Taking a trip to Tanzania? I just got back, here is what I learned on my trip to Tanzania.
I’m all about planning and prep before doing anything, travel included. But when I travel to a new destination, I do some planning but try to just let things happen. Having pre-set expectations before a trip can bring nothing but disappointment or even confusion.
Part of the adventure is learning as you go. This was very true on my trip to Tanzania.
I did plenty of planning, I saw my travel doctor, applied for a visa, and researched my Tanzanian packing list.
But now that I’m home, I realized I know so much more now than before I left.
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Tanzanian People are AWESOME!
I had no doubts about this but it’s hard not to wonder what the locals will think of travelers in their country. I quickly found Tanzanians are very kind to travelers and curious. If you have a conversation with a local, don’t be surprised if they try to feel your hair.
This happened to me twice, once in a Massai Village and once by a student at a school I visited. I said something to my guide and he said some people, especially kids, have never seen someone with long hair in person. They have seen it online but not in person.
Side note, almost every local has short hair. If you have long hair and start a conversation with someone, they may try to touch your hair.
Many people, especially in cities, speak at least a little English. Be kind to them and they will be kind to you.
The Internet is there but sketchy; Cell Service is better than you think
All of the formal lodges we stayed at advertised wifi. I was excited but quickly learned, the wifi is usually only available in the common areas, like around the pool, restaurant, and bar. What I also learned is the wifi is sketchy.
Several times I was trying to load a photo to send to friends and the wifi would go out. Stopping me cold. Internet access is something we tend to take for granted in the US but around the world, it’s not overly reliable. Pack your patience, it will come back in a few minutes.
What really surprised me on my trip to Tanzania, was how good the cell phone service was. I checked before I left and it looked like I would have reception in the cities but not in the rural areas. I quickly found there was cell service almost everywhere. Even in the middle of the Serengeti!
Something else I learned on my trip to Tanzania, the food is delicious
I had limited knowledge of Tanzanian food before I went there. Living in the Midwest, we can get all kinds of food, various types of Asian, European, and South American food. My DoorDash app has pretty much any kind of food I think of, ready for delivery to my door. African and Tanzanian specifically, however, are noticeably missing. Well, at least I notice it now.
While DoorDash may not have any options, I now also know there are a lot of African restaurants in the area. And since I know how delicious the food is, I WILL be checking some of them out.
Tanzanian food is a mix of Indian, Middle East, and European flavors. Being part of the spice trade route, the variety of spices available is amazing. The Neighboring island, Zanzibar, was used by the Arabs who started large spice plantations.
They are still known for their cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, and black pepper. Because there is easy access to these spices, Tanzanian food has many of these flavors. Along with curry.
But don’t forget they were once colonized by the British so there are European influences in the food as well.
Pack Light
Who else is guilty of overpacking??? I know it’s not just me. I’ve gotten better over the years as I try more and more to NOT check a suitcase but I still find I pack more things than I will ever need.
Why? I find more when I travel I wash clothes while I’m there. I know, I know, who wants to do laundry when you are on vacation? No one!! Let’s be real, I don’t like doing laundry at home either.
The nice part about staying in hotels and lodges, they often have laundry service. On my trip to Tanzania, I found the service was VERY affordable. $1 for tops, $2 for pants…
I know I still have not explained why I would want to spend money to have someone else wash some clothes, it’s simple really. When traveling to a country like Tanzania, where it’s hot and dry during the day, the closes start to sink. It does not matter if you showered, and used deodorant. Your clothes will start to smell.
Especially the clothes you work on day 1 or worse on the flight. As the trip continues and you end up with more dirty laundry than clean laundry, you may start to notice even the clean clothes seem dirty.
The solution, wash a few things here and there. If you are visiting a country with a dry climate, you can also wash a few things in the sink and dry them in your room.
Animals are Closer than you ever Imagined
This shocked me. I figured being in the wild every animal would be off in the distance or partly covered. I was floored to have so many wild animals come so close to us. Lions, elephants, giraffes, ostriches, and even some cheetahs seemed unfazed by our presence.
