What are some things I should bear in mind when planning a trip to Tanzania?

Question

Is it an expensive place to be? How much would it cost to rent an apartment there for three months? How much do tours and things cost? What is the culture like? What kind of clothes should I pack? What part of the year is the best year to travel? I personally don't like crowds, so whenever most people go would be the worst time for me, lol. When is the weather coolest? What languages are spoken there besides English?

Personal experiences would be great! Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I used to live in Tanzania in a small village, when I was there working for the Peace Corps.  The country isn't very expensive once you get there, just living there.  The airplane cost is high though!  

It is not very easy to rent an apartment -- most people rent a room with a shared bath -- but you can get a room in a guesthouse that will not be very expensive.  In Dar es Salaam for example, there are places you can stay for about $10 a night for one person or about $15 a night for two people (with a private bath and hot water).  

The thing that is expensive is touring.  That cost us about $400 a day to go to the Ngorongoro Crater on safari, saving money by camping and cooking our own food.  You can't drive in the Crater yourself, so you have a pay a tour guide to take you in and you have to rent the car.

As far as the culture and clothing, things are fairly conservative.  I have had locals tell me about the "inappropriate dress" of tourists who think that shorts are standard safari dress.  On a normal basis, tight "trousers" on anyone is inappropriate, and if you get outside the towns women are expected to wear skirts at least past the knee.  You won't need much in the way of cold-weather gear, and most people wear some sort of sports sandal.  If you visit during June and you camp out, you might want a blanket and jacket since it gets a bit chilly in some areas then.  

A lot of people visit in the colder months June -- August since there is little rain then and it's colder.  For the rest of the time, expect heat, take deoderant and baby powder (they don't sell it there), and take sunglasses and hats!  Remember, that it's a tropical country and things are hot and has very bright sun.  

There are a lot of trival languages spoken in Tanzania, but you're mostly going to hear Swahili (or "Kiswahili") and English.  In the touring business and areas most people know English fairly well, although you're going to notice a distinct British cant to the tongue there (trousers instead of pants, anti-clockwise instead of counter-clockwise, etc).  

I have some contacts there in the tourist business and some phone numbers for a few local guesthouses if you would like.  There is also information in travel guides, and although the prices are a little outdated the Rough Guide was the most accurate book I found.  

Oh, by the way you can change your money in a bank but you'll want to keep American dollars for the touring companies, and even taxis will take dollars although it's best to use Tanzanian shillings in most places.  

I hope this helps!  Let me know if you have other questions.