What to pack

What to pack for a safari in Tanzania? Here below you can find our guide in order to help you to prepare your holiday and to avoid the risk of forgetting something.

What to pack: clothing

Are you thinking about the clothing to take with you? Start by choosing only half of what you were considering ..

With regard to clothing, it is better to wear pants, t-shirts and cotton (or linen) shirts, very breathable. Avoid synthetic fabrics.
However, each one has its own sensitivity to heat, cold and sun exposure. It is better to have a jacket / fleece that you won’t use rather than feeling cold. Every day, during the safari, it is recommended to bring either a sweatshirt or a fleece (in the morning the temperature is rather low), a sun hat and sunglasses (also to protect yourself from dust when traveling with the roof open).

It may also be useful to bring a portable hair dryer because in some tented camps in the Serengeti it may not be available.

Last but not least, if you are planning to go to the beach… don’t forget your swimsuit and flip flops!

What to pack: drugs

It is important to bring generic drugs (antipyretic, eye drops, anti-inflammatories, broad-spectrum antibiotic, intestinal / antidiarrheal disinfectant). Do not to forget any medications that are regularly taken on.

Repellent for insects (those with high DEET are reccomended). Sunscreen is very useful (especially during the rainy season from December to March).

Plastic bags

Tanzania has banned the production, import, sale and use of all disposable plastic in order to reduce the pollution produced by non-biodegradable materials.

From 1 June 2019, the import, export, manufacture, sale, storage, supply and use of all plastic bags is prohibited in Tanzania, regardless of their thickness.

Moreover, baggage check gates have been introduced at airports. Only plastic bags used at the airport to load liquids in hand luggage are admitted; that is because government supposes that they will be used again for the return and therefore taken out of the country.

Other useful tips

• Currency: Throughout the country, in addition to the Tanzanian Shillings Tsh, US Dollars (banknotes post-2009) are accepted, which are also used to pay the visa. In some hotels and resorts it is also possible to pay by credit card but the commissions are significantly high, around 10/15%. In Zanzibar it is also possible to pay in Euros with the risk of an applied exchange rate equal to $.
• Socket: The electrical socket is an English type with 3 inputs. Our advice is to bring an universal adapter as some structures could not have Italian sockets or adapters
• Camera: For the safari it is recommended to bring a Reflex camera with at least 300 mm of focal lens (or equivalent digital camera). Add a focal length multiplier can help.
• Telephone Card Tanzania: To stay connected, the best solution is to buy a local sim. Airtel and Vodacom are well-known and operate in both Tanzania and Zanzibar. You can purchase a 10 GB data plan for around $15. In our jeeps and in most of the Lodges (also in the Serengeti) there is also free Wi-Fi, even if it is not always 100% functional