Questions people ask
The answers we give on WhatsApp every week, written down. Anything not here, ask; a person replies.
Booking and paying
Do I need a visa for Tanzania?
Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival or an e-visa in advance; a single-entry tourist visa covers both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. We'll confirm what applies to your passport when we send your proposal.
Do I need the mandatory travel insurance?
Yes, unless you are a Tanzanian resident or a citizen of an East African Community or SADC state. Zanzibar arrivals have bought it from ZIC since 1 October 2024; from 1 October 2026 mainland arrivals buy it from NIC. It is $44 per adult for 92 days, one policy for the whole country, bought online before you fly. It is a basic emergency cover, so keep your own travel insurance too. Everything about it, and which portal is yours.
Which vaccinations are required?
Yellow fever proof is required if you arrive from a country where it is endemic. Malaria prevention is strongly advised for the parks and the coast. Ask your travel clinic 6 to 8 weeks before you fly; we'll tell you which areas your trip covers.
How does the deposit and payment work?
You pay nothing to enquire. Once you approve the proposal we confirm the lodges and flights, and we agree the deposit and balance dates with you in writing before anything is charged.
What if I need to cancel or change dates?
Tell us as early as you can. Lodge and flight terms vary by season, so the cancellation terms for your specific trip are written into your proposal, so there are no surprises later.
Are park fees and tips included?
Park and crater fees are included wherever the itinerary says so. Tips are never included and never mandatory; guides and camp staff appreciate them, and we'll suggest what is customary.
What should I pack?
Neutral colours for the bush, a warm layer for early game drives (the crater rim is cold at dawn), reef-safe sunscreen and a modest cover-up for Stone Town. We send a version of the list for your exact trip with your final documents. The packing guide for bush, beach and town.
Planning the trip
When is the best time to visit?
June to October is dry everywhere and the safest bet for a first safari. January and February are hot, dry and quieter, and the wildebeest calve in the south. April and May are the long rains: green, cheap and empty, with some lodges closed on the coast. November has short rains that rarely spoil a day. Month by month, in the blog.
Safari first or beach first?
Safari first, almost always. Early starts and long drives are easier before you have slowed down, and the beach is a better place to be tired. The exception is a Kilimanjaro climb, which most people put first and then rest from on the coast.
How many days does a safari need?
Four days shows you Tarangire and the crater. Six adds two nights in the Serengeti, which is the minimum that makes the distance worth it. Eight to nine lets you stop rushing. Add three to five nights on Zanzibar to any of them.
How do I get from Zanzibar to the parks?
By air. Scheduled flights link Zanzibar to Arusha in about an hour and fly on to the Serengeti airstrips. Our bush and beach trips use them so that no day is lost on the road. Driving from Dar es Salaam to the northern parks takes two days and we do not recommend it.
Can you plan a trip that is not on the site?
Yes. Every itinerary here is a starting point. Tell us your dates, group and budget in the planner and we build around them, whether that means swapping a lodge, adding a park or starting somewhere else entirely. The trip planner.
Is it good for children?
Yes, with the right shape. We keep game drives shorter, choose lodges with pools and family rooms, and put the beach at the end. Most lodges welcome children from six; some tented camps set a higher minimum, and we tell you which. Malaria prevention applies to children too.
I am travelling alone. Does it cost more?
Per person, yes, because the vehicle and guide are shared by fewer people, and lodges charge a single supplement in some seasons. The price tables on each trip show the figure for one traveller. Ask us about joining dates if you would rather share.
On safari
Will I see the Big Five?
Lion, elephant and buffalo are close to certain on any northern circuit. Leopard takes time and luck, which is why we add days in the Serengeti. Rhino is rarest; the Ngorongoro Crater and the Moru Kopjes are the places, and we never promise it.
What is a typical safari day like?
Up before six, out as the light comes, back to camp for lunch or a picnic in the park, out again in the late afternoon, and dinner under a very large sky. Some days are a game drive on the way to the next park. Distances are long and the roads are rough; that is part of it.
Is it safe?
Yes. You are in a closed vehicle with a licensed guide, camps are staffed around the clock, and every safari day is covered by flying doctors evacuation. On the coast the usual city sense applies in Stone Town after dark. We are reachable at any hour while you travel.
Is there phone signal and Wi-Fi?
Most lodges have Wi-Fi in the public areas, slow at busy times. Mobile signal comes and goes in the parks and is fine in towns and on Zanzibar. A local SIM at the airport is cheap and worth it.
What is the food like?
Good and plentiful: buffet breakfasts, picnic boxes on drive days, three-course dinners at the lodges. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free and children's meals are all normal; tell us when you book and the camps are told in advance.
Zanzibar
Which beach should I choose?
Nungwi and Kendwa in the north swim at all tides and have the sunsets. The east coast has the widest sand, the reef and the kitesurfing, and the tide goes out a long way twice a day. The south is quiet. We match the coast to what you want from the days. The beaches, compared.
How should I dress in Stone Town?
Zanzibar is Muslim and conservative outside the resorts. Shoulders and knees covered in town for everyone, and swimwear only on the beach. During Ramadan, eat and drink discreetly in public during the day; restaurants in hotels stay open.
Can I use dollars?
Yes for lodges, tours and tips; keep notes from 2009 or later, and small ones for tips. Tanzanian shillings are better for markets, taxis and small shops. Cards work in the bigger hotels and there are ATMs in Stone Town and Arusha, not in the parks.
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