Tanzania

Introduction

Ngorongoro Crater Safari

© All Rights Reserved Winkekatze

Sailors return from Zanzibar with tales of the heavy scent of cloves that can be smelt even before the island is visible on the horizon. Zanzibar, known alternatively as the Spice Island, has made its impression on the world for centuries, acting as a significant trading port for Arabs and Europeans alike. Now, in a smart political move that's had great ramifications for tourists, the island has joined forces with Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Travelling there never looked so good. The fine attractions of Zanzibar are packaged together with the mainland's equally impressive collection of crowd-drawers: Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa's tallest peak and arguably its most rewarding climb), Dar es Salaam (the capital and hub of cultural activity), Serengeti National Park (for East Africa's best safari) and the sensational Ngorongoro Crater. The range and frequency of Tanzania's highlights makes it one of your best bets for a great East African holiday.

Brief History

Tanzania is probably one of the oldest countries ever to be known continuously inhabited areas on Earth; fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids have been found dating back over two million years. About 2000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people began to arrive from western Africa in a series of migrations. Later, Nilotic pastoralists arrived, and continued to immigrate into the area through to the 18th century. Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and Western India have visited the East African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practised on the Swahili coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the center for the Arab slave trade.

In the late 19th century, Imperial Germany conquered the regions that are now Tanzania (minus Zanzibar), Rwanda, and Burundi, and incorporated them into German East Africa. During World War I, an invasion attempt by the British was thwarted by German General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who then mounted a drawn out guerrilla campaign against the British. The post-World War I accords and the League of Nations charter designated the area a British Mandate, except for a small area in the northwest, which was ceded to Belgium and later became Rwanda and Burundi). British rule came to an end in 1961 after a relatively peaceful (compared with neighbouring Kenya, for instance) transition to independence, with Julius Nyerere as the first president. After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab regime in neighboring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, the island merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the nation of Tanzania on 26 April 1964. Nyerere set up one-party rule. The communist bloc powers of China, East Germany and the USSR established friendly relations with the new regime. Corruption was rampant.

Years of socialism left the country as one of the poorest, the least developed and the most aid-dependent in the world. From the mid 1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. From the mid 1980s Tanzania's GDP per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced and tourism has risen to proportions which are becoming almost beyond sustainability.

Geography

At 947,300 km², Tanzania is the world's 31st-largest country. Compared to other African countries, it is slightly smaller than Egypt and comparable in size to Nigeria. It lies mostly between latitudes 1° and 12°S, and longitudes 29° and 41°E. Tanzania is mountainous in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (the continent's deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish); to the southwest lies Lake Nyasa. Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore.
Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Park in the west is known as the site of Dr. Jane Goodall's studies of chimpanzee behaviour. The government of Tanzania through its department of tourism has embarked on a campaign to promote the Kalambo water falls in the southwestern region of Rukwa as one of Tanzania's main tourist destinations. The Kalambo Falls are the second highest in Africa and are located near the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. The Menai Bay Conservation Area is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area. The Engaresero village on the Western shores of Lake Natron has been chosen by the government of Tanzania to exemplify the Maasai pastoral system given its singularity, integrity, high diversity of habitats and biodiversity. The site also has major additional significance, because of the presence of Lake Natron and the volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, which have immense ecological, geological and cultural value. The community has demonstrated a strong resilience in facing threats to their systems, and has maintained associated social and cultural institutions, which ensure its sustainability under prevailing environmental conditions.

Regions

• Northwestern Tanzania includes the Serengeti and access to Lake Victoria.
• North Coast of Tanzania
• North Coast of Tanzania
• Central Tanzania is a vast grassland plateau
• Northern Highlands includes Africa's tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro
• Southern Highlands
• Southern Tanzania
• Western Tanzania includes Lake Tanganyika and Katavi National Park
• Southern Highlands
• Zanzibar, an island off Tanzania's coast in the Indian Ocean.

Cities

• Dar es Salaam - the biggest city
• Dodoma - the capital
• Arusha - gateway to the Kilimanjaro
• Moshi
• Mwanza
• Kigoma
• Tanga
• Mbeya
• Mtwara

Sights and Activities

Tanzania is one of the best countries in Africa to experience a real African safari and along with Kenya it probably is the best in East Africa. For more information about a safari in Tanzania check the safari article for more details about possibilities, costs and parks to choose from.

Serengeti National Park

Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park, the Serengeti National Park is famed 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.

Ngorongoro Crater

After a good meal in Ngorongoro

© All Rights Reserved Utrecht

The Ngorongoro Crater with its steep walls of 610 metres has become a natural enclosure for a very wide variety of wildlife, including most of the species found in East Africa, except the giraffe. Aside from herds of zebra, gazelle and wildebeest, the crater is home to the "big five" of rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo, and is often an excellent chance to see wildlife.

Selous Game Reserve

The Selous Game Reserve is the second biggest game reserve of Africa and you can find wild dogs here as well, next to most large predators and large herds of elephants. You can join a guide for a walking safari.

