Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re talking about visiting Tanzania, a fascinating country set on the eastern coast of Africa. A Tanzania trip is a fantastic family destination, with lots of great things to see and do. For first-time visitors, there are some things you should know before planning a trip to Tanzania.
Language in Tanzania
Tanzania is a former British colony, so English is one of the primary languages you’ll hear when you visit Tanzania. In the tourism industry, English is the main language. But there are over 120 different tribes in Tanzania, so there are over 120 different languages spoken throughout the country. However, those are exclusive to each tribe and you are not expected to learn or understand them. A secondary language spoken amongst Tanzania natives is Swahili. It does help to learn a few Swahili words:
- Jambo – Hello
- Asante – Thank You
- Pole Pole – slowly
- Simba – Lion
- Hakuna Matata – No Worries
Currency in Tanzania
In Tanzania, the currency is the Tanzanian Shilling. Most hotels and restaurants will prefer the Tanzanian Shilling, while the US Dollar is the preferred currency when you’re on safari. If you are bringing US Dollars to Tanzania, make sure you have newer bills that are crisp. They won’t always accept worn or wrinkled bills.
Credit Cards are not ubiquitous in Tanzania; some safari lodges will take credit cards, but you should always have cash on hand as a backup. You won’t find many ATMs once you are on safari, so plan ahead to have all the cash you might need.
Shopping in Tanzania
Be prepared to barter when you go shopping in Tanzania. If you’re shopping at markets, be prepared to negotiate. Aim for paying about half of the original price of something. At first glance, prices will seem silly high, but it’s all part of the game.
What to See in Tanzania
There are so many cool things to see in Tanzania. It can be difficult to narrow down an itinerary for your Tanzania vacation. There are 16 National Parks in Tanzania, plus several conservation areas. National Parks are just protecting animals, while the conservation areas still have people living within them.
A few of the best Tanzania destinations include:
- Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania. It’s a popular beach destination, but there are also a lot of historic buildings in Stone Town.
- Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania and the entry point for many visitors. Most visitors to Tanzania are here for the nature and outdoors, so Dar es Salaam is not a big tourist destination.
- Serengeti National Park is the top tourist destination in Tanzania. This is where you go to see the “big five” on safari. This includes black rhinos, cape buffalo, lions, leopards, and elephants.
- Ngorongoro Crater is a conservation area and another popular spot for safaris to view wildlife.
- Lake Eyasi is a good spot for wildlife and also one of the places where you can meet some of the local tribes. Many tours will include interactive experiences with the tribes, where you can learn from them and purchase crafts they’ve made. You can even tag along on a hunt with one of the tribes here.
Ten Shocks of a Tanzania Safari
Tanzania Accommodation
Accommodation choices in Tanzania will vary based on your destination.
- In the Serengeti, you’ll stay at camps in tents. There are many different levels of safari camps, from rustic to luxury.
- They also have safari lodges, which are like compounds. They have a main building with restaurants and then most guests will stay in cottages. These are the best places to stay with kids, as they have activities and many of them have swimming pools.
- In the more “urban” destinations, you’ll find hostels and hotels to stay in.
What NOT to Do on Safari in Tanzania
Getting to Tanzania
Most international flights will arrive in Dar es Salaam. You can also fly directly to Zanzibar from some locations. We flew into Kilimanjaro, as that was the closest airport to our safari starting point. If you’re arriving from elsewhere in Africa, there are a fair amount of flights into Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports.
You will most likely need a visa to visit Tanzania; you can do this before you arrive, or you can obtain the visa upon arrival. At this time, it’s $100 for US citizens to obtain a Tanzania visa. It’s best to have a crisp $100 bill you can use to pay for the visa upon arrival. Make sure you have two open pages in your passport as they’ll paste the visa directly into your passport.
Getting Around Tanzania
Most trips to Tanzania will be through organized tours, and your transportation will be arranged in advance. The safari trips will use Jeeps to get around. There are buses you can take to get around if you’re feeling adventurous. Motorcycle taxis are a popular way to get around the cities.
Tipping in Tanzania
When eating out in Tanzania, you can expect to round up your bill or tip 5% to 10% of your bill to the server. On safari, the tipping guideline is $5-$10 per person per day. You’ll also want to tip around $20 per day to your driver. The amount will vary based on the level of safari you are taking; more expensive safaris will have higher tipping guidelines.
When staying at safari lodges, plan to tip around $10 per day per guest room for safari staff. Most lodges will have a tip box at the end of your trip that you can tip all at once, rather than tipping each staff member or tipping each day.
Food in Tanzania
The food in Tanzania is pretty good. Rice, beef, and chicken are the staples of food in Tanzania.
- Pilau is a popular dish, which is spiced rice, with meat and vegetables.
- Ugali is another Tanzanian dish, and it’s like a thicker porridge.
- Bananas grow everywhere in Tanzania, so you’ll have them often. You might even have bananas cooked with meat, which is good.
- There are also local beers you can try; Serengeti and Kilimanjaro are both decent beers.
Other Tanzania Travel Tips
Just a few other things you should know before you visit Tanzania:
- Electrical outlets are the same as in the UK, with the three-prong plug. It’s super helpful to have an adapter that has several USB ports so you can charge multiple devices at the same time.
- If you have a telephoto lens, bring it! If you don’t have one, consider renting one as you’ll get much better photos of the animals on safari.
- A power bank or battery backup is also critical, as you’ll be out all day on safari and you’ll quickly drain your batteries.
- You might have a bit of WiFi signal at some of your camps, but don’t expect to do much other than checking email. You won’t be able to stream movies or upload a lot of photos.
- Likewise, we did have a bit of cell service for calls and texts, but we did not have 4G.
- Do not drink tap water in Tanzania. Make sure you are drinking bottled water at all times.
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A trip to Tanzania is a great experience for the whole family. It’s one of the safest countries in Africa. The Tanzania tourist sights are fantastic, and the food is pretty good, but what really stands out from our trip to Tanzania is the people. They were just fantastic. Tanzania is renowned for hospitality, and it doesn’t take long to see why. Want more Africa travel tips? Check out these other blog posts: