edit Tanzania Travel Guide

By plane

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

There are a wide assortment of volunteer organisations sending volunteers and interns to Tanzania to do work in health care, orphanages, education, and development projects. Finding a paying job may be more daunting and take more time and local connections, but is certainly obtainable if sought hard enough.

Illnesses and diseases

As in most African countries, the AIDS/HIV infection rate is high. Tanzania's HIV/AIDS infection rate was 9% at the end of 2003 UNAIDS . This figure is deceiving, however, since many subpopulations such as artisanal miners, itinerant fisherman, truck drivers and sex workers, have HIV infection rates significantly higher than the national average. Do not have unprotected sex in Tanzania or anywhere.

For most tourists to Tanzania, Malaria will be your greatest concern. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes and is endemic to Tanzania. You are at risk in almost every part of the country, although this risk is somewhat diminished when at altitudes above 2000m. Care should always be taken between sunset and sunrise, especially during the rainy season. Always sleep under a treated net, wear trousers and closed footwear, and use an effective repellent. It's amazing but many large hotels don’t automatically install mosquito nets in their rooms. However, a call to the reception requesting one is seldom ignored. Before you leave for Tanzania, you may also wish to consult a physician about taking some form of anti-malarial medication, before, during and after your trip. If in spite of your best efforts you do contract Malaria, it is usually easily treated with medication that is readily available throughout most of the country. If you plan on being in more isolated locations, you may wish to drop by one of the clinics and purchase a batch. Note that symptoms associated with Malaria can take up to two weeks to manifest themselves. The rule of thumb for ex-pats living in Tanzania, is that any fever that last more than a day is a cause for concern and requires an urgent trip to the clinic for a malaria test. Notify your doctor that you’ve been to a malaria infected country if you start to run a fever shortly after returning from Tanzania.

Other major illnesses to avoid include typhoid and cholera. In theory, typhoid can be avoided by carefully selecting food and drink, and avoiding consumption of anything unclean. Typhoid infection, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , is marked by 'persistent, high fevers...headache, malaise, anorexia, splenomegaly, and relative bradycardia.'

Cholera infection is marked by vomiting and sudden, uncontrollable bowel movements which can dehydrate and ultimately kill the sufferer within 48 hours. It is important to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Cholera is more or less a seasonal phenomenon in Zanzibar, where outbreaks frequently occur during the rainy seasons. Vaccines and/or oral prevention are available for both typhoid and cholera.

Yellow Fever: Is an acute viral disease transmitted through the bite of a particular mosquito. Although not as common as Malaria, it is nonetheless a serious disease and travelers to Africa should consult a physician about being vaccinated against it. Additionally, if you plan on traveling to other countries after your stay in Tanzania, be advised that some countries, such as South Africa, may require proof that you’ve been vaccinated against Yellow Fever before allowing you to enter the country. If you aren’t or can’t prove it, you will be offered two options: 1) receive the Yellow Fever vaccination at the airport, 2) immediately leave the country. WARNING: The Yellow Fever vaccine can have serious side affects for some people. Therefore, you may wish to get the vaccine in your home country under controlled conditions. Most physicians will not administer the Yellow Fever vaccine to children under the age of 1 year, a letter from a physician explaining this will ensure your infant child is not forced to receive it at the airport.

Gastrointestinal Distress: A.k.a. traveler’s diarrhea is the result of one, some or all the following reasons: unhygienic food preparation, changes in diet, fatigue, dehydration and excessive alcohol consumption. Prevention is your best defense. Only eat raw vegetables and fruits you can peel and which have been washed in clean water. Avoid street or restaurant food that appears to have been left in the open for extended periods of time. Only eat freshly fried or steamed food. You should only drink bottled water which is available throughout the country. You should even brush your teeth with it. If you must drink the tap or well water, boil it for a minimum of 10 minutes or use a high quality filter.

Rift Valley Fever: In January 2007, there was an outbreak of RFV in the Kilimanjaro area. Consumption of unpasteurized milk and improperly cooked meat from infected cows led to a number of deaths in the area. Following the deaths, the sale of beef dropped sharply all over the country, despite the limited scope of the infection. In general, meat served in upscale restaurants is of superior quality, however, care should be taken when indulging in street foods or when in more remote areas.

Insects and Animals

Tanzania has its fair share of venomous and deadly insects and animals, such as Black and Green Mambas, scorpions, spiders, stinging ants, centipedes, lions, sharks, and so on. You should take care when walking through high grass, when visiting national parks or shoving your hand under rocks or into dark holes, unless you know what your doing, but in actuality the likelihood of encountering these and other similar dangers is remote.

The insect/animal most residents fear is the mosquito.

Medical Facilities

Dar es Salaam is served by a few clinics staffed by western trained physicians. However, procedures such as surgery may require evacuation to Nairobi or Johannesburg.

• IST Medical Clinic: Just off Haile Selassie Road past the Chole Road intersection, behind the International School of Tanganyika, Msasani Pinensula, Tel: +255 22 260 1307, Emergency: +255 754 783 393.
• Premier Care Clinic Limited: 259 Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, Namanga, Kinondoni, P.O. Box 220, Dar es Salaam, Tel: +255 22 266 8385, Mobile: +255 748 254 642.
• Aga Khan Hospital: Corner of Ocean Road & Sea View Road, Tel: +255 22 211 5151.

Bus is the most common way to travel around Tanzania. Most buses are simple and the roads are poor, although on the Dar-Moshi-Arusha route, 1st class air-con buses can be taken. Nearly all buses go in and out of Dar es Salaam. 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.

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 leave. 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.

If you can afford it, flying around Tanzania is faster and safer. See "By plane" in the "Get In" section above. Even the busiest roads are in poor condition and bus drivers are not known for their patience or great driving skills. Road accidents claim more lives in Tanzania than anything else.