Travel insights.

Packing for safari often feels like a puzzle. To make your safari comfortable and enjoyable, here is the comprehensive checklist we send every guest.

• Convertible safari pants (e.g. REI or Columbia).
• Long and short sleeve convertible shirts.
• Medium or heavy weight fleece jacket for chilly mornings.
• A couple of pants or shorts and a windbreaker.
• Enough pairs of socks and underwear.
• A pair of walking shoes or sneakers.
• Sunglasses and a pair of glasses or contact lenses.
• A copy of your passport in case the original gets lost.
• A travel pillow for back or neck issues and bumpy roads.
• Pajamas, and a sports bra for ladies on bumpy roads.
• Hat, light gloves, and a bandana or scarf for higher elevation and bumpy roads.
• Passport and other documents: plane tickets, safari itinerary and emergency contacts, visa.
• Small or mini flashlight, sunscreen, and lip balm.
• Insect repellent and contact lens solution.
• Antibacterial gel, hand wipes, and hand sanitizer.
• Camera, extra batteries, and charger or adapter.
• Notebook, a pen, and a couple of novels you wish to read after game drive hours.
• Ziplock bags for raw items (wet clothes, camera equipment, snacks) and trash bags.

We recommend clothes in natural colours rather than bright ones, to avoid drawing the attention of wild or shy animals. Green, brown, khaki, olive and beige are perfect for daytime game drives.

Black and dark blue should be avoided in the day because they tend to attract stubborn and biting flies such as tse-tse. At night these colours are fine; the flies are asleep or inactive.

Lightweight clothes are recommended for the warm and humid daytime temperatures, and they dry faster, an extra advantage on a moving safari.

At night, and during dusk or dawn, wear long sleeves, pants, socks and shoes to protect against mosquitoes, alongside the use of bug repellent. Some treat their safari clothes against bugs in advance, if you have a chance to do that, take it.

After sunset, any colour is fine. It’s your time to shine and enjoy your safari with us.

Most important: see your doctor before your safari. They know your health conditions and can advise what medication to carry, and anything they prescribe should travel with you. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is needed if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever, such as Kenya or Uganda, including a stop of more than 12 hours in one. Packing cubes are also a great option to keep everything organized.

Planes that fly to and from the national parks range from small bush planes of about 12 seats to larger aircraft of 37 to 50 seats on some routes. Every airline sets a strict weight limit on luggage (bags, purses, backpacks), usually 15 to 20 kg per person including hand luggage, depending on the airline. Excess weight is charged extra, and carried on the same flight only if space allows.

For heavy gear (cameras for serious photographers, or any other safari equipment), earlier arrangements can be made with our offices ahead of booking, with a maximum of 70 kg of excess luggage on an arranged fee basis. Please don’t hesitate to communicate with us early for pricing and recommendations.

A lightweight soft-sided rolling bag is recommended for bush flights. Hard-sided suitcases are allowed with dimensions not exceeding 15 by 27 inches, the cargo pod measurements for bush planes.

For international flights, please check the rules and equipment on the airline websites and adhere to what is on the tickets.

Please note: weight limit and price may change and you will be informed accordingly.

Our paramount objective is to keep you healthy and safe at all times so you can fully enjoy your safari in Africa and what it offers.

It is important to be current on any required vaccines, or to take your doctor’s advice on polio, typhoid, cholera, MMR, DTP, hepatitis A and B, tetanus, pertussis, chicken pox, and others like yellow fever if you arrive from a country where it is required (such as Kenya or Uganda).

• Hepatitis A or B.
• Anti-malaria drugs, Tanzania is a malaria zone, with the island of Zanzibar and the coastal regions at higher risk.

Recommendations.

Visit www.cdc.gov/travel, go to the For Travelers section and select Tanzania for detailed info including vaccines and medicine, travel health notices, and a health and packing list to stay healthy and safe during and after your trip.

If you have a medical condition, a food allergy or a dietary requirement, or travel with a medical device, please let us know when you book. We will share what you need to know directly with you, and pass the details on to every property you will stay in.

Travel to Tanzania often comes with the joy of bringing something home as a souvenir of an unforgettable trip. Many unique items represent Africa beautifully: wood carvings in African ebony (the second-best wood in the world), African masks, local paintings, picture frames, hand-woven baskets, and Maasai arts and crafts (bead works, shields, spears, and jewelry).

Tanzanite, a bluish-purple gemstone, is the most unique and rare gemstone found only in Tanzania, mined south of Kilimanjaro Airport in an area called Mirerani. Other gemstones are also sold, tourmaline, ruby, green tsavorite, sapphire, but tanzanite is the most popular. Shops run from Kilimanjaro Airport all along the way to Arusha and toward Ngorongoro Gate, with mini gift shops in most lodges and camps. We particularly recommend Cultural Heritage and Arts Galleria for their range, quality, and fair pricing.

Tipping.

Tipping is one way to say thank you and appreciate excellent service, and it is always a personal choice. Once your safari is confirmed, our briefing notes for guests include our tipping guidance.

Bring some extra cash for tipping, with the newest crisp bills not older than 2015. Older bills won’t be accepted by any banks or money-exchange shops in Tanzania for counterfeit reasons.

You can also use credit cards. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in most places, but we suggest you refrain from using cards for small bills. For large bills, inform your bank and pre-approve any credit-card charges. We trust the two shops mentioned above and can follow up with them in the rare case of fraudulent activity.

Karibu sana. We look forward to welcoming you to Tanzania and ensuring your safari is as smooth as it is unforgettable.