FACTS ABOUT TANZANIA

Administrative Capital: Dodoma

Commercial Capital: Dar es Salaam

Climate:

Tanzania’s climate is predominantly tropical. Coastal areas are usually hot and humid, but on the beaches a sea breeze cools the air considerably. The average day temperature is 30C. Tanzania has two rainy seasons – The long rains from late March to June and the short rains from November to January. The long rains fall in heavy downpours, often accompanied by violent storms, but the short rains tend to be much less severe. The hottest time of the year is from December to March, before the long rains begin. The coolest months are June, July and August, when the weather is often overcast.
In high altitude areas such as Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Highlands, temperatures can fall below freezing.

Entry Requirements:
A valid passport. Most visitors to Tanzania require a visa to enter the country. Three month single entry tourist visas are available at Tanzanian embassies in your country, price subject to nationality. Contact your local embassy or visit www.tanzaniatouristboard.com for more details.

Airport tax:
Departure tax from mainland Tanzania is included in the price of your ticket, however in Zanzibar there is a departure tax of US $30 payable at the airport. There is a Tshs 5,000 (approx US $5 ) tax levied on passengers within Tanzania.

Official Languages: Kiswahili and English

Currency:
The Tanzania Shiling (Tsh or TZS) divided into 100 cents is the national currency.

Banking:
Banks and Bureau de change are available at airports in all major towns. Banking hours are from Monday – Friday 8.30am – 3.00pm, Saturdays 8.30am – 1.30pm. A few branches in the major towns are open until 4.00pm. Please not that banks are closed on Sundays.

Credit Cards and Travelers’ cheques :
Credit Cards (Access, MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Eurocard) are accepted only at major lodges, hotels and travel agents. A surcharge may be added for this service. ATM and 24 hour cash machines are available in branches of major banks. Travelers’ cheques in pound sterling or US dollars are recommended, though it may be difficult to exchange them outside the main cities.

Time: Local time is GMT + 3

Electric Current: 220 volts AC50Hz

Communications:
International direct dial is available. The country code for Tanzania is +255. The outgoing international code is 00 for the United States or 000 for all other countries. Public call boxes in post offices and main towns operate on a card system, available from most small shops. Several cellular phone companies operate in Tanzania and roaming lines work near most major cities and towns. Internet cafes are plentiful in major city centers.

International Airports:
Dar es Salaam international airport is located 15 km southwest of Dar es Salaam and takes approximately 25 minutes to reach by car from downtown. Airport facilities include a duty-free shop, car hire, post office, banking and bureau de change and a bar and restaurant.
Zanzibar international Airport is located approximately 7 km from the center of Stone town and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by car. Facilities include a restaurant, bureau de change and curio shops.

Kilimanjaro International Airport lies 40 Km from Arusha and takes approximately one hour to reach by car. Facilities include curio shops, a post office and a bar and restaurant. Shuttle bus services to the airport run regularly from both Arusha and Moshi.

Health:
Tanzania is located in a tropical climate with different bacteria, flora and fauna than most visitors are accustomed to, so it is advisable to take a few health precautions when traveling to make sure that your trip goes as smoothly as possible. Malaria is usually top of the list of visitors’ worries and prevention goes a long way towards keeping you protected. Make sure to visit your doctor to get a prescription for anti malaria drugs that best suit your health and condition – there are some very good ones available on the market. The yellow fever vaccination is no longer officially required when entering Tanzania, (however this is still a requirement if you wish to visit Zanzibar). Other Vaccinations should be considered for more information contact your doctor well in advance of your visit.

Security:
Tanzania is a safe country to travel in. Tanzanians are warm hearted and generous people and are eager to help visitors get most out of their stay. Tanzania is a politically stable, multi democratic country. As in all countries, a little common sense goes a long way and reasonable precautions should still be taken, such as locking valuables in the hotel safe and not walking alone at night.

Public holidays:
Unless otherwise advised, the public holidays in Tanzania remain the same every year. If any of the public holidays listed below falls on Saturday or Sunday, the holiday moved to the following Monday.
• New year – January 1
• Zanzibar Revolutionary Day – January 12
• Good Friday – April 4
• Easter Monday – April 17
• Union Day – April 26
• Workers Day – May 1
• Industrial Day – July 7
• Farmers Day – August 8
• Independence Day – December 9
• Christmas Day – December 25
• Boxing Day – December 26
Islamic Holidays change from year to year and may vary by 1 -2 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon. The dates for 2006/2007 are as follows:
• Ramadhan : September 22 – October 21
• Eid el Fitr ( the end of Ramadhan ) : October 22

Best times to visit:
• Northern Tanzania: July to March
• Southern Tanzania: June to March
• Zanzibar and the coast: June to March
• Western Tanzania: May to March

Getting there:
By air:
Tanzania has three international airports: Dar es Salaam International Airport which handles most international flights, Kilimanjaro International Airport and Zanzibar International Airport. The airlines flying into Tanzania’s airports are as follows:

Dar es Salaam International Airport:
Air India, Air Malawi, Air Mozambique, Air Tanzania, Air Zimbabwe, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopians Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Precision Air, South African Airways and Swiss Air.

Kilimanjaro international Airport:
Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airways, KLM and Precision Air.

Zanzibar International Airport:
Air Tanzania, Kenya Airways, Precision Air and South African Airways.

By road:
From the north, paved roads connect the Kenyan Capital of Nairobi with Arusha and cross the border at Namanga Post. A number of shuttle buses, leaving twice daily between the two cities, also follow this route. The trip takes approximately 4 – 6 hours. From the south, the road from Malawi enters Tanzania at Karonga before continuing onwards to Mbeya. There are no viable bus services on this route. It is possible to cross the border from Uganda at the Mtukula border post but transport options are equally limited.

Internal roads connect Arusha and Dar es Salaam to Major towns around the country. Roads to major tourist destinations are either already paved or under construction. At the time of writing, pavement extends from Arusha to Tarangire National Park and almost to Karatu on the way to Ngorongoro Crater. There are a number of reliable bus operators running throughout the country , including Scandanavia, Royal, Dar Express and Fresh Coach.

Large Vehicles frequently drive recklessly on the roads, so caution is advised. For road safety avoid driving at night.