Zanzibar Archipelago Holidays

For safari, Tanzania is generally divided into three areas, with the northern safari circuit including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara, as well as several small and seldom-visited parks and reserves. The south includes the little known Nyere and Ruaha National Parks (easily accessed from Dar es Salaam); while in the west lies the wild and remote Katavi and Mahale Mountains National Parks. Wildlife activities in the north are primarily focused on safari drives, with some walking opportunities available, whereas the south is best known for its boat safaris and some of the best walking activities found anywhere in Africa. In the west you’ll find wildlife of a bygone era and chimpanzees. Complementary to the obvious wildlife highlights, Tanzania is home to some seriously impressive natural phenomena. These include the Ngorongoro Crater, a huge volcanic caldera which needs to be seen to be believed, and Lake Manyara National Park, which offers breath-taking scenery over the great rift valley escarpment.

The standard of guiding is excellent, whilst the people are warm, welcoming and friendly. Tanzania is widely accepted as offering the best (and easiest!) safari and beach combination in Africa.

Food is almost always included on safari and tends to be a delicious mix of international cuisines. Portions are large, options wide ranging and dinner features numerous courses: this made all the more impressive when considering that you are often dining at a remote camp with no easy access to fresh supplies or modern technology!

Snacks and drinks are regularly provided between meals, meaning that most visitors to Tanzania tend to return feeling extremely well fed! Hotels in Zanzibar are typically arranged on a half board basis to include breakfast and dinner (you will often find yourself out and about during the day with lunch being readily available). Some camps and hotels also include drinks but most do not; however, drinks and food tend to be of a similar or slightly lower cost to that of the UK, making for good value for money.

It is not currently possible to fly directly to Tanzania from the UK. The quickest route to get to the major airports is from London via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. As the route to Tanzania requires one stop, this opens up a variety of airlines such as Qatar, Emirates and Ethiopian Airways, all of which frequently have special offer fares at various points throughout the year. Departing from regional airports within the UK is also easy, with the likes of BA, Qatar, Emirates, KLM and Air France making for good options.

British citizens require a visa to enter Tanzania, which is possible to obtain in advance online via the Official Tanzania Immigration Services Website. While it is possible to obtain a visa on arrival, we would recommend organising one in advance of travel to avoid potential visa queues. The current cost of a single-entry visa for UK passport holders is $50 (including entry to Zanzibar).

Citizens of other nationalities should check with the Tanzanian High Commission for any visa regulations pertaining to them.

Tanzania is mostly a very safe country, particularly in the areas most frequented by tourists. Crime rates are higher in the bigger cities but with little to offer tourists we tend to avoid these areas anyway. If visiting Zanzibar’s Stone Town in the evening, then we would suggest arranging transfers through your accommodation. Most accommodations in Tanzania have safe deposit boxes in the rooms, whilst those that don’t will have a central safe and we suggest using these to store all valuables including cash.

As we are not medical experts, we feel that it is essential that you contact your GP regarding vaccinations and other medications necessary when travelling to Tanzania. We would suggest that, in addition to the vaccinations you’d routinely have as UK residents, further boosters should be obtained for Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Diptheria; however, this must be verified by a medical professional.

Malaria exists throughout much of Tanzania, so please consult your GP for advice on what malarial precautions to take.

Other good websites to use after speaking to your GP: The Travel Doctor, an interactive website providing specialist health information for travellers, including customised lists of travel medicines, vaccines and malaria tablets for holiday makers, global adventure travellers and expeditions.

The local currency is the Tanzanian Shilling, a closed currency which is only available in Tanzania; however, US dollars are accepted everywhere in Tanzania, with the Euro becoming more widely accepted in Zanzibar. If you did want to get some Tanzanian Shillings then you can exchange sterling at your arrival airport, but we suggest taking US dollars. ATM’s are available at all major airports in Tanzania and there are also a number of these available in Stone Town for Zanzibar. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Zanzibar hotels and at a good range of safari accommodations, although not all.

Tipping is very welcome and appreciated in Tanzania. You will generally find a central tipping box in almost all accommodations in Tanzania for camp staff, including chefs, housekeepers and hosts. The idea being that you can contribute to this at the end of your stay rather than handing out multiple small notes. A general guide would be $5 per guest per night. Safari guides are tipped separately, and to them we would recommend $10 per person, per day, with half for a half-day activity. Most safari camps and lodges will arrange safari activities so that you keep the same guide for the duration of your stay, so that you can tip your guide at the end of your stay. For transfer drivers, a small amount of roughly $3 – $5 per journey is usually sufficient. When changing currency it is worth asking for several notes of small denomination and it is also worthy of note that $100 bills are not accepted so should be avoided.

Departure Taxes

Departure taxes are payable when departing from all airports in Tanzania, including Zanzibar, but these are almost always included in the price of your flight ticket, so there is nothing that you need to pay locally unless we advise differently.

We believe travel should be a force for good. That means exploring with open eyes, treading lightly, and respecting the people and places that make the world so special. Our code of conduct isn’t about rules, it’s simply a guide to help you travel thoughtfully, ethically, and with care. Because every small choice makes a big difference.

• If you choose to trust us with your holiday, we’ll send you a “Travel Facts” document when confirming your booking. This includes useful facts and travel advice, such as restaurant recommendations, reading tips, basic language information, cultural traditions, climate information, brief historical overviews, and more. We feel that this offers a useful insight and can help you interact with local residents in a more sensitive, well-informed manner. Please do try to take the time to read this information before your visit, it’s worth the time!

• A number of the countries in which we operate holidays are religious societies with a widely observed set of customs. Always respect these norms, particularly when visiting religious buildings.

• To the best of our knowledge, all hotels, lodges, and camps within our portfolio operate stringent measures to minimise water usage. All of our destinations have issues with water supplies to a certain extent, so feel free to raise any possible wastage should you encounter it during your stay, either with the accommodation or with us upon your return.

• Please ask permission before taking photographs of people, and respect their wishes if they are not happy to be photographed. We find that friendly requests and a smile are usually met with a ‘yes!’

• Strive, where possible, to make your own contribution to environmental practices as you travel. This might include minimising your electricity usage, not smoking in protected areas, avoiding coral while snorkelling, and safely disposing of all litter (recycling where possible).

• Where possible, try to purchase from local suppliers. This includes shopping for souvenirs, dining out at restaurants, and booking additional excursions during your free time. In areas where haggling is an accepted part of daily life, don’t be offended if you’re unable to obtain what you perceive as a fair price for an item.

• We emphasise to local suppliers that our clients should never be taken on unsolicited shopping trips, but if this does happen, try to retain your sense of humour, provide a firm refusal to participate and do let us know about it on your return. We pass on all feedback from every trip undertaken with us to our relevant local suppliers, who all share our commitment to travelling with sensitivity.

• Please don’t remove any indigenous items from their natural habitat and attempt to bring them home as a souvenir. This particularly applies to everything from coral, shells, plants and food in the natural world, to cultural artefacts and antiques.

If you’re unsure about anything relating to the above, please feel free to chat to us. We’ve travelled extensively in the country and will be more than happy to offer our considered advice.