GEOGRAPHY
Tanzania has an area of 943, 000 sq km and is the largest of the East African countries. The bulk of the country is highland plateau with a narrow low-lying coastal belt. Tanzania’s highest mountain, the majestic Kilimanjaro (5892) which is a great tourist attraction is located in the north-eastern part of the country along the border with Kenya.
PEOPLE
Tanzania has a population of 36,588,225 as at the last census in 2004, consisting of more than a hundred different tribal groups mostly of bantu origin. The Arab influence is evident in the people, who are a mix of Shirazi, Arabs, Comorians and Bantu from the mainland, though the latter predominate. Asians are a minority especially in the towns and cities. Europeans are an even smaller minority.
CLIMATE
Summer: December – March
Winter: March – May
BORDER POSTS
Just below the equator, Tanzania borders Kenya and Uganda in the north; Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi in the west; and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique in the south. Namanga border post (between Tanzania and Kenya) is open 24 hours per day.
RAIL/BUS
Tanzania has two rail lines: The Tazara line runs from Dar es Salaam to Zambia's New Kapiri Mposhi, via Mbeya and Tunduma. The central line runs from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma and Mwanza, via Morogoro, Dodoma and Tabora.
Rail is a safer but slower travel option, and food can be purchased on board. Crime is not a major problem, but do ensure you have your possessions with you at all times. 'Express' and 'ordinary' buses operate along Tanzania's major long-distance routes. Express buses are more comfortable, make fewer stops, and operate to a schedule, though they are slightly more expensive.
AIRPORTS
Domestic air services operate between the major airports:
Dar es Salaam International (DAR)
Kilimanjaro International (JRO)
Kishni, Zanzibar (ZNZ)
ROADS
There are 88,200 km of highways in Tanzania, but only 3,704 km of these are blacktop. The key roads are in good condition, though most of them are in a relatively bad condition.
Road conditions in the reserves and national parks of Tanzania are extremely rough. During the rainy season, many roads are only passable with 4 x 4 vehicles. Tanzania is definitely not recommended as a self-drive destination. Any 4 x 4 drive vehicles for safaris usually have to be hired with a driver.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
This is a guide only – please check with your nearest Tanzanian consulate for up to date information. All visitors are required to carry a passport that is valid for six months beyond the intended length of stay. There should be sufficient blank pages for entry stamps upon arrival.
Nationals of some countries may obtain visas upon arrival. Check with the Tanzanian consulate beforehand.
ZANZIBAR
Despite being part of the union of Tanzania, Zanzibar remains independent. Passports and a Tanzanian visa are required for even a single day's visit. Requirements may change so you are advised to contact your nearest Tanzanian consulate before finalising your travel arrangements. Visas cost US$10-60 depending on nationality and are usually valid for three months.
GENERAL ACCOMODATION INFO
Most safari lodges vary in size and style, and are built to blend in with the local environment. Accommodation tends to be of rondavel or banda type, with a lounge, central dining and bar in single unit hotels. Do not be misled by the term “tented accommodation” – these tends to be luxurious insect-proof tents and are usually permanently pitched on concrete bases, often including en suite bathrooms with flush toilets. These are very popular and give the visitor the true experience of being close to nature without the inconvenience and discomfort that can be associated with camping in the open. In the towns, cheaper hotels are definitely avoidable. Prices for higher range hotels vary according to season. Note that although prices may be quoted in US$, payment in local currency is the acceptable as well. Campsites in national parks and game reserves tend to be very basic, with running water, but only pit toilets. It is strongly recommended that you reserve all your accommodation as far in advance as possible as availability is often at a premium, especially in peak season.
HEALTH
Visitors must produce a valid yellow fever certificate obtained no less than ten days prior to travel. It is also crucial that you obtain malaria prophylactics before entering Tanzania. When purchasing these, please tell your doctor or pharmacist that you intend visiting Tanzania. Precautionary measures to take to prevent contact with mosquitoes include: insect repellent, cover up at sundown, sleep under a mosquito net and wear long sleeve clothing and long trousers in the evenings. Immunizations against cholera, polio, hepatitis A & B, typhoid and tetanus are recommended if traveling by road. There is a current warning that certain immigration authorities are insisting on cholera certificates or will administer a vaccine themselves.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Medical facilities are limited and medicines are often unavailable. If medical assistance is given, doctors and hospitals require immediate payment. It is therefore advisable to obtain medical insurance prior to travel.
Emergency services and first aid are unavailable outside major cities and tourist areas. It is wise to bring with you any medication you may require, as you will not have access to pharmacies in most of the areas you'll visit.
SAFETY
Tanzania is considered to be generally safe, but extra care should be taken in Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam. In the past there have been reports of muggings in game reserves. Although the government has stepped up security, it is better to be careful and to stay in close vicinity to other vehicles during your visit. Driving at night is not recommended.
WATER
Drink only boiled or bottled water, and bottled or canned drinks. If camping, bring your own drinking water and all other camping provisions.
WHAT TO PACK
Generally, casual comfortable clothing is suitable throughout the year. The most practical items to pack for safari are:
- Dry fast clothes, beige, tan and neutral colors.
- Blouses and shirts with long sleeves.
- T – Shirts.
- Shorts or a light skirt.
- Jeans or safari trousers for evenings and cooler days.
- Some hotels and country clubs require gentlemen to wear a jacket and a tie and women to be suitably attired for dinner.
- A jacket and sweater are recommended for early morning and evening game drives.
- Swimwear and beach apparel.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- Sun block, sunglasses, hat, insect repellent, moisturizer and lip salve are all essentials.
If you are traveling with an organized safari, it is important to check what your weight limit is. Generally you will need to restrict your luggage to 10-12 kg (packed in a soft bag) plus a reasonable amount of camera equipment.
