Internal flights in Tanzania are subject to a departure tax of around $5 per person. The flight from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro is subject to a departure tax of $30 per person. This amount must be paid locally, please ensure you carry enough currency on you for these payments

Customs Export
Exporting seashells, corals, ivory and turtle shell is illegal. You can export up to TSh2000 without declaration. There’s no limit on importation of foreign currency; amounts over us$10,000 must be declared.

Communication
The international country dialling code for Tanzania is +255. The outgoing code is 000, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 00027 for South Africa). Tanzania also has area codes. International calls made from rural areas may have to go through the operator. Mobile phones work in the main urban areas and Zanzibar; the network operators use GSM 900 and 1800 networks. Travellers should contact their service provider to ensure they have international roaming. Avoid making telephone calls from hotels; they can charge as much as $10 per minute. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts.

Currency
Tanzania’s currency is Tanzanian shillings and cents. You will be able to change foreign exchange at the bank at the airport and also at any other banks in the major towns. US dollars are often favoured, and most excursions, tips, drinks and curios can be paid for in dollars. We advise clients to take spending money in the form of US dollars cash or travellers cheques. Credit cards are also widely accepted.

Banks
All major towns in Tanzania have banks with a bureau de change. Banking hours are between 08.00 a.m - 03.00 p.m from Monday to Friday, and 08.30 a.m to noon on Saturday.

Climate
You can visit Tanzania at any time of the year with each season having its own advantage. The peak tourists months from November to March are very busy. However there is another surge of visitors from June to September when the migration is crossing the Serengeti. Due to the popularity of the Ngorongoro Crater year round and limited accommodation early booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
In general, the coolest months are from June to October, and the warmest from December to March. Along the coast, the climate is tropical, with high humidity and temperatures averaging between 25 and 29 Celsius degrees. On the central highland plateau, temperatures range from 20 to 27 Celsius degrees during the cooler months of June to August. Between December and March, temperatures can exceed 30 Celsius degrees. Throughout most of the country, there are two rainy seasons, one from Mid-March to May and short rains during November and December.

A note on the animals migration
• The migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra are in the Southern Serengeti, where the grasslands are rich between December and March. Their young are born between February and March which encourages dramatic predator action.
• Then in May as the plains of the south and east dry out there is movement to the north and west, where there is more grass and more dependable water.
• In a dry year, the first wildebeest could be near the Mara River bordering Kenya in early July; in a wet year as late as mid August.
• The Migration need not all pass into Kenya and many stay behind or cross and re-cross the border areas.
• This carries on through till October / November, when they will start thinking of heading back south into the Serengeti.
Security
Crime on the mainland is not excessive, but is much more significant than in Zanzibar, which is one of the safest places in Africa. All visitors are urged to exercise reasonable caution. Try not to wander round the streets with all your luggage and at night time it is best to avoid walking the streets in most towns, notably Dar es Salaam and Arusha. On the roads there is the occasional incident of car-jacking, but this is rarely accompanied by violence towards overseas visitors.

Electricity
The mains electricity supply is 240 volts, 50 cycles. On safari, many lodges and tented camps operate their own generators which offer intermittent electricity. We recommend taking a small flashlight.

Public Holidays
New Year's Day ---------- 1st January
Eid El Haj -----------------10th January
Zanzibar Revolution Day -12th January
Heroes Day (Zanzibar) - --7th April
Maulid Day - ---------------10th April
Good Friday-----------------14th April
Easter Monday- ------------17th April
Union Day ------------------26th April
Worker's Day ---------------1st May
Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair Day -7th July
Farmer's Day---------------- 8th August
Nyerere Day ---------------14th October
Eid El Fitr Celebration --- -23rd October
Eid El Fitr Celebration -----24th October
Independence and Republic Day 9th December
Christmas Day -------------25th December
Boxing Day ----------------26th December
Eid El Haj -------------------30th December
- Dependent upon sighting of the moon.

Language
Kiswahili and English are the official languages. Several indigenous languages are also spoken. Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages.

Visas
Tanzanian Visas
Please obtain these prior to departure from the nearest Tanzania High Commission - (3 Stratford Place, London, W1C 1AS - Tel 020 7569 1470). They are usually issued within 24 hours and require 2 passport photographs and payment of £38 in cash. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. Action Visas or the Visa Service in the UK can arrange these visas for your – their telephone numbers are 020 7388 4498 and 020 7833 2709 respectively.
Kenyan Visas
These are easy to get on arrival. If you wish to get them in advance the Kenya High Commission is at 45 Portland Place W1N 4AN - Tel 020 7636 2371 - in London). They are usually issued within 72 hours and require 1 passport photograph and payment of £35. Please note that if you are taking a safari to the north of Tanzania you will probably be flying into Nairobi international airport and out of Wilson airport in Nairobi for Arusha. These are separate airports and you will need to enter the country (and thus get a visa) to get to Wilson.

Transport
Tanzania offers many various forms of transport to all those present in the country. These forms include road, water, rail and air and prove to be highly affective modes of transport in Tanzania.

Air Travel: As already identified, Tanzania is served with five major airports making air travel possible. Internal air travel within Tanzania is widely used as it proves to be the fastest of all transportation available. There are however only two main airports found in the cities of Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro.

Rail Travel: There are three main railway lines in Tanzania - the TAZARA, northern and central lines. The only entrance into Tanzania by rail is from Zambia, on TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia Railway). All major centers (with the exception of Arusha) are connected by railway. A choice of 1st, 2nd and 3rd class is given to all passengers. Reliability and comfort offered by trains makes them a popular mode of transport in Tanzania. The Tazara railway runs between Dar es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi, across the Zambian copper belt through Mbeya, Tunduma and Nakonde. Every week, five trains occur in both directions; two express and three ordinary.

Water Travel: Tanzania can be reached via lakes Tanganyika and Victoria, and via the Indian Ocean. On Lake Tanganyika the MV Liemba, the main ferry on the lake, runs scheduled services from Burundi and Zambia across Lake Tanganyika to Kigoma. There is a weekly ferry on Lake Victoria connecting Mwanza and Kisumu in Kenya. MV Victoria and MV Serengeti are two scheduled ships on this route. On Lake Tanganyika, MV Liemba connects Tanzania, Burundi and Zambia. Connecting Itungi and Mbamba Bay via several other small ports are two ferries on the Tanzanian side of Lake Malawi. Ocean going liners link Dar es Salaam and Mombasa in Kenya. Several boats and ferries connect Dar es Salaam to the offshore islands of Pemba and Ugunja.

Road Travel: Variations of road conditions occur to a large extent within Tanzania. The best way to enter Tanzania overland is from either Kenya or Malawi. Advise is given too not enter from either Uganda or Rwanda. Most Tanzanian roads do not have sealed surfaces. Traveling on the roads in Tanzania during the wet seasons can be problematic. A law aimed at curbing accidents forbids public vehicles traveling between 10 pm and 5 am. Certain guidelines should be followed by those who prefer to hire a car and perform their own transportation. Vehicles keep to the left of the road. All foreign drivers require an international driving license. Third-party insurance must be present with all vehicles. Car hire services are limited and it is difficult to hire a self-drive vehicle. The available car hire companies are based in Dar es Salaam and larger towns.

Taxis: Availability of taxis is limited to international airports and larger main cities. No meters are present in thee taxis and therefore they tend to charge standard rates per journey for given distances. Taxis are available at international airports and in main towns.