ABOUT TANZANIA
Tanzania is endowed with abundant natural resources and has prioritized protecting its rich biodiversity by putting 31% of its land area under protection. World wide Tanzania is the ultimate safari country due to its natural beauty and incredible biodiversity and wildlife. From the highest free standing Mountain in the world Kilimanjaro at 5,895 m (19,341 ft), to the plains of the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater which is the world’s largest unbroken caldera and the pristine white sandy beaches of Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia and Pangani, the choices are unlimited. Tanzania has more land devoted to wildlife than anywhere else in the world. The combination of Safaris and a visit to one of the coastal beach resorts can be your most unforgettable experience.
GEOGRAPHY
Tanzania is located on the east coast of Africa and is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, by Rwanda and Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, by the Indian Ocean to the east, and by Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The Tanzania mainland is divided into several clearly defined regions: the Maasai steppe and the coastal plains in the north, the prominent mountains: Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, Mount Meru in Arusha national park and the southern highlands towards Zambia and Lake Nyasa.
Tanzania has many rivers and lakes comprising nearly 61 500 km2 or about 6.5% of the total land area, 88% of which is made up of three major lakes. The main lakes are shared with neighboring countries and are generally associated with the Great Rift Valley. These include Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika both on its western border. Lake Victoria is the largest tropical lake in Africa, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, and the third-largest lake in the world. It is the primary chief reservoir of the Nile River, lying mainly in Tanzania and Uganda but bordering on Kenya. Its area is 26,828 square miles or 69,484 square km, it is surpassed in size only by Lake Superior in North America. Lake Tanganyika is the second-largest lake in Eastern Africa. It is the longest freshwater lake in the world 660 km or 410 miles and the second deepest 4,710 feet or 1, 436 meters after Lake Baikal in Russia. Tanzania has approximately 1424 km of coastline, including Zanzibar and Pemba islands, stretching along the Indian Ocean.
AREA
945,087 sq km or 364,900 sq miles.
POPULATION
61.7 Million (2022 estimate)
RELIGION
63.1% Christian, 34.1% Muslim, folk religion 1.1%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <%, other <%, unspecified 1.6% (2020 estimate)
ELECTRICITY
220 volts AC 50Hz. Plugs are square three-pin, fused or unfused. Power cuts can be common in the rainy season, though most hotels and businesses have backup generators. In some safari lodges electricity is not available during the night; it is best to check with the individual establishments prior to travel. If you have to have electricity through the might for medical reasons it is very important to inform us as far as possible in advance.
TIME: GMT +3 hours
COMMUNICATION
Basically, communication in Tanzania is not what you are accustomed to at home. Connections can be bad to nonexistent and costly. In case of emergency, our offices can pass a message to the safari vehicle. Mobile phones have reception intermittently throughout the safari. It is possible to buy local SIM cards, with data packages, but they too will only work intermittently throughout the safari. All our safari vehicles have WIFE services including some hotels, lodges, and campsite.
SECURITY
Tanzania is, overall, a safe country to visit. This is even more so if your visit is primarily an organized safari. As with many third-world countries, theft and muggings do happen, but most incidents are in cities like Dar-es-Salaam and Arusha. Take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your belongings. Walking alone around the city is not recommended. An overnight stay at a reputable hotel or an organized visit to one of the many attractions in or around the city is fine. Always check with your guide!
WILDLIFE
Campsites and lodges are unfenced, located in wild areas, where wildlife roams freely. Please do not walk un-escorted after dark even on camp or lodge grounds. Do not feed wildlife however tame it might seem. Always stay away from wildlife when on foot. In case of any doubt, call camp or lodge security to escort you to your destination. Always follow your guide’s instructions as to how to deal with wildlife and other things!
WEATHER
Tanzania is located just below the equator and does not seem to have a winter. It has two rainy and a dry season. Mount Kilimanjaro is snow-capped all year round.
In December, daytime temperature range from 7° to 90°F (21 – 32° C) and drop about 5-7 degrees at night. Later in the year, day and night temperatures can vary more due to the altitude. In June and July, early mornings can be a bit chilly on the safari but temperatures usually warm up around 10 am, so dress accordingly!
Tanzania’s weather is unpredictable, but one can generally count on two rainy seasons each year. The “long rains” typically last from the end of March until June and the “short rains” come to occur in October and November.
