Preparing for your Tanzanian Safari/Trip
What kind of clothing do I need?
We recommend that you bring light casual clothes in neutral or muted colours (brighter colours can attract insects, and we urge you not to wear blue clothing as this is particularly attractive to certain insects!) We also urge you to bring sunglasses, sunscreen, hat with ties so it doesn’t blow off in the wind, and insect repellent if you go on safari. In the evenings it can get rather chilly, especially in the desert areas and in the months of May-August, so bring a warm sweater and a scarf. Certain 5-star hotels require a smart dress code for dinner, though most do not, and simply require you to be clean and fairly presentable!
What kind of shape do I need to be in?
Our programs are private, and so you get to choose the activity level of your safari. Traditional Land Rover safaris require little or no physical activity, with days spent exploring the terrain from the comfort of your vehicle. However, if you want to, you can add all kinds of active adventures to your safari, including hiking (soft or strenuous, long or short), boating trips, mountain treks, hunting walks etc. Just let us know your preferences! Our “Walking in Untouched Landscapes” program is quite active. This trip can include anything from 08 to 10 walking days. Each walking day involves 3 to 6 hours on foot, with a Land Rover shadowing the group so you can walk as much of that time as you want and ride the rest of the way. On these trips, you also spend some time in a traditional Land Rover safari, but these safaris are definitely for people who want to be more active.
Do I need any vaccinations or medications before coming to Tanzania?
Before you leave for Tanzania you should consult your physician, who will be able to give you the most up-to-date information. Our advice below can help to inform you before your trip but should not replace a consultation with your doctor. It is advised to take malaria prophylaxis – usually Doxycycline, Lariam or Malarone. All three are different – again, ask your doctor for more advice. If you arrive from or travel through a yellow fever endemic zone before arrival into Tanzania, then vaccination for Yellow Fever obligatory. The Yellow Fever Endemic Zone includes the following countries: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D’Ivore, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Togo, Benin, Sao Tome and Principe, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Republic of Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somali, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Bolivia. According to official regulations this is only needed if spending 12 hours or more in these countries (including the airports). But is has become common practise that health officers at Kilimanjaro, Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar Airport ignore this official regulation and insist on being shown a proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination on arrival on Kenya Airways, Uganda Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, even if you have only been on a short transit. If you have a Yellow Fever Vaccination Card it is advisable to present it to the Health Officers on arrival. If you don’t have one, be prepared for some unfortunate discussions. In some rare cases arriving passengers have even been vaccinated in the airport. There are medical officers there, general hygiene is being obeyed and new sterile syringes are used, but still, it an unfortunate situation if it comes to it. There is something of a discrepancy between official government publications and common practise at the airports, but this is absolutely beyond our control as a tour operator. Other vaccinations like hepatitis and tetanus are recommended.
Do I need a visa to enter Tanzania?
Visitors from most countries require a visa in order to enter Tanzania. Most can purchase a visa at the point of entry. You need a passport valid at least half a year, one clear page in your passport, and (again, in most cases) USD 50 in cash. You do not need a photograph – your picture will be taken with a digital camera at the visa desk. It is usually a very quick and simple procedure, though queues can get quite long if your flight was very busy and/or there are several arrivals at the same time. Notable exceptions include but are not limited to: American and Irish citizens – need to pay USD 100, and must purchase a multiple entry visa (since September 2007) Pakistani citizens – need to pay USD 200 Nationalities requiring a referred visa – from Lebanon, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Senegal, Mali, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Ethiopia, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Saud Arabia, Jordan, Srilanka, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Niger, Liberia. Citizens from these countries need to apply in advance through their Tanzanian embassy abroad Remember that if you intend to fly to Nairobi and then travel on to Tanzania, you will require a transit visa at USD 20 per person, or if re-entering Kenya afterwards, maybe a multiple entry visa to enter Kenya, even if it is only for a few hours. The visa for Kenya and Tanzania is also USD 50 per person for each country (except for American and Irish citizens, as above).
Are there any luggage restrictions?
On domestic flights in Tanzania, the planes are often small and light, especially if travelling from or to national parks, or on the very short flight between Dar Es Salaam and Tanzania. The per person luggage allowance for checked baggage is 15kg per person (except on Precision Air when it is 20kg per person). In addition you are allowed one piece of hand luggage as usual. In reality, bags are usually not weighed – especially when flying from airstrips out in the bush. However, if you are very clearly over the luggage allowance, the carrier of course reserves the right to charge per excess kilo. The cost varies from carrier to carrier, but is usually somewhere around USD 3-5 per extra kilo. Whether the extra weight is actually charged or not depends on load that day, where you fly from, and the carrier you fly with. As far as we are concerned, we advise you to pack sensibly in rucksacks or soft-sided suitcases. This makes packing your luggage into the safari vehicle much easier.
Can I store luggage with you to be picked up at a later point during my trip?
We have offices in Arusha, just outside the centre of town, and in Zanzibar, a few minutes from the airport. If desired clients can leave luggage with us free of charge, to be picked up at a later point. The most common situation where clients do this is when climbing Kilimanjaro – they store their safari and/or beach gear with us in Arusha, and we bring it with us later when picking you up after the mountain climb. If you think you will have some excess luggage, or want to leave some things with us during certain parts of your program, please let us know, and we will advise you on the best solution logistically.