Katavi National Park

Katavi National Park isn't the biggest park in Tanzania but it is the remotest (by far) and is simply jam packed with game. It's famous for having the highest density of mammals per sq km of all Tanzanias parks and for it's huge herds of buffalo (1-2,000). However the best feature is that no-one knows about Katavi. It thus it only receives about 300 visitors per year in comparison with Serengeti's 2 million. The park entrance fees are also less than all other Tanzanian parks.

Lake Tanganyika

Tanganyika Sunset

© All Rights Reserved robandpol

Lake Tanganyika is the longest and second deepest lake in the world. It is not easy to get to, but the long dirt roads are well worth it. It is absolutely stunning. It's full of fish, has crystal clear waters and in fact the water is so clean that in some places you can drink it!

Weather

Tanzania generally has a warm tropical climate with humid weather year round. Temperatures are generally around 30 °C during the day and still above 20 °C at night at most places around the coast and on Zanzibar as well as places more south and west. In the central and central north though conditions are somewhat different with temperatures during the day slightly lower during the cooler June to September period, but a bit higher in the hot December to February period. Night temperatures can drop below 10 °C at night though during the cooler June to September period, mainly because of the altitude of places like Arusha and the capital Dodoma. The central parts of the country have a totally dry time during these months as well, whereas the coastal areas and Zanzibar never are entirely dry. Instead, they have a long wet season from March to May with April being the wettest month. It can rain for several days on end, whereas during the short wet period from late October to early December rain usually comes in late afternoon downpours. Note that some parts like the Ngorongoro Crater Rim and the higher parts of the Kilimanjaro mountain never get really hot.

Getting there

Plane

Air Tanzania is the national airline of the country and is based at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) near Dar es Salaam. It offers flights to/from Blantyre, Lilongwe, Arusha, Moroni, Entebbe, Juba, Nairobi, Harare, London, Johannesburg, Kilimanjaro International Airport, Addis Ababa, Anjouan, Cairo, Lusaka, Dubai, Amsterdam, Maputo, Muscat, Doha, Kigali, Zürich and Istanbul.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is probably of more importance to travellers as it is closer to the Kilimanjaro mountain and safari parks. There are direct flights from Amsterdam with KLM and Frankfurt with Condor. Other flights are mainly within the continent.

Train

Centrally located in Zambia, north of the capital Lusaka, Kapiri Mposhi is the starting point of a two nights trainride to Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast. From here you can travel further by boat or plane to the tropical island of spices, Zanzibar. This so called TAZARA Railway (Tanzania-Zambia Railway) operates scheduled services twice a week, leaving in both ends of the line on Tuesdays and Fridays around 4:00pm, arriving on Thursdays and Sundays at 9:30am in Zambia, but after noon in the other direction in Dar es Salaam.

By Car

Travelling to and from Tanzania is straightforward, provided you have your car papers and insurance in order. A bribe usually is not necessary, though you never know in Africa. You can use a lot of border crossings, mainly with Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda and Malawi.

By Bus

Buses connect Dar es Salaam with Lusaka in Zambia, taking almost 30 hours to cover the distance. Buses also travel several times a week between Dar es Salaam and Lilongwe in Malawi.

By Boat

There are boats across Lake Tanganyika to and from Zambia and across Lake Malawi to and from Malawi.
The trip to Zambia starts in Kigoma, usually on Fridays or Satudays. There are ferries between southwestern Tanzania and Mozambique via Malawi on the MV Songea between Mbamba Bay and Nkhata Bay. From here it goes on to Likoma Island (Malawi), Cóbuè and Metangula (both in Mozambique) on the MV Ilala. The MV Ilala departs from Monkey Bay (Malawi) at 10am Friday, arriving in Metangula (via Chipoka and Nkhotakota in Malawi) at 6am Saturday, reaching Cóbuè (Mozambique) around midday, Likoma Island at 1.30pm and Nkhata Bay at 1am Sunday morning. In southern direction departures are at 8pm Monday from Nkhata Bay and at 6.30am Tuesday from Likoma Island, reaching Cóbuè at 7am and Metangula at midday.

Getting around

Plane

Precision Air flies between Bukoba, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Musoma, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Tabora and Zanzibar. Air Tanzania has several flights as well between Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. http://www.coastal.cc|Coastal Air]] has flights between many private air strips and the country and the major towns and cities, as well as the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.

By Train

Tanzania Railways Corporation has services from Dar es Salaam to the interior at Tabora. Here, a branch goes to Kigoma in the west and one goes south to Mwanza.
Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority has twice a week trains between Dar es Salaam and Zambia, with stops in Tanzania on the route as well.

By Car

Tanzania has a surprisingly well maintained network of tarred roads and some secondary dirt roads which are passable at all times. Many other roads on the other hand become impassable after heavy rains. It is best to rent 4wd vehicles, especially if you want to explore the beautiful national parks that Tanzania has to offer.

