General Information ....................................................................................
Tanzania's climate is predominately tropical. Coastal areas are usually hot and humid,but on the beaches a sea breeze cools the air considerably.
The average day temperature is 30°C. Tanzania has two rainy seasons: the long rains run from late March to June, and the short rains from November to January. The long rains fall in heavy downpours, often accompanied by violent storms, but the short rains tend to be much less severe. The hottest time of the year is from December to March, before the long rains begin. The coolest months are June, July and August, when the weather is often overcast. In high-altitude areas such as Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Highlands, temperatures can fall below freezing.
Entry Requirements:
A valid passport; a valid visa for those not exempted.
Airport tax:
A US$30 departure tax must be paid in cash by all passengers departing on international flights. For departure from Zanzibar to a destination within Tanzania, the tax is Tsh 5,000. For tickets issued in Zanzibar, an additional 10% of the ticket value is charged as sales tax.
Official Languages:
Kiswahili and English.
Currency:
The Tanzania shilling (Tsh or TZS), divided into 100 cents, is the national currency. Credit cards (Access, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Eurocard, and Diners) are accepted by large tourist hotels around the country. Travellers' cheques in Pounds Sterling or US dollars are recommended, although Euros are also accepted.
Banking:
Banks and forex bureaux are available at airports and in all major towns. Banking hours are from Monday - Friday 08h30 - 14h30, Saturdays 08h30 - 13h30. A few branches in the major towns are open until 16hOO. ATM and 24
hour cash machines are available in branches of major banks and accept international VISA cards. Please note that banks are closed on Sunday.
Time : Local time is GMT + 3.
Electric Current:
220 volts AC50Hz.
Communications:
International Direct Dial is available. The country code for Tanzania is +255. The outgoing international code is 00 for the United States, or 000 for all other countries. Public call boxes in post offices and main towns operate on a card system, available from most small shops. Several cellular phone companies operate in Tanzania and roaming lines work near most major cities and towns. Internet cafes are plentiful in major city centres.
International Airports:
Dar es Salaam International Airport is located 15km southwest of
Dar es Salaam and takes approximately 25 minutes to reach by car from downtown. Airport facilities include a duty-free shop, car hire, post office, banking and bureau de change, and a bar and restaurant.
Zanzibar International Airport is located approximately 7km from the centre of Stone Town and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by car. Facilities include a restaurant and bureau de change.
Kilimanjaro International Airport lies 40km from Arusha and takes approximately 1 hour to reach by car. Facilities include curio shops, a post office, and a bar and restaurant. Shuttle bus services to the airport run regularly from both Arusha and Moshi.
Health:
An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required to enter Zanzibar. As requirements and regulations are subject to change at short notice, visitors are advised to contact the nearest Tanzanian Embassy or their travel health advisor well in advance of their intended date of departure.
Best times to visit:
Northern Tanzania: July to March
Southern Tanzania: June to March
Zanzibar and the coast: June to March Western Tanzania: May
Getting There:
By Air
Tanzania has three international airports: Dar es Salaam International Airport (DAR), which handles most international flights, Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), and Zanzibar International Airport (ZNZ). One may also want to consider flying to Nairobi or Johannesburg and then transfer by air or road to Tanzania.
From the UK and Europe: European airlines fly into
Dar es Salaam with varying regularity, but there are usually daily flights to any number of European destinations. British Airway's flight to Dar es Salaam is one of the cheapest and most popular.
Travellers from Europe or North America might consider flying to Nairobi or Johannesburg to connect to Tanzania. Kenya Airways is the only company that flies into
Dar es Salaam daily, and also flies to Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.
Air Tanzania also has some what unreliable service to and from other African countries including Kenya, South Africa and Zambia check their offices for schedules.
From the USA: At this time, there are no direct flights from the United States to Tanzania. The easiest connections are through Europe.Cheaper flights include British Airways' service from London to
Dar es Salaam and KLM's service from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro.
Another possibility for travellers from North America is to fly directly to Johannesburg and catch an onward connection to
Dar es Salaam on South Africa Airways.
By Road
From the north, paved roads connect the Kenyan capital of Nairobi with Arusha and cross the border at the Namanga post. A number of shuttle buses, leaving twice daily between the two cities, also follow this route. The trip takes approximately 4-6 hours.
From the south, the road from Malawi enters Tanzania at Karonga before continuing onwards to Mbeya. There are no viable bus services on this route. It is possible to cross the border from Uganda at the Mutukula border post, but transport options are equally limited.
Internal roads connect Arusha and
Dar es Salaam to major towns around the country. Roads to major tourist destinations are either already paved or under construction. At the time of writing, pavement extends from Arusha to Tarangire National Park and almost to Karatu, on the way to Ngorongoro Crater. Large trucks and buses frequently drive recklessly on the roads, so caution is advised. For road safety, avoid driving at night.
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Download the factfiles:
Tanzania - Factfile 1
Tanzania - Factfile 2
Tanzania - Factfile 3 |
