests. Travelers looking to spend most of their time in a single location
or on organized tours enjoy these books.
Lonely
Planet: Great maps and updated often with comprehensive housing information,
restaurants, & transportation options. Backpackers and adventurers love these
guidebooks.
Rough Guides: Cover various aspects of travel from culture to getting by
on the cheap.
Visas
Many foreign nationals need a visa to enter Tanzania, however
the requirements for citizens of different nationalities varies. To learn more about
who need visas, what type of visa is needed, what requirements are needed to obtain
a visa, and visa costs, please visit Tanzania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official Website.
Health & Insurance
Every part of the world has different health concerns and diseases, including Tanzania. Before traveling, consult with a physician to learn
more about your destination and what steps you can take to prevent illness. At the
time of writing, many countries required proof of having received a Yellow Fever
vaccination if you are arriving from Tanzania. This proof is not required to enter
Tanzania, however to return to your home country or travel onwards, most countries
require that you show proof of having been vaccinated. Additionally, a number of
other immunizations are strongly recommended, so visiting your physician prior to
travel to Tanzania is essential.
Many health insurance providers don't cover health care that is provided outside
your home country. Before going abroad check with your health insurance to see if
they cover international care. If not, consider purchasing an international medical
insurance option, preferably from a company that specializes in international medical
insurance.
Transportation
Unless you're on an organized tour or working with a travel agent, you will
have to arrange some transportation. The below links can greatly help you start
your planning, first by finding a flight to Tanzania, then
with domestic airlines and car rental agencies. If you don't know where to begin,
try the "Flight & Rental Car Search Sites" to learn competitor's
prices during your trip.
Largest International Airlines: Air France, American
Airlines; British Airways;
Cathay Pacific; China Southern Airlines;
Delta; Emirates;
KLM; LAN; Lufthansa;
Qantas; Singapore Airlines;
United Airlines.
Largest Tanzanian Airline: Precision Air
Largest Rental Car Agency in Tanzania: Sixt
Flight & Rental Car Search Sites: Expedia.com;
Farecast.com; Kayak.com;
Orbitz.com; & Travelocity.com.
Housing
Housing options are numerous in most tourist destinations, but every individual
seeks out something different when it comes to housing. The below links should help
you get started, with low- to high-end hotels, hostels, and camping options.
Popular International Hotel Conglomerates: Accor Group (various price ranges); Choice Hotels (low- to mid-price range); Hilton (various price ranges); Hyatt (high-end to resorts); InterContinental Group (mid- to high-price
range); Marriott Family (various
price ranges); Starwood Hotels
(high-end); Wyndham Hotels
(low- to mid-price range).
Hotel Search Sites:
Expedia.com; Kayak.com;
Orbitz.com; & Travelocity.com.
Hostels: Although there are many hostel websites, some of the most
popular and reputable include hostels.com,
hostelworld.com, &
hostelbookers.com.
Camping: Camping is not recommended in Tanzania unless you're
on an organized trek, since only the local guides will know which locations are
safe to camp at.
Opening Hours, Expenses, & Tipping
Tanzania's business world is theoretically on the
same time schedule as much of Europe, but local shop and
restaurant hours vary dramatically. Shops tend to open at about 9:00-10:00 am and
close at about 5:00 pm, but inconsistencies are everywhere. Many factory workers
put in much more than 40 hours a week, banana farmers never have a regular schedule,
and shops may open late, close early, or shut down mid-afternoon based upon whose
working that day and what their personal schedules look like. Having said that,
most major tourist attractions are natural, and safari and tour companies are excellent
at catering to the client and know the best times for wildlife viewings in various
locations. Weekends in Tanzania are Saturdays and Sundays.
One thing to be aware of if you plan to spend time on the coast is that during the
Islamic holiday of Ramadan (ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which rotates every
year compared to the Gregorian calendar), fasting is required from sunrise to sunset.
Due to this Islamic requirement, most shops in predominantly Muslim areas close
down and it can be difficult to find an open restaurant anywhere outside major hotels
catering to tourists.
The cost of tourism in Tanzania varies greatly by what amenities you are willing
to forgo and what kind of wildlife guides you hire. Living in small cramped quarters
with shared toilets, taking public transportation, eating at local markets, and
hiring the wildlife guide you find on the street corner whose friend has a car (which
is probably a scam) will cost pennies, while staying in nice safari lodges, hiring
reputable guide companies, eating at ethnic restaurants, and taking a hot air balloon
ride over the Serengeti can cost hundreds of dollars a day.
The first expense you'll encounter on the way to Tanzania is transportation
to the country, which can be quite high from most locations (1,200 shillings ($800)
from Europe, typically double that from
North America). However, once on the ground, local and city transportation
is very inexpensive, although safari tours (which come with transportation) are
often times about 150 shillings ($100) a day, but include transportation, guides,
and sometimes food. Food costs also vary from about $1 for a meal to well over 75
shillings ($50). Likewise, housing costs can vary from about 10 shillings ($7) to
well over 300 shillings ($200) for a nice safari lodge.
Tipping is not common among Tanzanians and if you're eating in local restaurants
and visiting local sites you don't have to worry about tipping. In most restaurants
catered to the tourist a gratuity is often included; if it's not, about 10%
is standard.
The real expense in tipping adds up in safari tours and trekking expeditions. For
safari tours, you are expected to tip your guide, driver, cooks, and porters and
they depend on these tips for survival (most of them can't make a living on
their base salaries alone). Due to the need for tips, most guides, porters, and
cooks provide excellent service, but if they neglect you and treat you poorly tipping
will only encourage them to continue their bad service to future clients. Depending
on the length of your safari and the service offered, anywhere from $1 a day for
porters to $5-10 a day to a guide is appropriate.
On treks, such as hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro,
a similar tipping scale should be used. Each porter should receive $1 a day and
cooks should receive about $10 a day in tips (per group). Guides, especially good
guides should receive more, particularly about $5-10 a day per person. These tips
($150-200 in tips per person for a 6-day Kilimanjaro trek) should be in excess of
what you are already paying for the expedition, which may double the expense of
the trek if you directly hire a local company. Many people, however chose to go
through Mt. Kilimanjaro travel companies
located in their home countries. These tours tends to be more expensive, but many
tend to have better cancellation policies, offer at least one guide from your country,
have excellent safety records, and (due to Tanzania laws) hire all local porters,
cooks, and at least one local guide so you're still helping the local Tanzanian
economy.
Crime & Safety
Tanzania can be intimidating to a minority traveler
and wearing western clothes can immediately attract followers (although many locals
wear western clothes from donation centers). There is little active violence or
aggression towards foreigners in Tanzania, however violence does exist in the region
bordering Burundi, Rwanda, and Islamic extremists from Somalia can seep into the
country, best seen with the bombing of the American embassy in Dar es Salaam (1998).
Crime in Tanzania is common place and the best ways
to prevent the loss of valuables is to leave them at home. The next best tactic
is keeping an eye on your belongings and using common sense. Most of these crimes
are petty theft like pick pocketing and bag snatching and running (especially in
large crowds), however at night in the cities the chances of armed robbery increase,
so cities are best avoided at night.
Beggars are also a common encounter in the cities. These people (often times children)
are typically harmless, however be careful of group ploys and never give them money,
since you don't know where it'll end up. If you want to help these people
wait until after your trip and make a donation to a reputable organization like
Red Cross or the United Nations.
This page was last updated: August, 2011