This does not mean you can get out of your vehicle to get that selfie!! Please be smart. And besides, it’s illegal to get out without permits. You can and will many of the animals within feet of your vehicle so there is no need to get out.
Bring a camera and binoculars
I realize most people don’t have a separate camera from their phones. Normally this is not a problem. When taking a trip to Tanzania however, where one of the top highlights is seeing the animals, some of the time the phone camera will not cut it.
About halfway through my trip, some of the others in my travel group stopped even trying to take pictures because the phone was just not capturing the beauty of the moment. I, however, had my DSLR with me and I never stopped clicking. (Over 2,000 pictures in total!) Zoom in, Zoom out…
Maybe a camera is not your thing. I get that, at least get yourself a nice pair of binoculars. Yes, you will see a lot of animals close up but some will not show themselves easily. I’m talking about animals like leopards and the black rhino. They tend to hide will and avoid humans for good reason.
Most safari vehicles and guilds will have a set with them but unless you are the only one in the truck, you have to share. Bring your own and you can gaze all you want.
Tsetse Flies, Malaria, and Mosquitos
My only hesitation on my trip to Tanzania was the fear of bugs and the diseases they carry. I like to see a travel doctor before I go on most international trips because they can give you vaccines or pills to help with the diseases, we may not have immunity to here.
My travel doctor is awesome and I’ll continue to see her but I do have to admit, she had me a bit more worried about Tsetse flies and mosquitos that carry malaria than I needed to be.
I’m not saying you should not be concerned because you should be. But Tsetse flies need a certain climate and more important a certain type of tree to be of concern. The only place in Tanzania I visited where I needed to be protected was the Serengeti. And even then it was only in the wooded areas.
Protect yourself with insect repellant but don’t feel like you need to stick to drab colors when you are in cities and villages. Also, not all Tsetse flies carry African Sleeping Sickness diseases. I was bit by a couple and I’m just fine.
It hurt… but I’m healthy.
Mosquitos were really non-existent outside the tropical areas. I don’t recall seeing anywhere I was in the central and northern areas of Tanzania. If you go to the coastal areas you will need to worry about mosquitos.
Things are very affordable except for entrance fees to the National Parks
Traveling to Tanzania can be affordable if you do it right, but what really racks up cost are the entrance fees to the National Parks especially if you are lucky enough to be able to spend the night.
I bought an approximate 5-pound bag of oranges from a farmer for the equivalent of approximately, 86 cents. But for one day in the Serengeti, the entrance fee was $71.80 per person per day and an additional $59 per person, per night!! Visit the Tanzania National Parks website for more information on the parks, entrance fees, and more.
Since I was in the Serengeti for 5 days and 4 nights, just the entrance fees were $595. That does not include the cost of lodging, transportation, food… Since we also sent to two other national parks for multiple days approximately $1,000 of the overall cost of the trip was just park entrance fees.
In case you are wondering…
Was my trip to Tanzania worth it?
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!
Why should you take a trip to Tanzania?
If the draw to the animals is not enough to entice you to take a trip to Tanzania, then go for the people. If I could find a way to get every human to travel I would. Not only does travel open your eyes to something new, you can help the locals too.
I learn so much about myself and the world when I’m traveling. After this trip, I won’t feel guilty buying a $7 latte from Starbucks. We tend to think it’s bad that Starbucks pays pennies on the dollar for coffee from countries like Tanzania, but to those farmers and the employees they hire, it’s a solid form of employment. I met some of these workers and their gratitude toward companies like Starbucks was inspiring.
Starbucks needs to pay fair but doesn’t stop buying their coffee because you may put someone out of a job growing, harvesting, and roasting those coffee beans.
Travel responsibly, ethically, and most importantly, be respectful of the people and you will learn so much more from the locals than you can ever find in a guidebook or textbook.
Happy travels and remember the world is full of adventures all around you.
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