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Travellers Essentials
Visas
All visitors require a visa except citizens of some Commonwealth
countries (Canada and the UK excepted), Scandinavian countries,
the Republic of Ireland, Rwanda and Sudan.
For these nationalities, a free visitor's pass, valid for
one to three months, can be picked up at the point of entry.
Health Risk
Yellow fever, malaria, bilharzia, tsetse fly, cholera, hepatitis,
meningitis, and typhoid. HIV/AIDS is a serious risk, though
not as prevalent as in Uganda.
Tampons are imported and available only in the bigger towns
and cities. Locally made sanitary napkins are generally plentiful.
Time Zone
GMT/UTC plus three hours.
When to Go
The standard tourist season is in January and February, when
the hot, dry weather at this time of year is generally considered
to be the most pleasant.
But to catch the Serengeti at its best, you want to avoid
the dry season when virtually all the animals go on holiday
to Kenya. Be prepared, as many roads, particularly on on the
south coast can become too squishy to drive on.
Getting There
Cheap, reliable flights are plentiful between Dar es Salaam
and Nairobi, as are flights between Zanzibar and Mombasa.
By land, there are several connections between Tanzania and
Kenya.
These include Mombasa to Dar es Salaam, Nairobi to Dar es
Salaam, Nairobi to Arusha, and Voi to Moshi. By train, there's
a a weekly connection between Voi and Moshi. Buses between
Rwanda and Uganda can never be entirely relied on, but they're
there all right.
It's possible to go by dhow between Mombasa, Pemba and Zanzibar
but sailings are very infrequent these days. More regular
are the lake services between Port Bell (Kampala) and Mwanza
(Tanzania).
Getting Around
Air Tanzania, the national carrier, serves most of the major
internal routes, but its fleet isn't exactly high-tech. Several
private airlines operate light aircraft on the main routes,
minor routes and to the national parks and game reserves of
Serengeti, Selous, Ruaha and Rubondo island.
Domestic airport departure tax is TSh 1000. Apart from Arusha,
Tanzania's major population centres are connected by railway.
Driving in Tanzania is a trade-off between speed and potholes.
Traffic density is low outside main towns, so your main enemy
is the holey road surface. On the mainland at least, car rental
is still an expensive option. By bus, don't expect much.
On the long-haul routes, there's generally a choice between
luxury and ordinary, but these are very relative terms. On
short hauls, the choice is between ordinary buses and dalla
dalla, the Tanzanian equivalent of a Kenyan matutu.
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