Travel Info.

Accomodation in Tanzania varies ranging from luxurious game lodges in game-filled national parks, heritage buildings in the winding alleys of Stone Town, sprawling resorts and rustic beach huts lining in both Zanzibar’s and mainland beaches of Dar es salaam and other coast areas , and extending down-budget all the way to a plethora of middling mid-range hotels and the cheap, rough-around-the-edges guest houses.

There are number of accomodation types including Hotels, camps, lodges, resorts and homestay.

The public campsites are found in many of the national parks. Some have standard facilities, including taps, toilets and firewood; others are more basic with just a cleared space to park a vehicle and pitch a tent. Permits for camping in the parks must be paid for along with entry to each park. It is advisable to check the prices and site procedure before arrival. A list of public and private campsites is available from the Tanzania National Parks

It is often said that Tanzania is a cold country with a hot sun, as the blend of high altitudes and tropical sun make for a unique and variable climate. This should be kept in mind when packing for a visit. Both temperatures and climate vary drastically from region to region and even throughout a single day. Basically the traveller should come prepared for hot, cold, wet and dusty conditions. Packing for a trip to Tanzania requires some careful thought and consideration. Ultimately your packing should be dictated by the activities you are planning to undertake.

If you are travelling extensively throughout the country make sure that you bring suitable luggage. Suitcases and bags should be able to withstand plenty of handling and dusty conditions. Hard suitcases are ideal, but can take up a lot of space. If you are travelling by domestic/chartered flights within Tanzania, remember that there are luggage restrictions, particularly on smaller aircraft. Check in advance with your Charter airline or Safari/Tour operator.

For those planning a lot of travel by public transport or trekkers, a backpack is advisable. Bring a sturdy, well constructed pack with orthopaedic support and lockable zips and catches.

A small daypack is ideal for carrying cameras, travel documents and basic everyday items. Equal consideration should be paid to what you bring with you. Casual, lightweight, and comfortable clothing is usually the best. For walking safaris or game viewing on foot clothing should be of neutral colour, and white, bright or vividly patterned clothing avoided. Studies have proven that most African game animals are able to see bright blue over any other colour.

Strong footwear is advisable if you are planning to do any walking. For serious climbers and trekkers a good pair of hiking boots should be brought with you. Remember that the tropical/Equatorial sun is strong and burns quickly. Wide brimmed hats are preferable to baseball caps for sun protection. Both sunglasses and a good quality sunscreen (rated SPF15 or higher) should be used. A good quality insect repellent is worth bringing.

Tanzania offers the traveller an unparalleled range of options. The incredible diversity of landscapes, cultures, wildlife and activities mean endless opportunities.

With so many choices at hand, some people find the prospect of planning a trip quite daunting. It doesn’t have to be that way. In Tanzania it is very easy to plan and prepare for a safari that is as individual as you are, and that satisfies your own personal needs and interests.

If you are planning a trip, use this website to explore Tanzania in advance, and decide where you would like to go, what you would like to see and what you would like to do.

Use this Traveller’s guide to prepare for your trip. Here are a few important first points to think about:

How Long and How Far?

Tanzania offers a diverse range of environments all within relatively close proximity to one another, and has an excellent domestic travel infrastructure. This means that you can choice to either stay based in a single location or to move around the country and see a range of different places.

Your first decision should be how long you want to stay and how much you want to see.

Staying in a single place lets you explore that area in great detail. In wilderness areas, this is the best way to really get to experience many facets of an ecosystem. Tanzania’s rich diversity of wildlife means that no two experiences in the wild are ever the same. Each day you’ll experience and see completely different things. Spending time in a single location also allows you to really get to know and learn from the local cultures, and to get to know locals on an individual level.

Alternatively, it is possible in Tanzania to take a safari to a completely different destination every single day. This is a good option for travellers who like variety of experience and environment. In a single trip to Tanzania, you can visit tropical forests, beautiful beaches, and deserts, climb mountains and explore the wild.

Another choice is to decide on 2 or 3 destinations and spend a few days exploring each one. The choice is yours.

When you are planning your trip, think about how many destinations you’d like to visit and how long you’ll spend in each one

Information courtesy of Amref

Immunisation

The best choice of vaccines for your trip depends on many individual factors, including your precise travel plans. Vaccines commonly recommended for travellers to Africa include those against Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow fever, Rabies and Meningitis.

Certificate required for entry into, or travel between, some African countries. Several of these vaccines require more than one dose, or take time to become effective. It is always best to seek advice on immunisation well in advance, if possible around 6 weeks before departure

Tanzania Photography Tips:

1.Be patient, it may sound a little strange but patience is one of those wildlife photography tips that really will improve your wildlife pics. The most interesting animal images are the ones where they exhibit some kind of behaviour other than sleeping or walking around and to capture these type of images, takes time and patience.

2.Be prepared and ready with your camera at all times for those stunning photographs, animals suddenly appear and may only give you a glimpse. A general setting is recommended at f8, servo mode with aperture priority for the sharpest photos.

3.When taking close-up pictures with a tele-photo lens set the aperture at f8 and focus on the animal’s eyes. This guarantees that most of the animals face will be in focus in your photo.

4.When the subject is in motion, use a shutter speed of at least 1/125 for sharper images, except if you are using a panning method. Photographs of birds in flight necessitate speeds of 1/500 or more. A good starting point for wildlife photography is a lens with a 300mm in focal length. Good bird photos will require a 500mm lens.

5.Do not centre all your photos, leave room in your subject for the animal to move into. This will prevent lifeless composition and give an imitate portrayal of your subject in your images. Photographs taken at the animal’s eye-level will appear more sensational.

6.If your prime reason for going on safari is to take photos, do not go on a regular safari. You will find yourself sharing your vehicle with up to 6 guests. So do not expect to stay at any sighting long enough to take any behavioural pics.

7.Use the available light to the best advantage for all those stunning photos. One of the lesser known wildlife photography tips is that the best time for spotting wildlife animals on safari is during the early morning and late evening. Coincidentally that is also when the light is best for photography so take full advantage of this. Midday is problematic because of the harsh direct light and dark bodies against light backgrounds makes for difficult exposure of your animal pictures.

8.Getting the focus right is not as easy as it sounds especially with today’s auto focus cameras. Because there are often branches, grass and vegetation obscuring the subject in safari wildlife photos the camera can easily focus on that instead of the animal. So be careful that your camera isn’t focussing on that clump of grass in front of the subject and spoil that once in a life-time image.

9.Think carefully about the aperture you use for the best pics. By using a large aperture you can throw the background out of focus to isolate the subject on your image.

Visitors who come to Tanzania will take away with them something special to remind them of their trips to our country, be it a ring fitted with glittering Tanzanite or a carving of giraffe or buffalo on the wind-swept plains. At the Tanzanian Tourist Board, we want to make sure you get the most out of your experience shopping in our country and taking away only the best memories of your trip. What follows is advice and pointers about the most special and unique items our country has to offer, and information about where to shop, what local curios to buy, purchasing gemstone, and items to avoid, as well as useful advice about bargaining and carrying purchases back home