Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Flight time to Dar Es Salaam from London is 9:40hrs, with British Airways. There are no direct options to Kilimanjaro airport, the gateway to the Northern safari circuit, with the most common route being via Nairobi.

Useful Tips

• Enjoy sundowners on a rooftop restaurant in the ancient town Stonetown.

• Avoid wearing navy or black on game drives as these attract Tsetsi flies.

• Consider flying via Nairobi as it is closer to Tanzania's northern circuit than Dar.

• Take a few days to chill on the coast after a jam-packed safari adventure.

• Chose a mobile camp in the Serengeti to get a close as possible to the migration.

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Bradt Guides, Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit. The Bradt guide, we are reliably informed is the best for Tanzania.

Good books and maps are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

When To Go

Tanzania is a huge country sitting just south of the equator, so the climate can vary depending on where you are, so the best time to go will depend on what you are planning to do.

The main rainy season, or the 'long rains', lasts around three months from March - May. Afternoon tropical downpours are common " and these are heavier and more predictable beside the coast and on the islands. The humidity is high and daily temperatures reach the mid 30s.

The long dry season lasts throughout June - October and rainfall is unusual, even on the islands. Temperatures vary hugely with altitude and location, but it's usually a fine, clear sky and sunny weather thus making it a great time to visit Tanzania. During November and December there is another rainy season: the 'short rains'. These are much lighter than the main rains and less reliable.

If it has rained during the short rains, then it normally dries up for January and February, which is Tanzania's 'short dry season', before starting to rain again in March.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Tanzania. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.

On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions. Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 3 Light cotton shirts or T-shirts; short sleeved or long though both sexes should bring at least one with long sleeves.
• 1 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts.
• 2 x Good quality fleece or warm jumpers (it can get chilly in the Simiens)
• Warm Jacket
• 2-3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear long skirts/dresses.
• Set of thermals
• Waterproofs
• Pair of shorts.
• Swim suit or trunks
• Sun hat
• Warm hat and gloves
• Socks, thick ones for walking as well as light weight ones for evenings etc.
• Pair of comfortable hiking boots/shoes
• Pair of recreational shoes " if they slip on and off then makes visiting the churches easier.

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for you trip:
• Good quality 3-4 season sleeping bag
• Sleeping Bag liner (silk or cotton)
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Water bottle/Camel Pack
• Rucksack, duffel bag or soft case (no hard suitcases please
• Plastic bag for inside your kit bag to keep your stuff dry in case of rain.
• Trekking poles (if you usually travel with them) for uneven paths, which can be slippery when wet.
• Pair of good quality polarised sunglasses.
• Water bottle (you should be able to carry 2 litres)
• Plug adapter

Personal First Aid Kit:
Since we currently have no group tours to Tanzania we suggest you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife

NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Tanzania is 3hrs ahead of GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
The food served in Tanzanian safari camps varies, but is often delicious " the equivalent of a reasonable restaurant in Europe or America. In Tanzania's towns and villages, the food is usually simpler. Plain grilled meat, nyama choma, is very popular, and often served with sauce, rice, chips, plantains or ugali (cornmeal or cassava mush). Indian cuisine is also wide spread.

The locally brewed beer is good, including Serengeti, Safari, Kilimanjaro, mbege (homebrew from the Chagga people) and banana beer; imported beers (e.g. Tusker from Kenya) and wine are also excellent.

Electricity:
Plugs and sockets vary in style, though the most common are the British three-square-pin or European two-round-pin style sockets. Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should keep that in mind. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug, but power is unreliable and power surges are common and can cause damage.

Money:
In Tanzania the unit of currency is the shilling.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com
A few points to help you plan:
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• Only the few large hotels and banks accept credit cards and Travellers Cheques so they are basically useless.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.
• It is strongly recommended you travel with US dollars or Euros in cash. Sterling is possible to change, but more difficult than dollars.

Language & Religion:
KiSwahili and English are the official languages and spoken by most people living in Tanzania; as well as this, there are many ethnic groups, speaking localised languages and dialects. Have a go at learning some basic KiSwahili before you go it will help you enjoy your trip more!

Christianity and Islam are the predominant religions of Tanzania. About 40-45% of the population practice Christianity, about 35-40% practice Islam. The rest of the population adhere to traditional beliefs, most of which centre around ancestor worship and nature-based animism. Most Christians live on the mainland, where missionary stations and schools reach deep into the continent. Islam is the major religion of the coastal areas but is also practiced further inland along the old caravan routes.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.