Tanzania Travel Tips and Information
Over a quarter of Tanzania is made up of National Parks, game reserves, and controlled areas. In the North, the remarkable Serengeti plains support over three million animals; further east is Ngorongoro Crater, an unsurpassable caldera which reveals on its floor a magic world teeming with animals; nearby, Lake Manyara at the foot of the Rift Valley is a bird watchers paradise.
Tanzania has 53,000 km2 of inland water. Lake Tanganyika is Africa´s deepest and longest fresh water lake. In the north-west, Lake Victoria, the 2nd largest on earth, lies in a huge shallow depression.
But above all, at 5,895 m, there is mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, which rises majestically out of the dusty bush of the northern Maasai Steppe. Densely forested sides give way to the blue glaciers and unbelievably white snow on its’ rounded peak.
The highland plateau, crowned by this magnificent mountain, is the habitat of many wildlife species. Huge populations of elephant, hippopotamus, buffalo, giraffe, gazelle and impala roam the wildlife sanctuaries in the area. Predators are plenty, especially cheetah, leopard, and large prides of lion. More than one million wildebeest migrate to the northern grassy plains of the Serengeti at the start of the rainy season in December. After birthing in January and February, they scatter over the plains. By May, the grass is depleted and the animals begin their trek to the permanent waters of the Serengeti’s northern woodlands. Reaching their destinations by July, they remain there until October, at which time they begin their migration southward. It’s a spectacle that visitors to Tanzania have to witness at least once!
The climate is tropical on the coast and on the islands. It is temperate in the national parks. October to mid-March is the hottest period, while June to September is the coolest. The central plateau is dry and arid and has hot days and cool nights.
About Tanzania
LAND – Tanzania covers an area of 947,303 square kilometers (365,756 square miles).
CLIMATE – Zanzibar and Pemba have precipitation levels of about 60 inches (1,520 mm) and 80 inches (2,030 mm), respectively. Precipitation levels are highest in April and May and lowest in November and December. Humidity is high. The average temperature is in the low 80s F (high 20s C) in Zanzibar and the high 70s F (mid-20s C) in Pemba; the annual temperature ranges are small.
TOPOGRAPHY – Except for the islands and a coastal strip varying in width from 16 to 64 km (10–40 mi), Tanzania lies at an altitude of over 200 m (660 feet). A plateau averaging 900–1,800 m (3,000–6,000 feet) in height makes up the greater part of the country. Mountains are grouped in various sections. The Pare range is in the northeast, and the Kipengere Range is in the southwest. Kilimanjaro (5,895 m/19,340 feet), in the north, is the highest mountain in Africa.
On the borders are three large lakes: Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, exceeded only by Lake Superior; Tanganyika, second only to Lake Baykal as the deepest in the world; and Lake Malawi. Lakes within Tanzania include Natron, Eyasi, Manyara, and Rukwa.
PEOPLE –According to the 2012 census, the total population was 44,928,923 compared to 12,313,469 in 1967, resulting in an annual growth rate of 2.9 percent. The under 15 age group represented 44.1 percent of the population, with 35.5 percent being in the 15–35 age group, 52.2 percent being in the 15–64 age group, and 3.8 percent being older than 64. The current population of the United Republic of Tanzania is 58,977,826 as of June 2018, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
ECONOMY – Agriculture is the main contributor to the value of Tanzania’s economy, while tourism is the leading sector in terms of foreign exchange earnings. Tanzania’s economic potential comes from the mining & energy sector which draws increasing amounts of global investments due to the country’s position as a net exporter of gold and its recent discoveries of natural gas reserves.
LANGUAGE – is multilingual country. Swahili being the national language, there are many languages spoken in the country, but no one language is spoken natively by a majority or a large plurality of the population. The Bantu Swahili and English, but there are more speakers of Swahili than English in Tanzania.
