Tanzania is a country in Eastern Africa within the African Great Lakes region. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, the continent’s deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the Zanzibar Archipelago just offshore. “The Roof of Africa” – Mount Kilimanjaro, is in northeastern Tanzania.
Tanzania is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south; and by the Indian Ocean to the east.
The currency of Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS). 1 TZS = 100 senti.
Credit cards are not widely accepted for hotel payment, except at top-end establishments. Where they are accepted, it’s often only with commissions, so you may rely heavily on cash and ATMs.
ATMs are widespread in major towns, and all are open 24 hours, but we advise you to always have some cash prepared.
The main airport of Tanzania is Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), located 12 km away from its largest city Dar es Salaam.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) also serves most of the other international flights and is situated about 46 km east of Arusha, the gateway of Tanzania’s most popular safari circuit in the North.
Citizens of most countries require a visa, which is best obtained in advance through an official online visa-application portal, but it can also be obtained through your local Tanzania Embassy or High Commission.
Visas can also be obtained on arrival but this is a lengthy process that can take one to two hours.
A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required if you are arriving from a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission. It is best to check here.
March: Intermittent rains start at this time. Spring-like conditions are moderated by cool nights.
April and May: Rainy season, road conditions can become difficult.
June to October: Cooler dry season. Peak tourist season is July-August. Excellent viewing conditions, though many roads are dusty. Wildebeest are normally encountered in the Western and Northern Serengeti in large numbers in June and then again in mid-late October. This is an excellent time of year for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
November: Short rains begin. There’s nice greening of plants, and birds begin arriving from Eurasia. Expect intermittent showers and some flash flooding. Wildebeest are migrating back into the Serengeti at this time.
December to February: Hot dry season. Excellent for birds and animal viewing, though long grass may make some smaller species hard to see. Early February is the peak of the calving season for the wildebeest on the Serengeti Plains.
Recommended vaccines before traveling to Tanzania include Poliomyelitis, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, and Rabies. Malaria, dengue fever and cholera are common in Tanzania, so you should consider them too. Also, we advise you to check with your doctor for routine vaccines.