CURRENCY/ MONEY MATTERS
The Tanzania Shilling is the official currency of Tanzania. You can use the Tanzania Shilling for smaller expenses like shopping at local markets, restaurants, and supermarkets. The US dollar is accepted in most places and preferred over local currency. So make sure you have shillings as well as dollars in your pocket. When bringing cash in US dollars into the country, make sure bank notes are in good condition and not older than 2006. Money can only be exchanged in banks (don’t forget to bring your passport). Please do not exchange money on the street.
We recommend guests bring enough cash on their safari. At airports or in big cities like Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Moshi there are plenty of ATMs, but in smaller villages they are rare. When visiting the northern national parks, you can also find ATMs in the towns of Mto wa Mbu and Karatu on your way to the national parks. The withdrawal limit is normally 400.000 Tanzanian Shillings, but lower in rural areas. Since you probably do not want to have your pockets full of money, we also advise you to bring a credit card so that you can purchase additional services and activities or souvenirs. In our experience in tourism is that most guests tend to spend more than they intended. The prices in tourist areas are more or less the same as in Western countries, so we advise you to bring enough cash for several days. Please check with your guide before purchasing something as it requires bargaining in most shops!
MONEY IN ZANZIBAR
Make sure you bring enough cash when visiting the Islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia. The ATMs are only at the airport and in Stone Town- Barclay’s is the most reliable bank. There are no ATMs at the beaches or the Islands of Pemba and Mafia. Our experience is that travelers spend more cash in the Islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia than on the mainland since they have lots of leisure time for excursions, drinks, and dinners at restaurants. Of course, you can choose to relax at the beach all day and spend less cash. It depends on your preferences, but we advise you to take enough cash for your trip to Tanzania so you won’t run short of money.
If you have any questions regarding money, do not hesitate to contact us.
GOVERNMENT
Tanzania became a Federal Republic in 1964. Tanganyika gained independence from Briten in 1961. In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar, which had been a British protectorate until 1963 and became Tanzania. Samia Suluh Hassan is the President since 2021. Zanzibar is semi-autonomous and has its own parliament and Hussein Mwinyi is the President.
SOCIAL CONVENTIONS
Hands are always shaken when people are meeting; this applies throughout most of the country in both rural and urban areas. In some Muslim areas, a man will not shake the hand of a non-related woman. It is the convention to use the right hand, not the left, to shake hands or pass or receive anything. There is no fixed protocol to do with hospitality.
PHOTOGRAPHY
It is customary to always ask permission for taking photographs of people, especially the Maasai, who in some places charge visitors to take photographs. Do not photograph government institutions without checking with your guide.
We recommend that you bring a few spare batteries and keep them charged, as well as enough memory cards. Replacements can only be bought in the cities of Dar es Salaam and Arusha, but not while on safari.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
Passport valid for at least six months, with at least 2 free pages, is required by all nationals. Visas are required by all nationals and can be purchased on arrival at the Airport of entry but to avoid delays on arrival, you can apply for your VISA in advance of arrival through the Tanzania Consulate in your country or a visa service. Validity for a single-entry tourist visa is normally up to 3 months. Costs currently are 50-USD for most nationalities but a 100-USD for US citizens.
NOTE: It is advisable to make a photocopy of your important travel documents and keep them separate from the originals. Such as your airline tickets and passport, including the front cover and your travel insurance document showing the policy number and contact number. This will prove very helpful in the case of loss of any original documents.
CURIO AND SHOPPING
This is often cheaper in the big cities than at the Safari lodge and camps shops of the curious shops on the safari circuits. You will be approached often by vendors; a polite and firm ASANTE! or NO THANK YOU usually works. Be careful of touts offering cheap safaris and excursions most of them are very TRICK, always check with your guide! Or book through a recognized tour operator.
HAGGLING
Haggling is the way of life in Tanzania in the markets and in the rural areas. Shops and department stores normally have fixed prices. Your guide can very much assist you when you are bargaining and if you think the object is worth the amount asked for, then that is the correct price. Not all artisans put the price up to 10-fold when they see a tourist approach, but some do so it’s worth checking.
BEGGING
You may encounter sad cases of wide-eyed children in the towns or on safari who hold their hands out. It’s advisable to give pens and fruit rather than sweets or money that only worsens the problem. It may seem hard-hearted but again, it’s best to check with your guide before responding to these soulful pleas.
FOOD ( SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
There is a large variety of food served by safari lodges and camps, prepared to suit international tastes, and following Western hygiene standards. Most dietary requirements are easily catered for, as long as you inform us of those well in advance, allowing us to liaise with lodges or camps in good time.