Traffic drives on the left and cars can be hired at major cities like Dar es Salaam and Arusha, also with a driver if you prefer. A national driver's licence is valid as long as it is in English, otherwise an international driving permit is recommended. Note that it is expensive to rent cars, so it is best to split up the costs with several persons.

By Bus

There are dozens of bus companies, one of which is Scandinavia Express (yes, you have read it right!), offering services between all major cities and regional towns, like Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Tabora, Dodoma, Mwanza, Moshi, Morogoro and Kigoma.

Alongside the large bus companies are smaller independents who run 'Dala Dala's'. These are small people carriers, transit vans and converted pick-up trucks. They run all the main routes and many more. Simply turn up, hop on and off you go. There are two slight drawbacks, they only go when they are full and even when they are full, they can squeeze more on. In general though, they are cheap, fast and fun.

By Boat

Azam Marine and Sea Express run frequent, fast and comfortable hydrofoils and catamarans between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, taking around one and a half hour each way. There are also services from Zanzibar to Pemba.

There are ferries on Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria. There is an overnight service on Lake Victoria between the ports of Bukoba and Mwanza which takes 10 hours. The service on Lake Tanganyika runs between Kigoma in the west of Tanzania and Mpulunga in Zambia at the south of the lake, stopping at other Tanzanian places as well.

By Bike

It's a great country to cycle through. Just watch out for elephants and lion!

Red Tape

Nationals of the following countries do not need a visa:
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Brunei, Cyprus, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malawi, Malta, Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Sao Tome & Principe, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tuvalu, Tonga, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Also no visa is required for stays of less than 3 months for citizens of Namibia, Romania, Rwanda, Hong Kong and all commonwealth member states (except the United kingdom, Canada, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Nigeria, India, & South Africa). The latter Commonwealth countries ad most other nationalities can get a visa upon arrival for a fee which is usually around $50, but can be higher for some foreigners. Double entry visas are usually twice as expensive as well, around $100. You can get the visa upon arrival at Dar-es-Salaam International Airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport, Zanzibar International Airport and Namanga boarder crossing point between Tanzania and Kenya. Some other points might join this list later, but for now you will need a visa beforehand if travelling from Mozambique or Rwanda for example.

In general, it is advised to obtain a visa before you arrive in Tanzania, because some rules tend to change now and then. Most times though, travellers will be fine to get one upon arrival.

The following nationalities cannot get a visa on arrival:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Somalia , Sudan, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen.

East Africa might get a single tourist visa in 2010 and the East African Community (EAC) is working towards a plan to implement this visa, which basically is one visa which is valid in five countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. The trial phase would be available for tourists from Germany, France, the US, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Africa, the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries.

Money

See also Money Matters

The local currency is the Shilling, which can only be obtained in Tanzania. US Dollar's are welcome in all shops, but they often use their own exchange rates. ATM's can be found in many large cities and usually have their own security guards.

Eat

The food in Tanzania is of a relatively high standard, with less chance of catching stomach complaints than in other countries. Meals provided by Safari and Trekking companies are general much better compared to street food etc.

Health

See also Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Tanzania. There are two exceptions though. You have to have a cholera stamp (prove of the fact that you don't have that desease) when going to Zanzibar. And you need a yellow fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Tanzania) where that disease is widely prevalent. A yellow fever vaccination is recommended anyway!

Still, it's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Tanzania. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also both hepatitis A as well as typhoid would be recommended.

If you are staying longer than 3 months or have a particular risk (travelling by bike, handling of animals, visits to caves) you might consider a rabies vaccination. Vaccination against Tuberculosis as well as hepatitis B are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months. When staying longer than 6 months, vaccination against meningitis might be recommended, depending on your contact with other people.

Like most African countries south of the Sahara, Malaria is prevalent in the country. Don't underestimate this tropical disease and take precautions. Buy repellent (preferably with 50% DEET), and sleep under a net.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS. Also note that Southern Africa and thus Tanzania as well has a high percentage of people with AIDS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

In general Tanzania is a safe country to travel around, though you are advised to keep an eye out when in Dar es Salaam, especially at night. Better to avoid quiet streets and take taxis instead. Your biggest hazards will probably be natural ones, like heat or the altitude when going up Mount Kilimanjaro, or mosquitos which can transmit diseases. Also traffic can be a problem, with regular accidents, also with small planes sometimes and recently a ferry between the mainland and Zanzibar. If the boat seems to crowded, it usually is.

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Tanzania Posts Corporation is the national postal services of Tanzania. There are post officies in most major cities and towns throughout the country, which are generally open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm and Saturday from 9:00am to noon. Services are generally quite reliable though not very fast. Prices for international airmal services start at around 500-600 TSHS to other countries in East Africa and 700-900 TSHS to Europe and North America for postcards and letters up to 20 grams. Small packages start at around 2,000-3,000 TSHS, but it's generally better to do business with international parcel services like TNT, UPS, DHL or FedEx.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Tanzania National Parks Website