Tanzania Tourism - Tourist Advisory

Tanzania's varied geography produces a variety of climatic conditions. The central plateau is dry and arid with hot days and cool nights, while the north-western highlands are cool and temperate. June to September is the coolest season. The "long rains" are from March to May, while the "short rains" fall between October and December. The hottest months are between October and February. On the coast, it rains in November and December and from March to May. The coastal strip and the islands of Zanzibar and Mafia have a hot and humid tropical climate, tempered by sea breezes.

A valid passport is required of every visitor. Exempted from visa requirements are citizens of the Commonwealth, Scandinavian countries and the Republic of Ireland. Visas may be obtained from any Tanzanian diplomatic mission. The visa fee depends on the type of passport held. A visitors' pass is required of all travellers. This can be obtained free from any Tanzanian embassy, or on arrival at any of the country's entry points (airports, seaports and border posts).

Tropical weather prevails over most of Tanzania. The coastal area is hot and humid. In the northern circuit cool weather prevails from May to September. The hottest months for the whole country are from October to February. The long rains are from March to May, and the short rains from October to November. Coastal areas and the islands have tropical climate, whereas the central plateau is semi-arid and the highlands are semi-temperature.

Safaris call for practical clothes: a hat, sunglasses, comfortable shoes, a bathing suit and lightweight clothes (preferably cotton) that are easy to wash. A light sweater may be useful in the evenings. Campers are advised to carry warm sleeping bags. Track suits are very useful for sleeping in. Jeans too are very useful on safari. In the towns and for business meetings, a lightweight suit is the mode of dress.
For the coastal region and Zanzibar, light clothing is recommended throughout the year. Highland regions like Arusha and Iringa can get very cold with temperatures falling to 10 degrees centigrade, so warm clothes are recommended.

The Tanzania shilling (TSHS), divided into 100 cents, is the national currency. It is illegal to import /export the currency. Visitors may bring in as much foreign currency as they wish, and no currency declaration form is required. Foreign currency may be changed at authorised banks, forex bureaux and hotels. Credit cards (Access, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Eurocard, and Dinners) are accepted by top hotels around the country. PTA travellers' cheques, or those in Sterling pounds, US dollars or rand are recommended.
Visitors to Zanzibar are required to pay for their expenses in hard currency. Any amount of foreign currency brought into Zanzibar must be declared at the airport. The currency may be exchanged at the National Bank of Commerce or with an authorised dealer and the receipt obtained should be preserved until the time of departure.
Banks and forex bureaux are available at the airport and in all main towns.

Tanzania, a land of spectacular beauty, and one of the largest countries in Africa, is a union (formed in 1964) between the mainland (Tanganyika), and the Zanzibar Isles consisting of Unguja (also known as Zanzibar) and Pemba. It lies on the east coast of Africa, between 1degree and 11degrees south of the Equator. It is bordered to the north by Kenya and Uganda. To the west is Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia, and to the south are Malawi and Mozambique. It covers an area of 945,000 sq. km, the size of Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom combined.
Tanzania comprises a coastal lowland, volcanic highlands and the Great Rift Valley and includes within its territory, Africa's highest peak.
Tanzania is the only country in the world which has allocated at least 25 per cent of its total area to wildlife national parks and protected areas. The total protected area is equivalent to the size of the Federal Republic of Germany and Belgium combined. The 55,000 sq. km Selous Game Reserve, the largest single wildlife area in Africa, is bigger than Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Burundi, Israel, Lesotho and Kuwait respectively.

Tanzania has about 126 major different ethnic communities with their vernaculars, cultures, traditions and customs. National cohension has been attained partly through the use of the national language - Kiswahili - and the interaction of the country's people.
The cultures, traditions and customs manifest themselves in unique tourist attractions in the form of rich traditional dances, handicraft such as weaving and pottery and art in the form of paintings and wood carvings of the Makonde ethnic community of south Tanzania.