Tanzania Tourist Info
Visas are required by all except nationals from most Commonwealth and EU countries (except Canada), Scandinavian countries, Antiqua, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenadines, São Tomé, Principé, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Ireland, Rwanda, Romania, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Somoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These visitors are given a visitors pass on arrival valid for one to three months and extendable at the Immigration office.
Visa requirements are likely to change so please check with your local embassy or representative.
Passport must be valid for at leave six months.
Tropical weather prevails over most of Tanzania. The coastal area is hot and humid. In the northern circuit cool weather prevails from May to September. The hottest months for the whole country are from October to February. The long rains are from March to May, and the short rains from October to November. Coastal areas and the islands have tropical climate, whereas the central plateau is semi-arid and the highlands are semi-temperature.
Health:
Cholera is prevalent in many areas of Tanzania, and several strains of malaria are endemic.
Malaria:
Malaria is a serious and potentially fatal disease endemic to the region. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. You must take preventative medication : Ask your doctor. Courses of pills need to be taken typically two weeks before you go and two weeks after you get back.
Communications:
Post: International post takes two to three weeks. Poste Restante is quite reliable and post offices will hold on to mail indefinitely. Make sure your surname is clear and underlined so that staff can file it correctly.
Telephone:
The telephone system in Tanzania is a little quirky, with plenty of interference, mis-dials and disconnections. There are call boxes in Post Offices and some card phone booths in major towns (only Stone Town in Zanzibar). We recommend a 2000 units card for international calls, which work out about $5 per minute. Hotels will often charge twice this rate.
Mobiles:
are quite common in Tanzania. There is GSM reception in major towns including Dar es Salaam and Stone Town.
Internet:
There is internet availability in Dar es Salaam and Stone Town.
Fax:
Faxes can also be sent and received in many locations. Expect to pay around Tsh3000 for an international fax.
Currency:
Official Currency:
Tanzania Shilling=100 cents
Mastercard, Access and Diners Club have a limited acceptance. Travellers cheques can be exchanged with authorised deals and bureaux de change and are best taken in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. Many hotels and national parks require you make payment in foreign currency either in cash or by Travellers Cheque.
Banking & Business Hours:
Banking: Monday to Friday: 0830-1500 Saturday: 0830-1300
Shops: Monday to Saturday: 0830-1200 and 1400-1800
Travel:
Air:
Air Tanzania operates a domestic service to several towns and Zanzibar, as do various private airline operating light aircraft for six to eight people.
Train:
Tanzania's main populations centers are connected by rail link. Trains are of various standards and on longer routes you can choose between 1st class sleeping (two berth cabins) 2nd class sleeping or 3rd class seats.
Sea:
There is a daily speed boat service to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam which takes approximately 3 hours. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria have a steamer service.
Bus:
Most the roads in Tanzania are in poor condition and pot-holed. All towns are connected by bus services and on long haul routes there is a choice between luxury or ordinary service. You may need to book in advance on long haul journeys.
Electricity:
Mains supply is 230Vac, with frequent failures and surges. Plugs are British 3 square pin or two round pin types. International plug adaptors are usually fine.