Africa
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries - History
Visa Requirements - Holders of UK passports do require a visa for entry into Tanzania and you should have a full passport with at least six months validity from the date of your return to the UK. The current cost of a single entry visa from the Tanzanian High Commission is £38 and remains valid for up to 3 months. Please note that World Odyssey offers an express Visa service for all our destinations.
Non-British passport holders should check their visa requirements with their local Embassy or High Commission. Please also be aware that you need to have at least two blank pages in your passport.
Health Requirements - A Yellow Fever Certificate is required to enter Tanzania if you arrive from or via an infected country. Please note that Immigration regulations can change at very short notice, so we would strongly recommend that you carry a Yellow Fever certificate when travelling to Tanzania regardless of where you have travelled from.There are no other mandatory vaccinations required although Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Hepatitis A and Meningococcal Meningitis are recommended. Malaria is present in many parts of Tanzania and it is therefore essential that you seek qualified medical advice on its prevention.
We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor or the MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) Travellers Health Line on 0870 606 2782 for all professional medical advice.
Time - GMT + 3 hours (+ 2 hours during British Summer Time)
Money - The currency is the Tanzania Shilling.
Travellers’ cheques and foreign currency can be freely exchanged at most commercial banks, hotels and lodges. The use and acceptance of credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard is growing and they are generally accepted in some of the larger hotels and lodges, but an alternative payment source such as cash is sensible, especially in remote areas.
Flights
|
Airline |
Route |
Frequency |
Via |
|
British Airways |
Heathrow/Dar es Salaam |
Tue/Thu/Sat |
Direct |
|
KLM |
Heathrow/Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam |
Daily |
Amsterdam |
Climate - a rough guide
On account of its extremely varied topography, the weather in Tanzania can vary between regions, but generally it has two dry seasons split by two rainy seasons as described below:
DECEMBER - MARCH This is when the north of the country is usually at its driest with hot, clear days and pleasantly warm nights. On average daytime temperatures rise to around 90F and then fall to a balmy 65F at night. The coastal region can experience more tropical temperatures with the influence of the 'kaskazi' monsoon wind that can push temperatures up to a humid 95F or higher. Whilst the north of the country is predominantly dry during this time, the southern areas of Selous and Ruaha usually experience their green season with intermittent rainfall.
APRIL - MAY As the end of March beckons, daytime temperatures and humidity begin to increase significantly with the onset of the long rains, although the effects in the northern highlands are normally tempered on account of the altitude. The long rains can sometimes cause temporary flooding as a result, but are usually short and heavy, with rainfall typically lasting for an hour or two before the sun shines again.
JUNE - OCTOBER This is the coolest time of the year although daytime temperatures remain high at about 80F, contrasting significantly with the nights when the temperature can fall to 58F or cooler in the highlands. As September and October approach, so it starts to warm up again prior to the short rains in November. These months are generally dry although some rain may be encountered.
NOVEMBER This month sees a rise in temperatures as the hot and dry season approaches, but this is also the time of the short rains which can last into early December. Storms are generally short, sharp and very sporadic with travel arrangements little affected.
When to go - The best months for game viewing tend to be during the dry seasons from June to October and December to March when the bush is generally thin and the wild animals seek out the last remaining waterholes.
The Serengeti National Park is at its prime between December and June with the great migratory herds of wildebeest having returned from the Masai Mara. Meanwhile the less visited, but equally fascinating Tarangire National Park experiences its own migration of elephant, zebra, wildebeest and other plains game into the park between July and November.
During the two rainy seasons of November and April/May some roads can become impassable, but you are rewarded with incredibly green and lush landscapes and generally far fewer visitors than in the high season. These months are also excellent for photography as the colours of the trees, bushes, grasses and flowers are profuse and it is less dusty.
For those interested in ornithology the best months are normally from November to April when Tanzania plays host to a large number of migratory birds as well as its own prolific number of resident species.
The wildlife areas in the south such as the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park tend to have two main seasons; the dry season is from June to October when game viewing is at its best and then the green season from November until February when some rain can fall, but when the game viewing is good until the long rains and high humidity return in March. It should be noted that most camps and lodges tend to close from mid March until mid June.
|
Arusha |
||||||||||||
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Temp (F) |
93/ |
93/ |
90/ |
86/ |
82/ |
80/ |
80/ |
81/ |
84/ |
90/ |
91/ |
92/ |
|
Rain (in) |
2.0 |
2.0 |
5.0 |
14.5 |
9.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
4.5 |
4.0 |
Temp (Fahrenheit) = Average Maximum Temperatures (day/night)
Rain (inches) = Average Monthly Rainfall
