FAQs

At the time of booking, we will send you our Pre-Departure Guide, which is full of information regarding how to prepare for your upcoming trip to Tanzania, including what to pack. We suggest you include light coloured clothes, sun cream, sunglasses, binoculars, a good camera, insect repellent, a basic first aid kit, comfortable walking shoes, a sweater for evenings and an adaptor for charging.

Tanzania uses the 3-pin, UK style plugs, so if you are coming with equipment from other countries, then yes, it is advisable to bring an adapter.

Electricity is variable, depending on where you are staying. Some of the camps run solely on solar power, therefore the electricity usage is limited. Some request that high power items such as hair dryers are not used, and others only have lights and charging available. There are always opportunities to charge phones and cameras, including in the vehicle along the way. If you are concerned or have particular requirements, then please do get in touch.

We take out insurance with AMREF Flying Doctors for all of our clients to provide appropriate care in case of emergency and for your peace of mind. In case of a medical emergency, AMREF will be contacted and will respond by getting you to a medical centre by which time your travel insurance will take over. This could mean an ambulance ride to a hospital in Arusha, or a flight out of the Serengeti to Nairobi. The paramedics would decide on the best facility at the time, depending on the situation. You will be issued a card with your personal insurance number and contact details at the beginning of your trip.

Yes, you will be able to have a shower every day. All of the accommodation options have hot water provided and good, clean western-style toilets. There are toilets available at the entry points to all of the parks and at least one other stop throughout the day. Please request with your driver if you need to stop or you need more frequent stops in general. If you are doing a camping trip, then the facilities can be very basic with cold water and pretty average toilets!!

You will need to contact your Doctor or travel medical centre a few months before departure to get advice on vaccinations and anti-malarial medication.

The roads can be very bumpy and dusty! You are on a safari adventure, so be prepared for long driving days on dirt roads. Sit back and enjoy the extraordinary views.

We suggest booking as far in advance as possible, preferably a year. This is so we can book the right accommodation for your trip as some of the best places are very popular. We also like to work with smaller, more boutique lodges, which do get booked out. If you are a larger group, then you need to book well in advance to ensure the accommodation.

You are free to photograph all wildlife and landscapes; the places we will take you are a photographer’s dream! Do consider bringing a good camera, we have had clients regret just using their phones. We politely request that you do not take photographs of people or their homes, without first asking permission. If you would like to take photos of people, then please ask your guide for assistance. It is against the law to take photographs of government / military buildings, military personnel, check-points, police, immigration and borders.

Many people go to Tanzania and on safari with the mission of seeing the ‘Big Five’ – the lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. Depending on your itinerary and which park you are going to, there is a good chance of seeing all five, but of course we are talking about wild animals here, and some, like the leopard are elusive and others, like the rhino, are endangered. If you have a particular interest in all or one of these animals, please inform your guide so that we can focus on making your safari dreams come true!

No, we do not travel with a gun and do not need to as we respect the wild animals from a safe distance and they respect us. Our vehicles are not open sided, so you are safe and secure. If you opt for walking safaris, sometimes armed park rangers will be going with you in case of close encounters with wild animals.

Tipping is standard practice in Tanzania, including for guides and in accommodation. We pay our team well, higher than the industry average, which means that our guides are not relying on tips to take home to their families. However, if you would like to tip the guides and drivers, then of course they would be delighted. A suggested amount is $10 per day per client.

Tanzania is generally a peaceful country, in fact it was rated as number 54 (with UK being number 45) in the Global Peace Index (2019), and the top in East Africa. We ask you to be sensible, take general safety precautions and listen to our advice. General safety information will be given in our Pre-Departure Guide, including not walking alone at night, not carrying large amounts of cash and important documents with you around towns etc. If you have booked an end to end safari with us, then we will be looking after you from the moment you land until the moment you leave. Your safety and comfort are our priorities and we take it very seriously.

It is not advisable to drink the tap water in Tanzania. We will provide you with a reusable stainless-steel water bottle to use throughout the trip and drinking water will be available in the vehicle and at all accommodation options. Drinking water is also widely available to buy, although we discourage this due to the plastic pollution created by tourists in Tanzania.

