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Tanzania is located between 3 and 20 degrees South. Due to its proximity to the equator, there is no spring,summer,fall, or winter. However, in the north, there are 4 seasons: the short wets, the long wets, and two dry seasons.
You can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru year round, but the experience is best in the dry season, when you are less likely to get wet. Ideally, you should try and go early in the dry season, when there is a lot of fresh snow, which makes the summit more photogenic.
The Serengeti is ruled by the migration, which is, in turn, ruled by the rains. During the long rains, the animals spread out over the vast plains of the Serengeti, but in the transition times, as the land gets dry, the animals start collecting at the permanent water sources and the great migration to the north begins.
The Selous is unreachable for almost half the year. When it's dry in the north, it is wet, wet, wet in the Selous. Most lodges in the Selous are closed from November to April.
Mbeya's climate (far South) is more like Malawi (coming soon).
Tanzanian Shilling (TSH). The TSH has been slowly depreciating. At the printing of the Lonely Planet's East Africa guidebook (march 1998), the TSH stood at 450 to the Dollar. When we arrived in late January, 1999, it was at 680 to the dollar.
I laminated several double-sided, wallet-sized cards that had emergency information listed on them. Things that I included:
East Africa is a notoriously dangerous place to visit. Health concerns should be foremost in your mind, and when you travel in Tanzania, you should have a sober understanding of the risks. Malaria is endemic in the entire country. Cholera outbreaks occur frequently. HIV is at epidemic levels. Southern Tanzania is infested with tsetse flies, so african sleeping sickness is a risk down there.
Basic preparation for a trip to Tanzania involves a getting couple of shots and some malaria prophylaxis.
Malaria
Malaria was the single biggest concern on my mind while we traveled through Tanzania.
Prophylaxis
Lariam has a bad reputation. Apparently, it has some potentially dangerous side effects. A small percentage of people (say...20%) experience some strange dreams. A small fraction of these people (...perhaps 1%) have trouble sleeping because of the Lariam. An even smaller percentage of people (maybe 0.05%) can develop psychosis and become clinically insane. This has led many european countries to recommend against Lariam, despite the fact that Lariam is 95% effective in preventing malaria...Most everyone that I travelled with was using the Chloroquine cocktail instead (only about 80% effective). This involves two sets of pills: a daily chloroquine pill and a weekly pill of proguanil. Personally, it sounded way too complicated! I had no problems with the Lariam, and I would recommend it to anyone, as it currently offers the highest effectiveness.
Repellent
Every evening, as the sun passed over the horizon, the risk of malaria became the driving force in a ritual slathering of DEET over every exposed milimeter of skin. I took this risk very seriously, and perhaps I overcompensated with bug-juice (...or as we called it in Africa, "mozzie repellent"). But Mosquitos have always particularly enjoyed nibbling on me! So I didn't mess around with them. One evening, I covered all of my exposed skin with mozzie juice, except for the space between my toes, and one enterprising mosquito managed to get in there and take a bite!
Make yourself a routine at sunset. Go to the tent, or the bedroom, identify what you will be wearing that evening (it's a good idea to wear long sleeves or long pants, if the temperature allows for this). After changing, get the 20% or 100% DEET out and be generous with the quantities you use. If you think you are overdoing it...just think what the consequences would be if you got malaria.
The Center for Disease Control recommends using at least 20% DEET compounds for travel to Africa. Personally, I never felt completely secure unless I had 100% DEET on. Having said that, I would recommend bringing both.
Shots
Necessary shots include, but are not limited to:
In 9 African border crossings, I was never asked--not once--to show anyone my vaccination certificate. My wife and I went through a lot of trouble to carry copies of all important documentation, and half the time, no one bothered to look at anything!
It is surprisingly easy to travel in Tanzania. All major cities in Tanzania are connected by private bus lines. There are several tiers of bus, but all westerners are urged to use the "luxury" bus lines. Primarily because the cost differential is miniscule (maybe a 5-10 percent discount for the local lines).
Buses
Luxury buses, or "video" buses, as they are called sometimes, are not the same as a luxury bus in Europe or America. They are quite old--15 to 20 years old--and they have been modified for african travel. The front of the bus has been extended a few feet forward to provide the driver to have space for an assistant driver (and his buddies, of course). Behind this "cockpit" is an alcove with a TV, which will play continuously from the time you leave to the time you arrive. Most movies won't interest you, unless you like low-budget Hong-Kong karate flicks that have been dubbed into Swahili.
Don't expect it to be comfortable. It's cheap and it's easy. But if all the seats are taken, and they still have people wishing to board the bus, they will put them in aisle...Sitting on their luggage...Next to you...for 9 hours.
In Africa, they don't have fire codes. They have tragedies.
A typical busride from Dar Es Salaam to Arusha will cost between $14 and $20 per person. We took the "Taqwa" bus, which was recommended to me. It was a decent ride at $16.
Boat
Hydrofoil is the most practical way to get to Zanzibar from the mainland. There are several major companies that operate between Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar. They all cost about the same ($40 round trip) for a second class seat. First class tickets cost about 40% more.
If you have never riden on a hydrofoil before, it can be interesting. The water was choppy when we first crossed the channel, and the trip was a little nauseating. I don't get sea sickness often, but on this ride, I was close. On our return trip, the water was much calmer, and was a very comfortable ride.
Eventually, everyone gets either a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide book. In Tanzania, 2/3 of the wazungu (white people) were carrying Lonely Planet guides: either East Africa or Africa on a Shoestring.
I used LPs East Africa book. Unfortunately, I had the 1993 edition, which was very out of date in 1999. But the 1998 edition looks very good.
The American Embassy has been rebuilt. It is located about a mile from the old, bombed-out one. The old embassy was on the main North-South road out of Dar Es Salaam, just North of the city. The new embassy is in a residential neighborhood just West of this road. It's quite hard to find, unless you know exactly where it is. I would recommend hiring a taxi to take you there.
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