Things to Know Before Traveling to Tanzania
Visiting Tanzania for safari can be an interesting and amazing adventure however it comes with a lot of difficulties. With the best expectations and a arrangement, (for example, reading or Tanzania safari travel tips), Tanzania China is magnificent.
Most people visit Tanzania for a safari, disposing of the difficulties of organizing itineraries, transportation, accommodation, and meals. As we discovered, independent travel in Tanzania is possible.
We avoid travel agencies whenever possible. Traveling in a large group, bouncing from one continent to another, having everything prearranged, seems like torment to us. We love to travel at our own, finding everything in our own way. Without a doubt, we make mistakes and get lost in some cases, but independent travel is the best way to get deep in the way of life of local people of the destination you visited because traveling when independent you are always forced to interact with the local people, instead of traveling within the “safety” of a large travel group with a guide.
What’s more, what culture to be drenched into. The Tanzanian people are the absolute friendliest we met and the history and sights here are world class. For the travelers who are hoping to travel independently to Tanzania, here are some of the tips to help you make your visit somewhat easier. Most of these are figured out by us while traveling.
Get Your Visa before Entering Tanzania
This is the most vital step when arranging a safari to Tanzania. Without a Visa you won’t be permitted to enter Tanzania (in the event that you are a US resident).
On the application, you should provide your date of travel and itinerary.
For more details on how you obtain and filling out the application, and the link to acquire the visa application, visit the Tanzania Embassy site or you can also visit the Tanzanian embassy in your country in case it’s there.
It is an Advantage to Know Basic Swahili
Learning some Swahili isn’t a necessity yet it helps A LOT. In case you planning to explore only large cities in Tanzania like Dar es Salaam and Moshi or Arusha you will be able to get people speaking English. The young generation in Tanzania can talk Basic English and many are anxious to help when important, from our experience.
In case you planning to leave large cities and visit the remote area of the country like in most national parks speaking basic Swahili is important. We would have had a difficult time here in the event that we couldn’t speak the basics.
Furthermore, a basic Sasa (hi) Asante (thank you) is abundantly valued. To speak in full sentences of 3 or 5 words and endeavor a simple discussion made us a lot friends on our safari to Tanzania. This is where the local people truly valued our effort to communicate in their language and these moments are some of our preferred memories from Tanzania.
There are several language learning applications and computer program to look over. We utilized Fluenz to learn some basic Swahili language. We began the program one year before our safari to Tanzania. I even used this same app to learn French, Spanish, and some little German.
It also better to have a Swahili translate app on your phone. We used this to communicate several times also.
Be ready for Menus in Swahili
On many occasions we took a seat at a café and were given a menu with only Swahili language. This prompted us randomly choosing dishes, seeking after the best. Once in the large cities, menus in English, or at least with pictures, turned out to be more commonplace.
Your Credit Card May Not Always Work
We travel with both a Visa and MasterCard. In Tanzania, there were various occasions that our Visas were not accepted more especially upcountry. Be ready for some trips to the ATM’s to get out Tanzanian shillings for your buys.