We can cater for groups of any size, from couples to large groups. Our vehicles sit six guests in the back comfortably, each with their own window seat.

The food on safari is delicious, varied and generous. You certainly won’t go hungry! Breakfast choices include fruit, pancakes, cereals and cooked options such as eggs and sausages. Dinner and lunch include a wide range of vegetables, meats, soups, salads, grains and breads. We can cater for any dietary requirement, such as vegetarian, vegan, allergies / celiac. If you have a specific dietary requirement, please do let us know at the time of booking so that we can arrange suitable meals for you. There will be options to purchase snack food (biscuits, crisps etc) in supermarkets before you set out on safari if you wish.

There are excellent accommodation options in Tanzania, ranging from basic tents to luxurious lodges and tented bush camps. To make the most out of your safari and enjoy what Tanzania has to offer, we suggest that you stay in our recommended mid-range, luxury or ultimate luxury accommodation options. These outstanding places have been hand-selected and we have stayed in them all, confirming that they can provide our high levels of service, food and comfortable rooms that we require for our guests. All of our lodges and tented camps have exceedingly comfortable rooms with large beds, soft pillows, mosquito nets (if needed) and clean ensuite bathrooms with hot water for showers. If there are certain items or conditions you require in your accommodation, then please do tell us and we will try to make it happen!

WIFI is available at most of the accommodation options, usually in the reception areas and sometimes in the rooms as well. If you are having trouble connecting or wish to connect during the days, then please let us know and we will arrange that for you.

Tanzania operates on two currencies, the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) and United States Dollar (USD). Most services in tourism are paid for in USD, including your safari with us. We suggest that you carry some USD with you for purchasing drinks, souvenirs and tipping. You can also use ATM’s in larger towns to withdraw Tanzanian Shillings.

It is advisable that you take anti-malarial medication when visiting Tanzania. Please get up to date advice from your doctor or travel medical centre a few months before departure.

Depending on where you are travelling from, there are flight routes from Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai, South Africa or Nairobi. We recommend you fly directly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).

Tanzania has a very mild and temperate climate all year round. It can be cool in the evenings, especially after the long rains, but rarely cold. There are several months where it can be very hot and sunny and coastal areas do get very humid.

We accept children of all ages to travel on safari and believe it is a wonderful experience for families to travel together. For children to make the most out of their travels, we suggest looking into one of our special family itineraries. We have car seats available for very young children. Please bear in mind, some of the accommodation have minimum age restrictions, so please inform us of the age of your child/children.

You can visit Tanzania and go on safari at any time throughout the year, however we recommend that you avoid the ‘long rains’ which fall generally between March, April and May.

We can cater for a variety of disabilities, including those who use a wheelchair. Please discuss with us early on in the planning process with as much information as possible about your needs, so that we can ensure we cater for your personal requirements. We have created two itineraries for people with disabilities, with carefully selected accommodation.  

Yes, we can cater for vegetarian, vegan, allergy /celiac and other special diets. Please let us know at the time of booking your dietary requirements and we will arrange suitable meals for you.

Yes, you can as we have charging facilities on board in all vehicles and you can also charge in your accommodation.

Your Taswira Africa guide will be waiting for you at the airport, ready to transfer you to your hotel for the first night. The guide will be welcoming you with a sign with your name, so you cannot miss us!

Yes, you will need a tourist / visitor visa for Tanzania. Please contact your Tanzanian Consulate in your home country a few months before departure for up to date information on applying and pricing. We recommend that you obtain a visa before arriving as getting one at the airport can cause long delays.

The great migration is one of the marvels of the natural world, where over two million wildebeest and zebra travel continuously through the Serengeti in Tanzania and into the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Depending on the month you wish to travel and what you want to see, you may see thousands of animals calving at the same time or witness the river crossing in the northern Serengeti. Please see our Migration Itineraries for more inspiration.

There are some fantastic shopping opportunities in Tanzania, so make sure you have space in your luggage! There are beautiful crafts, wooden carvings, beaded jewellery, paintings as well as the exquisite Tanzanite gem stone. You also may want to bring home some local spices, coffee or tea. Please let us know if you want to shop and we will make sure we take you to some great places!