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY – Most electricity in Tanzania is generated using gas; hydropower is also a significant source of power. Tanzania has a capacity of 1,521 MW with only 60% of this power available, most of the time, as it highly depends on hydroelectric plants (38% of installed capacities). Only 24% of urban areas have access to electricity while 7% of rural areas have it. 65% of Tanzania’s population lives in these rural areas.
TIME – Tanzania has one time zone which is GMT +3.
CURRENCY– the Tanzanian Shilling is the currency of Tanzania. currency rankings show that the most popular Tanzania Shilling exchange rate is the USD to TZS rate. The currency code for Shillings is TZS.
BANKING HOURS – The banking hours in Tanzania are usually from 8.00 a.m. – 13.00hrs and 14.00 to 17.00hrs Monday to Friday.
COURIER & MONEY TRANSFER – Money can be transferred through MoneyGram, western union, RIA and for courier service, MSS logistic, l & o logistic, flexible job and ship.
COMMUNICATIONS – Tanzania has a well-developed system for domestic and international telephone and fax services. For remote lodgings that do not offer these services, you may have access to mobile services or even radio links for relaying messages as needed. Mobile services in Tanzania use GSM. Mail service in Tanzania is fair compared to other parts of the world, with a delivery time of 7 to 14 days to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. Internet access via your smart phone or at internet cafes is available in all major cities and a rising number of smaller cities. Business centers and public Wi-Fi services are also available in many city hotels, and beach resorts.
WORKING HOURS – The government working hours are 7.30.hrs – 3.30 hrs. for private business is 7.30 hrs. – 5.00hrs.
PUBLIC HOLIAYS –
Jan 1- New Year’s Day Jan 12- Zanzibar Revolution Day Mar 20 – March equinox Mar 30- Good Friday Apr 1- Easter Sunday Apr 2- Easter Monday Apr 7- Karume Day Apr 26- Union Day May 1- Worker’s Day May 13- Mothers’ Day Jun 15- Eid el Fitri Jun 21- June Solstice Jul 7- Saba Saba Aug 8- Peasants’ Day Aug 22- Eid al-Adha Sep 23- September equinox Oct 14- Mwalimu Nyerere Day Nov 21- Prophet’s Birthday Dec 9- Republic Day Dec 21- December Solstice Dec 24- Christmas Eve Dec 25- Christmas Day Dec 26- Boxing Day
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS – yellow fever vaccination is an entry requirement for all travelers arriving in Tanzania (including airport transit) from countries where there is a risk of yellow fever transmission.
CUSTOMS – Duty free import up to:
• 200 cigarettes
• 50 cigars
• 250g of tobacco
• 1 Imperial pint of spirits
• Non-commercial amount of gifts and other items for personal use.
• Foreign currency
IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS –Visas are required for all foreign visitors to Tanzania. Upon complying with the entry requirements, a bonafide visitor is issued with a Visitor’s Pass on arrival at the entry point into the United Republic of Tanzania for a validity not exceeding three months in first instance (and not exceeding six months for citizens of East African Community), provided that he is in possession of sufficient funds for subsistence while in the United Republic of Tanzania and a Return ticket or onward to ticket to his country of origin, domicile or destination as the case may be.
KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT –The Airport (KIA) is located between the cities of Moshi and Arusha in northern Tanzania. The terminal building features check-in areas located in a spacious hall with well-marked check-in desks. The departure halls at the terminal feature restaurants, coffee shops, a bar and a variety of retail outlets for gifts and souvenirs. Passengers are aided by a modern personal assistant and flight information display system.
The airport also features special waiting areas, including VIP and business-class lounges. The VIP lounge offers comfortable seating and other passenger services such as wireless internet access and travel document handling. The terminal features a baggage reclaim system with two conveyor belt systems within 200m from the apron, which will reduce the baggage waiting times.
SECURITY – Before entering the check-in area, all passengers and their baggage are screened to ensure that there are no prohibited items and/or arms and dangerous substances. Security checks at all airports have been reinforced to in light of potential terrorist threats and drug smuggling. While security checks can seem like an inconvenience, they are intended for safety and protection of passengers, flight personnel aircrafts and airport infrastructure in general.