CURRENCY
Tanzania operates a decimal system based on the Tanzanian Shilling. Notes are in denominations of 200, 500, 1000, 10,000. Foreign currency- cash as well as travellers cheques- may be exchanged at banks, bureau de change or the larger hotels. Tipping for good service (10%) is always appreciated.
EXCHANGE RATE
The Tanzanian Shilling is a weak currency, and prices are likely to be much cheaper in Tanzania than in your home country. Generally you will find that fine cuisine, wine and entertainment cost a fraction of the tariff charged by equivalent establishments elsewhere.
BANKS
Banks and foreign exchange bureaus are available at international airports and in all big towns. Banking hours are 08:30 to 15:00 from Monday to Friday, and 08:30 to 13:30 on Saturdays. A few branches in the major towns open until 16:30 on weekdays.
Foreign currency in cash or traveler’s cheques may be exchanged through authorized dealers, commercial banks, and at Bureau de Change at the international airports, major towns and border posts. Visitors are strongly advised against changing money on the black market. Some of the black marketers are undercover policemen, while others are likely to be con artists.
CREDIT CARDS
Visa and MasterCard are accepted by most top hotels and lodges around the country. In addition to credit cards, travelers should bring US dollars cash and traveler’s cheques.
TIPPING
Tipping is not expected in small establishments (especially in rural areas), but tips will be expected in major towns and tourist centers. Up market places will include a service charge on the bill. Haggling is quite acceptable in shops selling local handcrafts.
SOUVENIRS
Tanzania has a good selection of traditional local crafts. These are available from craft shops in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and other major towns. There are also a number of craft centers and artists' cooperatives where prices are very reasonable.
TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS AND RESERVES
LAKE MANAYARA NATIONAL PARK
Lake Manyara covers 360 square kilometers, 230 of which are alkaline lake. The lake is also watered by fresh groundwater gushing from natural springs from the nearby evergreen forest and also from the base of the western wall of the Rift Valley. The combination of fresh and alkaline water bodies, lush evergreen forest, acacia woodland and patches of grassland has given rise to more than 400 different species being recorded in this park.
NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
The famous Ngorongoro Crater is a World Heritage Site situated at the eastern edge of the Serengeti in northern Tanzania. The crater is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world at 300 square kilometer and 610 meters deep. Nearly three million years old, the once-volcanic Ngorongoro is now considered “Africa’s Garden of Eden”; it is ringed with steep walls and forests, grasslands, fresh springs and a large soda lake at its centre. This diverse array of micro-habitats is a haven for thousands of wild game and a spectacular birdlife.
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Arusha National Park embraces an area of only 52sq km(20 miles) and is less than half an hour’s drive from Arusha, it is remarkable for its range of habitats- a miniature volcanic crater, highland rain forest, acacia woodland and a string of crater lakes-and for the range of game animals and birds which occur there.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Serengeti, the largest and best known of Tanzania’s National Parks covers an area of over 14,500sq km (5600sq miles). Serengeti means endless plains in the Maasai language and over 1 million wildebeest congregate to feed and breed on the lush grasslands before moving on to better feeding grounds in Maasai Mara in a spectacular migration termed as Africa’s biggest wildlife spectacle. The birdlife is also amazing; over 300 species have been listed here.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
Tarangire National Park covers an area of 1,360sq km (525sq miles) of park like country with scattered baobab trees alternating with open acacia woodland, open bush, plains, swamps and rivers and stands of palm trees. Big game and birds are abundant.
KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK
Kilimanjaro National Park covers an area of 1864sq km (720sq miles) of Africa’s highest mountain, the summit at 5894m (19340ft). At lower altitudes the Park consists of mountain rain forest, giving way to scrub-there is no bamboo zone on Kilimanjaro-then alpine moorland and finally ice fields. The most interesting mammal in the mountain forest is Abbot’s Duiker, uncommon antelope restricted to a few mountain forests in northern Tanzania.
MUSEUM, HISTORICAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES
ZANZIBAR ARCHIPELAGO
Legendary use to be known as the “Spice Island” with its fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets, to palm fringed beaches and pristine coral reefs. The Stone towns in Zanzibar town are more important and historical architecture, House of Wonders, Palace Museum, Old fort, Anglican Cathedral & Old Slave Market, Hamamni Persian Baths, Peace Memorial Museum, and the Living Stone House.
There are a number of historical sites, Mbweni and Chukwani: Used as a settlement for freed slaves
Maruhubi Palace: Built by Sultan Bargash in 1882, the Persian Bath: were built in 1850 by Sultan Seyyid Said for his wife, Mangapwani Caves: It’s believed that they were used by slave traders to hide slaves after the trade was made illegal in the 19th century, Jozani Forest: It host population of the rare Red-Colobus monkey, as well Sykes monkeys, Bush babies, Ader duikers, Dassies and among other species.
OLDUVAI GORGE
This is a site of archeological findings, where traces of pre-historic man dating back to 3.5 million years ago have been discovered. The famous Ngorongoro Crater is a World Heritage Site situated at the eastern edge of the Serengeti in northern Tanzania. The crater is the largest unbroken ancient caldera in the world at 300 square kilometer and 610 meters deep. Nearly three million years old, the once-volcanic Ngorongoro is now considered “Africa’s Garden of Eden”; it is ringed with steep walls and forests, grasslands, fresh springs and a large soda lake at its centre. This diverse array of micro-habitats is a haven for thousands of wild game and a spectacular birdlife.
EGARUKA
This is a small village famous for the nearby ruins of a complex irrigation system with terraced stone housing site estimated to be at least 500years old, some speculation is that it was built by the Iraqw (Mbulu) people who live in the area today. |
