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General Info

Overview of Tanzania and Zanzibar, what you need to know

Tanzania leads us to think of the great English explorers in search of the springs of the Nile, which met on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the mid-nineteenth century. Just quote Henry Stanley or the missionary David Livingstone, and the wild and mysterious scenery of this beautiful land, always surrounded by a halo of mystery and sense of the unknown, comes to mind. Until the 1960s it was known as Tanganyika, because only after its union with Zanzibar in 1963 did it take the name of the United Republic of Tanzania. Crossing it by plane you can see a vast central plateau that tilts towards the Indian Ocean. The interior is bordered by three great lakes: to the north the Victoria (the largest in Africa), on the border with Kenya and Uganda; to the west tanganyika, considered the second oldest in the world and the second by depth; to the south, finally, Lake Malawi. The great rift of the Great Rift Valley, on the other hand, marks the northern area by dotting it with large and small volcanoes. Tanzania is not only one of the most beautiful corners of the planet, but also a territory with one of the largest wildlife varieties on Earth. Don't miss natural beauty such as parks, including the Serengeti and Ruaha or the spectacular Ngorongoro crater. For lovers of the sea right in Tanzania you will find some of the most attractive, spicy and exotic seaside destinations such as Zanzibar  and Pemba.

How do you get there?

 

Tanzania has three international airports:

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  • Dar es Salaam International Airport (DIA) known as Mwalimu  J.K. Nyerere International Airport about 8 km from the city of  Dar es Salaam.

  • Zanzibar International Airport  (ZIA) about 5 km from stone town centre

  • Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), about 30 km from Arusha and 35 km from Moshi

 

Main airlines to Zanzibar: 

 

Etiopian Airlines, NEOS,  Quatar  Airways,  Turkisch  Airlines, Oman Air,  Kenya  Airways, KLM

 

Visas

 

  • You apply at the airport, it has a maximum validity of 90 days, you pay by credit card at a cost of 50$ or 50€

  • Upon 1991 in Tanzania, the traveller's passport must be valid for at least 6  months

  • The same passport must contain at least one blank page

  • The traveller must already be in possession of a ticket for the return or transit journey

  • The traveler must have already booked at least one overnight stay in Tanzania


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Country Facts

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  • The official languages of Tanzania are English and Swahili.

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  • In Tanzania, about 35% of the population are Christian, 35% Muslim, and 30% practice indigenous beliefs and cults. The island of Zanzibar is 99%  Muslim.

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  • The Tanzanian Shilling of which the largest denomination of banknotes is 10,000TSZ and the dollar.

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  • Time zone:

End October to March +2 hours (CET)

April – October +1 hour (CET)

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  • Tanzania uses English plugs (Socket  3 Pin  Square)at 220/230 voltage 50 Hz. If you need to use electrical equipment, be sure to bring an appropriate adapter. Disconnect all electrical appliances when not in use. 

 

 

Vaccines

 

There are no mandatory vaccines required to enter the country.

For an updated, qualified and suitable opinion for your condition, we advise you to inform your health company about any vaccination practice to be  adopted.​

What should I bring? 

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Given the particularly favorable climate it is always possible to visit the beautiful island of Zanzibar; in fact, the temperature, even in the coldest seasons, does not fall below 20 °C and does not rise above 35 °C in summer. The seasons are reversed to the European ones, there are periods of heavy rains in April and May and small rains in November.

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We advise you to bring good protection against mosquitoes in your suitcase since they are always lurking. The scorching Zanzibar sun may cause you sunburn, so we recommend that you always bring 50 sunscreen and avoid exposure during the early hours of the afternoon.  

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​Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, so it's always advisable to wear long pants and shoulder cover while visiting villages or the capital Stone Town so as not to bump into native sensibility. Also to bring a hat and comfortable shoes for walking in the villages or in the most rocky areas of the island.

 

For the reef, snorkeling equipment and water shoes or rubber sole for walking on the rocks.

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