About Tanzania
Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa. Tanzania is the melting point of all the cultures in Africa. It has the essence of whole Africa in it. If you have a dream to see Africa come to Tanzania. Tanzania is rich in nature and inherits a complex of cultural wealth. It is a country that has inspired Hemingway and Livingstone.
We at Tanzania Travel & Culture Services provide you all the services in Tanzania for a comfortable stay and a in-depth exploration of the country's nature and culture. We offer many tour packages for Tanzanian Safaris and culture tours. Please email us for your travel arrangements. We shall be delighted to send you a quote with 24 hours.
| Languages: | Swahili, English, Arabic |
| Population: | 31,270,820 (census from 1999) |
| Capital city: | Dar Es Salaam |
| Currency: | Tanzanian Shilling |
| People: | Native African, Arabic, and Indian |
| President: | Mr. Jakaya M Kikwete |
| Government: | Republic |
| Religion: | All Major Religions are practiced in Tanzania |
| Climate: | Hot and humid |
| Average Temperature: |
25ºC (77ºF) Cool Season / 35º Hot Season Highlands are much cooler |
Tanzania Geography
A
large central plateau makes up most of the mainland Tanzania, ranging at an
altitude between 900m and 1800m. The Eastern Arc mountain ranges and the
Southern and Northern Highlands cut across the country to form part of the Great
Rift Valley.
Tanzania being A land of geographical extremes, inherits the highest peak of Africa the Mount Kilimanjaro; the lowest point in the world the lake bed of Lake Tanganyika, and the largest lake the Lake Victoria are all major landmarks on the African continent.
Weather / Climate
Tanzania's weather varies from humid and hot in low lying areas, such as Dar es Salaam, to hot during the day & cool at night in Arusha. There are no discernible seasons, such as winter and summer -- only the dry and wet seasons. Tanzania has two rainy seasons: The short rains from late-October to late-December, a.k.a. the Mango Rains, and the long rains from March to May.
Visa
A Tourist Visa will set you back US$50 and US$100 for U.S. passport holders, for a six-month single entry and a six-month double entry. The visa can be obtained upon landing in Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro. Be advised that the wait can be especially long if your flight arrives at the same time with other international flights. Visas are valid for the duration from the date of issuance. For U.S. citizens, it is advised to obtain visas before commencing travel, even though it may be possible to get a visa at any of Tanzania's port of entry. Other countries have not issued similar directives, but you may still wish to follow that advice. For travelers departing from the U.S., paying a US$20 fee for rush service, which takes three working days, is also an option to be considered. Visas may also be obtained from any of Tanzania's diplomatic mission abroad.
Getting to Tanzania By plane
There are two major airports; one in Dar es Salaam, Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) (formerly known as Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere International Airport and Dar es Salaam International Airport), and one in Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro International Airport - (JRO), which is halfway between Arusha and Moshi.
By train
The Tanzania - Zambia train service, known as TAZARA, operates trains twice a week between New Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia, and Dar es Salaam. A domestic railroad network links the country's major cities, including Kigoma, Mwanza, Dodoma, Tabora, and Dar es Salaam.
Routes
The two main roads are the "Dar es Salaam to Mbeya" road (A7/A17), which
takes you to the Southern Highlands through the towns of Morogoro, Iringa, and
Mikumi National Park, and near the Selous and Ruhaha National Parks. The other
road is the "Dar to Arusha and the Serengeti" road (B1), which takes you to the
Northern Circuit by the towns of Tanga and Moshi, and Mount Kilimanjaro, Saadani,
Tanrangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Parks.
Dangers and annoyances
Tanzanians drive very fast and won't hesitate to overtake in a blind curve.
Also, most commercial vehicles are poorly maintained and overloaded, and you'll
see many of them broken-down along the main highways. NEVER assume their brakes
are working or that the drivers have fully thought through the dangerous
maneuver they are undertaking.
Most roads in Tanzania are poorly maintained and littered with potholes and
dangerous grooves formed by overloaded transport vehicles. All main roads cut
through towns and villages, and often traffic calming tools (a.k.a. speed or
road humps) ensure vehicles reduce their speed when passing through.
Unfortunately, few are clearly marked while most are hard to see until you are
right upon them, and if you are coming too fast, you could be thrown off the
road. SLOW DOWN when entering any town, or you might not be able to avoid these
and other hazards. This defensive driving attitude is also prudent because
animals and children often bolt out into the street.
Note: If you are involved in an accident with a pedestrian, drive to the nearest
police station to advise them. DO NOT exit your vehicle and attempt to resolve
the situation, even if you are sure it was not your fault. Tanzanians are some
of the nicest people you will ever meet in Africa, but they have been known to
take matters into their own hands. This is largely due to their mistrust of the
police and the belief that anyone with money, e.g. rich foreigners, can buy
their way out of a problem.
If you encounter a convoy of government vehicles, move out of the way. They
have priority, although this is debatable, and will not hesitate to run you off
the road if you don't give way. You could also be fined by the police for your
failure to give way.
FYI: In Tanzania, you can determine vehicle registration by the license plate
colours. YELLOW plates, starting with "T" and followed by three numbers, are
privately owned vehicles. Official Tanzanian government plates are also yellow,
but they display only letters and usually start with "S" (the fewer the letters,
the higher up in the food chain the owner is). GREEN plates are diplomatic; RED
are international development agencies; BLUE are UN and similar organizations;
WHITE are taxis and buses, and BLACK are the military and the police. This
coding does not apply in Zanzibar and Pemba.
Get around
The bus is the most common way to travel around in Tanzania. Most buses have a simple design, and the roads are poor, although 1st class air-con buses are available on the Dar-Moshi-Arusha route. Nearly all buses go in and out of Dar. The main bus station in Dar (where all buses go), Ubungo, is 8km west of the city center. A number of the better "intercity buses" provide you with complimentary drinks and biscuits. Scandinavian Express is your best choice if you want to travel by bus. They operate their own terminal in downtown Dar es Salaam.
In Dar, shared taxis, called Dalla-Dallas, can be taken cheaply to most places.
Private taxis are also a convenient choice, but be sure to negotiate the price before you using them. If you're at the airport, just ask a fellow Tanzanian traveler how much it costs from the airport to downtown. Tanzanians are always happy to help. Just do it, before you leave the terminal; once outside, it can be a bit overwhelming. In Dar, a taxi from the airport to the city center should be 15,000 TSH.