Tanzania

What is Tanzania’s currency? What time is it in Tanzania? How can I make a call to or from Tanzania? When going on holiday to Tanzania for the first time, these are important questions most travellers ask – below we’ve tried to answer these frequently asked queries as well as we can.

Know before you go

As you plan your trip, and before you travel, we recommend that you check the latest Foreign Office advice on the places that you’re going to – regardless of where you are travelling to, or how you are travelling. See FCO’s Tanzania advice here, or its info on other countries here.
We urge you to do this, as we recommend that all our travellers keep themselves up to date with the current foreign office advice on their destination countries.

Time in Tanzania

Tanzania is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3). It doesn’t operate daylight saving time, hence there’s no time difference between their summer and winter months.

Currency in Tanzania

Tanzania’s currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS). At the time of writing (Apr 2013) £1 = Tsh2,437 – see www.oanda.com for the latest rates. Most camps and lodges charge in US$ (Aug 2009: £1 = US$1.69); very few now accept travellers’ cheques, although most accept credit cards (Visa or MasterCard) but may charge a fee to do so. Buying Tanzania’s currency in Europe or America can be difficult; many visitors will wait until they arrive in Tanzania to buy local currency.

Tanzania’s International Dialling Code

The International Dialling Code for Tanzania is +255, followed by area codes (e.g. (0)22 for Dar es Salaam, or (0)27 for Arusha). Calling from Tanzania, you dial 00 plus the relevant country code (44 for the UK, 1 for the USA).

Food in Tanzania

The food served in Tanzanian safari camps varies, but is often delicious – the equivalent of a reasonable restaurant in Europe or America.

In Tanzania’s towns and villages, the food is usually simpler. Plain grilled meat, nyama choma, is very popular, and often served with sauce, rice, chips, plantains or ugali (cornmeal or cassava mush). Indian cuisine is also wide spread. The locally brewed beer is good, including Serengeti, Safari, Kilimanjaro, mbege (homebrew from the Chagga people) and banana beer; imported beers (e.g. Tusker from Kenya) and wine are also excellent.

Health in Tanzania

Tanzania is a tropical country and vaccines are sensible (typhoid, polio, tetanus and yellow fever). Malaria is common and occurs all year round; you must take anti-malarial measures, especially in areas below 1800m! Always check the latest recommendations with your clinic or doctor – more travel info on Tanzania is provided by the Scottish NHS.

In Tanzania, HIV infection rates are high; AIDS is prevalent here. This isn’t usually an issue for visitors, but they should be aware of the situation, and take the same sensible precautions to avoid infection which are wise in most countries. We understand that blood supplies used by the private hospitals in Tanzania have been carefully screened for many years.

Language in Tanzania

KiSwahili and English are the official languages and spoken by most people living in Tanzania; as well as this, there are many ethnic groups, speaking localised languages and dialects. Try to learn some basic KiSwahili before you go, to help you enjoy your trip more!

Laundry in Tanzania

Virtually all camps and lodges have a laundry service, although sometimes, because of religious taboos, women’s underwear cannot be included.

Taking children to Tanzania

A few of Tanzania’s safari camps are suitable for children, others aren’t; Tanzania’s beach destinations are generally very good for relaxed family getaways. For detailed advice, call our expert team, or see our ideas for family holidays in Tanzania.

Visas for Tanzania

At time of writing (Apr 2013), travellers with British passports, as well as US citizens, require visas for Tanzania (or Zanzibar). If you are living in the UK, then these are best obtained in advance from the Tanzanian High Commission, and cost (Apr 2013) £43 per single entry. Always check the latest regulations with your nearest Tanzania Embassy or High Commission before you travel.

Tanzania is a country in East Africa. Many fascinating tourist attractions in Tanzania. Tanzania contains three of the most famous African-such as lake in northern Victoria, Tanganyika in the west, and Nyasa in the south, Mount Kilimanjaro in the north, 19,340 feet (5895 m), is the highest point on the African continent. And the island of Zanzibar which separated from the mainland by a channel along the 22 miles.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Northern Tanzania

Located 340 km south of the equator, Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the three mountains open to the eternal snow on the equator, in addition to the top of Cayambe in Ecuador and Jaya in Indonesia. As the main object in Tanzania and the symbol of the East African countries, in 1973, Kilimanjaro region, used as a National Park, and in 1987, Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) is recognized as a World Natural Heritage by the United Nations. Currently, the Kilimanjaro region with Kibo Peak (5895 m above sea level) as the highest roof of the African continent, visited by more than 35,000 visitors each year.

Various facilities of access, accommodation, security, and professional guide services, enabling more people to enjoy the natural beauty of Mount Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro as a world natural heritage and improve itself in four years and tourist arrivals increased over threefold. gentle year round.

Location: Northern Tanzania

Serengeti National park

Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site. The Serengeti is famous for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. The resident population of lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, and birds is also impressive. There’s a wide variety of accommodation available, from luxury lodges to mobile camps. The park covers 5,700 sq miles, (14,763 sq km), it’s larger than Connecticut, with at most a couple hundred vehicles driving around.

Serengeti located on 335km (208 miles) from Arusha, stretching north to Kenya and bordering Lake Victoria to the west. At there you can enjoy Hot air balloon safaris, walking safari, picnicking, game drives, bush lunch/dinner can be arranged with hotels/tour operators. Maasai rock paintings and musical rocks. Visit neighbouring Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano and Lake Natron’s flamingos.