If you have chosen to embark on a trip to Tanzania or Zanzibar, you have made one of the best decisions of your life, because it is one of the best trips you can experience.
Now, however, you need to plan your trip and prepare as best you can. That’s why we have written this guide that contains all the tips for safe travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar, from how to get to this land to what vaccinations and medical precautions to take.
If you are about to travel to Tanzania for a safari, it is essential that you are prepared and feel safe and secure so that you don’t ruin the experience. Together we’ll look at how to get there, how to defend your health and keep disease at bay, and all the information you need to experience a safe safari in Tanzania.
How to Get to Tanzania
To go on a safari, you first need to get to Tanzania—but don’t worry, it’s really easy!
Tanzania, in fact, is easily reached either by sea or by air, although the second choice is significantly better. There are three possible airports at which to land: Dar es Salaam International Airport (DIA), Zanzibar International Airport (ZIA) andKilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). All of our itineraries begin at the latter airport, located in one of Africa’s best-known locations.
Starting from Italy, it is not possible to reach Tanzania by direct scheduled flights, so you have to book a charter flight. We recommend booking your flight as early as possible so you can save money.
Tanzania is indeed a place as enchanting as it is large, and within it there are so many parks and other places to visit that it is almost impossible to experience it fully in fewer days. When preparing for safaris in Tanzania and Zanzibar one should try to take at least a week, so that one has time to sample all the wonders of this African land.
There are so many things to see in Tanzania: there are dozens of parks, lakes, and coastal destinations—such as Zanzibar and Mafia—that are just as enchanting.
We offer itineraries ranging from 4 days, such as the Dumbo Safari, to 9-day itineraries, such as the Mamba Safari, which we highly recommend because they offer truly unique experiences.
When to Go on a Safari in Tanzania
When planning a safari in Africa, it’s essential to choose the best time to go. The best time to visit Tanzania depends on several factors, such as temperature, animal migration patterns, and the places you plan to visit.
The best months of the year to visit Tanzania are: June, Luglio, Agosto, Settembre and October.
- September and October, for example, are the two best times to visit Arusha National Park, known for its pink flamingos. During this time of year, you can also see—still in the Arusha area—numerous buffalo, one of the Big Five, Africa’s largest animals.
- October is by far the best month to go on a safari in Tanzania, both because of the abundance of wildlife in all the parks and the low likelihood of rain.
- December, January, and February, on the other hand, are the best times to visit Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, because if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see the animals in the area giving birth.
For those who want to reach Tanzania because they love nature, it will be best to choose the period from May to October. For wildebeest migration, on the other hand, it is good to reach Tanzania around June-July, while bird-watchers will fall in love with the rainy period around November-April, during which we recommend lingering in the Serengeti.
What vaccines are needed to travel safely in Tanzania and Zanzibar
If you’re wondering how totravel safely in Tanzania, you’ve surely considered which medications and vaccines you’ll need and which ones are mandatory. In reality, despite the rather poor medical and sanitary conditions—especially in non-touristy areas—this is a fairly safe country for tourists, and if you travel with a tour operator, you’ll always visit places with good sanitary conditions where it’s unlikely you’ll get sick.
There are two main diseases to be wary of in Tanzania: yellow fever and malaria, but there are NO mandatory vaccinations.
The yellow fever vaccination is mandatory, but only for those entering Tanzania by land from high-risk countries or for those arriving by air after a layover of 12 hours or more at airports in high-risk countries.
Most serious and dangerous disease in Tanzania is malaria. Here are some useful behaviors to prevent the outbreak of the infection caused by the bite of the anopheles mosquito.
- Wear protective, insect-repellent clothing
- Use Biokill, one of the most recommended insecticides available both online and at pharmacies; it can be sprayed on clothing and remains effective for about 15 days.
- Take malaria prophylaxis (NOT recommended)
- Contact the international travel center at your local public health authority (ASL), which will assess your situation and advise you on what medical precautions to take
Recommended Vaccinations, but not mandatory; rather, they are the ones trivalent polio-tetanus-diphtheria vaccine and for Hepatitis B.
Quali visti e documenti servono
Per effettuare safari in Tanzania sono fondamentali due diversi documenti.
- Il passaporto, il quale dovrà avere validità residua di 6 mesi al momento dell’ingresso nel Paese.
- Il Visto d’Ingresso, il quale è richiesto sia per viaggi di tipo turistico che lavorativi ed ha un costo di 42,40 €. Il visto d’ingresso va richiesto prima della partenza presso l’Ambasciata di Tanzania a Roma o il Consolato Onorario di Milano, mentre il modulo di richiesta è facilmente scaricabile a questo link: http://www.embassyoftanzaniarome.info/
Qual è la valuta in Tanzania
In Tanzania and Zanzibar, the Tanzanian shilling is used, with the following exchange rates:
1 Euro = 2,773.7720 Tanzanian shillings
1 Tanzanian shilling = 0.0004 Euro
1 U.S. dollar = 2,245.6056
There are numerous currency exchange offices in Tanzania that accept both euros and dollars. Credit cards, however, are not widely accepted, and a 5–10% fee is often charged on each purchase. It is advisable to exchange currency in your home city, as it is more cost-effective.
What is the time zone in Tanzania?
Italy and Tanzania may seem very far apart, yet the time zone in Tanzania differs by only a few hours. In fact, Tanzania is two hours ahead of Italy. Their time zone is
- Eastern Africa Time (EAT), UTC/GMT +3
This means that if it is 10:00 a.m. at our place, it will be 12:00 p.m. in Tanzania.
What to Pack for a Safari
To travel safely in Tanzania, it’s essential to keep a few things in mind and pack two types of clothing: lightweight and practical for safaris in the warmer parks, and warm and windproof for colder conditions—such as on Kilimanjaro—especially when trekking to the summit.
Clothing should be light-colored (white is not recommended because it gets dirty right away and darker colors because they attract mosquitoes and sunlight), comfortable, light and opaque. It is essential to wear long-sleeved sweaters and shirts, opaque socks or otherwise clothing that reduces the area of exposed skin so as to avoid insect bites. Sweatshirts and windbreakers are also recommended during dry seasons, where morning and evening temperatures are quite low.
It is then essential to remember all documents and visas, medications, equipment and so on. To facilitate this, we have made a small checklist with everything you need. You can easily download the list with things to bring on a safari in Tanzania by clicking here.
