Home Preparations Safari Parks Accommodation Prices What to Expect Contact Us Kenya Kilimanjaro Zanzibar

Preparing for your Tanzanian safari

Most aspects of preparation for a Tanzanian or Kenyan game viewing or adventurous safari are similar to preparing for a Kilimanjaro climb, except that in the case of a classic game viewing safari that does not incorporate any adventurous elements - such as a dawn ascent of the active volcano Oldonyo Lengai, or trekking in the Ngorongoro Highlands - there is no need to commit to a fitness programme ahead of your trip.

More comprehensive information is available on our Safari Tours | Tanzania website, but for ease of access and continuity, we precis a summary of most of the preparatory information that safari-goers need to be aware of here.

Flights to Tanzania, and transfers within East Africa

There are frequent flights available to Tanzania and Kenya from around the world. These routes are well used and so international flight fares to East Africa are generally quite reasonably priced unless travelling in August, when fares to Kilimanjaro International Airport can become preclusively expensive for many. Further information on finding good fares and avoiding expensive times and routes, is available here.

Tourist visas for entering Tanzania and Kenya

Pretty much all visitors will require a tourist visa to enter Tanzania. Most visitors simply purchase the visa at their respective port of entry (usually Kilimanjaro International Airport, Dar es Salaam Airport, or Namanga border), but technically, it should be considered preferable  to purchase the visa in advance via the services of your nearest Embassy or High Commission, as Tanzanian Immigration reserves the right to deny visas on entry at their discretion. We have only ever heard of such problems being suffered by visitors of North African / Middle Eastern nationality, name , or perceived appearance. Further information on Kenyan and Tanzanian visas is available here.

Vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis

Satisfactory documentary proof of vaccination against yellow fever is now an administrative requirement for Immigration officials assisting your entry to Tanzania. And while visitors who are only spending a day before and after a Kilimanjaro climb will often decide not to take any precautions against malaria, most safari goers spending time in Tanzania and Kenya will ensure they obtain a course of anti-malarials before arriving in Africa. We discuss  these matters at more length here.

Recommended kit list for a Tanzanian or Kenyan safari

The gear that you take on safari depends a great deal on whether you’re planning on simply enjoying a classic game viewing safari to one of the more usual destinations and national parks, such as Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, or Lake Manyara, but those safari goers who wish to incorporate some activity away from their vehicles, into their safari, with the addition of some time spent learning the survival skills of the Hadzabe Bushmen, or ascending the sacred mountain of the Maasai people, Oldonyo Lengai, or trekking with donkeys from the Ngorongoro Highlands into the Great Rift Valley, will need a more comprehensive  kit list. Further information on equipping yourself for a safari is available here.

Maps of Kenya’s and Tanzania’s main safari parks and locations

Before the days of Google Maps and Google Earth we would have suggested that those planning a safari would aim to obtain a map of the area to be visited ahead of their travel, so as to roughly familiarise themselves with where they’ll be game viewing, sight-seeing, or finding adventure. Nowadays, however, we feel that the simplest and clearest insights can be obtained by getting familiar with the Google Mapping of these areas.  Please see here for further discussion.

<< Home

Flights and Transfers >>

On Safari with Safari Tours | Tanzania >>