TANZANIA TRAVEL INFORMATION

THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: The largest country of East Africa, Tanzania is located to the south of the equator. To the north, it borders with Kenya and Uganda, to the south with Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, to the West with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. The Indian Ocean touches its eastern shore. Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa (5895 m) – is located on north eastern border of the country. The Great Valley crosses through the territory of the country. The three great lakes of Tanzania are Lake Tanganyika on the Western border, Lake Victoria to the North West and Lake Nyasa to south west. The Tanzanian Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba are off the coast in the Indian Ocean.

THE CAPITAL CITY: Dodoma is the capital and administrative city of Tanzania.

LANGUAGES: Swahili and English.

RELIGION: Christianity 45%, Islam 35%, traditional local beliefs 20%. On the island of Zanzibar, the population is 99% Muslim.

VISA: Visas can be obtained from the embassies and consulates of Tanzania, and also at the point of entrance to the country, i.e. at the airports in Dar es Salaam and Arusha and at border points. To obtain a visa at the embassy it is necessary to have the following: a passport (renewed not less than 3 months from the day of obtaining visa), 2 application forms and 2 passport sized photographs (3X4). The visa fee is $65.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: one should have a valid yellow fever inoculation card. Ant malarial tablets like lariam are recommended. Lariam should be taken at least one week before travelling to Tanzania, the entire period of stay in the country and at least a week after leaving the country. Most of the big cities have drugstores, but it is recommended that you carry your own medicine as recommended by your doctor.

TIME: +3 GMT.

CLIMATE: Subequatorial (equatorial monsoon). The mean temperatures of the warmest months range between +25 to +28, and the coldest between +12 to +15. The climate in Tanzania is quite dry most of the time. The driest season is between June and September. The hottest period is between January and March. Long rains are usually between the months of April and May, while the short rainy season starts at the end of September till the beginning of November. However, these seasons never interfere with any safari programme.

CURRENCY: The Tanzanian shilling (TSH). At the airports, points of entry and at the banks in the city, you can change your foreign currency into Tanzanian shillings at the standing rates. Since 2006, the government forbade the use of US dollars issued prior to 2001. It is illegal to change money on the streets, though it isn’t necessary to show your passport at forex bureaus.

CUSTOMS: Duty free entry is permitted for the following: 200 cigarettes; 1 bottle of spirit alcohol; 600g of perfume. It is prohibited to import fruits, seedlings and seeds; narcotics; and pornographic literature. It is forbidden to export stuff made of ivory, animal hides and remains. For the export of certain souvenirs, it is necessary to declare that they are not for trading purposes.

ELECTRICITY: The country’s voltage is 240V, with three pinned English style sockets. In Lodges and camps (on safari) they use generators for electricity which they switch during sleeping hours at night.

POPULATION AND CULTURE: Tanzania offers a colorful mixture of peoples and cultures. In contrast to other African countries, Tanzania has never had any ethnical conflicts.

TIPPING: Tipping is expected in Tanzania. It is always better to give a tip in the local currency. In the restaurants tips compose of 10% of the total cost of the bill. On safari, tips compose of an equivalent of $10 - $20 per person per day for the driver/ guide. Porters are tipped approximately 1 US dollar, and room maids 1 US dollar a day.