Covering around one fifth of Earth, Africa is the second largest inhabited continent. One can imagine the abundance of wildlife that this land encompasses. Ever seen a wildlife documentary on NAT GEO or listened to David Attenborough’s captivating voice and wondered ” I hope one day I get to witness this”? Well, good news – it’s possible. and you can start your first African Journey with Tanzania, the land of the bewitching Safari destinations in the world. Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa and around one third of its land is protected wildlife. the country offers a wealth of natural wildlife experiences that are unforgettable. From visiting the Serengeti during the Great Migration to driving through an ancient caldera in Ngorongoro – there is just so much to see. This is a glimpse of what you’ll be seeing when you visit.
Best time to visit Tanzania
Considered one of the seven natural wonders of Africa, the Great Migration period is technically the best period to visit Tanzania, which falls in August or September. It is when millions of Wildebeests as well as Zebras and Impalas, travel across Africa away from the dry areas to better grazing conditions. If you’re lucky, you might be able to witness a river crossing. The route often begins in the Serengeti plains where the animals make their way to Kenya’s Maasai Mara in May & December. Around December until March, the herds usually end up settling in Serengeti and Ngorongoro, which would have flourished just in time. It’s also the best time to see newborn animals.
If you’re looking to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, then the best times to visit is between January & March. I was there in December and throughout this period there’s usually plenty of sunshine, good weather, clear blue skies that it makes the hiking grounds all the worthwhile. However, i must say that the weather might be variant and often shifts dramatically. One minute you’ll be drenched in rain water and the next you’re feeling the heat of the sun against the back of your neck. Make sure to keep moisturizing your face as well and keep rubbing sunscreen on your face to avoid sunburns.
The Kilimanjaro Climb usually takes around 6-7 days, but it depends on the route you’ll be taking. It’s best to work with a tour company or a tour guide on this to best assist you on which route to take depending on your fitness levels. The most famous route is the Machame Route, which is the most scenic and popular one of all. I would recommend booking an all inclusive package on this one, which which can include accommodation, food and transport to and from the hotel and airport.
You can even travel to the boabab-studded Ruaha National Park or Rubondo Island National Park to trek through the forest looking for wild chimpanzees.
What is also so amazing about Tanzania is that you can spend a whole week or more on a wildlife adventure and then treat yourself to a well-earned break on the beaches of Zanzibar.
I’ve listed a few of the best rated Safari & Hiking Guide companies for you at the end of this blog post so that you don’t have to look very far.
Visa and Vaccinations
This is pretty much the most frequent question people would ask when they consider Tanzania. For Lebanese passport holders residing in the UAE, you’ll need to apply at least a month prior to your departure date. I would suggest applying two months before to make sure that you are on track and remove the element of worry from your agenda. For all other countries, it’s best to check out the requirements and ETA for the visa application guidelines on their immigration website.
You can apply online to get your E-VISA through the Tanzania Visa Application System they have online. There is an online form to fill out, then submit the payment and application. Once you do that, they’ll send you an email confirming your application and whether it has been accepted or rejected.
Now onto the vaccinations. It’s important to make sure that you have all your routine vaccinations covered depending on the country you’re residing in. Not only should you opt for the Covid-19 vaccine, but also make sure you’re covered for Yellow Fever as well as it’s quite common in that part of the world. Even though there is a low risk of acquiring it, Tanzania still requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all foreign visitors traveling to the country. This rule mainly applies to travelers from these countries, which doesn’t technically include the UAE – but if you’re like me and you like to play it safe, it’s just best to take it. You can ask for the vaccine at any of the medi-clinics in the UAE, letting them know you’re planning a trip to Africa and it’ll cost around 200-400 AED depending on which clinic you visit.
Besides Yellow Fever in Africa, there is also Malaria outbreaks that occur quite often there. Malaria is a disease caused in humans by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. They’re usually asymptomatic, uncomplicated or acute and severe. I’m not saying that to deter you from looking at Tanzania as a travel destination – in fact, we didn’t actually face any problems at all throughout the trip, but again, just to be on the safe side, ask your general doctor to provide you with a prescription for Malaria pills which should be taken 2 days prior to travel and for a month after. It’ll cost around 120 AED.
Air Fare
A land of abundant life and galore, Tanzania is one of the world’s most precious treasures. At this point, you’ve made the choice to travel to Tanzania and are researching to book your tickets. If you haven’t set a date for your travels just yet, the best place to look at flight fares is on Sky Scanner which makes it easy to see which flights are better, how much they cost, what are flexible options and dates & timings for the flights. I always start my research with Skyscanner. When I booked in December, I had started my research back in September at the time (2020) and I found that the best airline to travel to Dar Es Salaam, the capital, was Emirates, which is a direct non-stop flight.
From Dar Es Salaam, you can take internal flights via Air Tanzania to Zanzibar, Arusha, Mt Kilimanjaro, Rubondo and even Pemba Island.
Safari Guides & Accommodation
The best way to safely and accurately see everything on this trip is with a tour guide. There are quite a few good tour companies that you can opt for to help you also curate your own individual itinerary and organize uniquely designed list of activities that match to your preferences. Some Tour Companies also offer a list of deals for accommodation. If you’re like me and you like hand picking out the hotels yourself, then you can always just book the activities separately. I’ve compiled a selection of the best tour companies you can look at to customize your itinerary based on your preferences, style, time and budget. Tanzania has the most diverse and innovative Safari experiences you can think of. There are even options to camp in the wilderness.
This might be more subjective from my part, but I would highly recommend Africa Natural Tours as your first source of guides to look at. They have plenty of excursions; various routes for the Kilimanjaro hiking tours, Safari tours in Serengeti, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks as well as waterfalls, coffee and cultural tours. Tanzania is known for its cultural diversity, making it the home of over 126 different tribes, each with their own dialect and language, so definitely try to include that in your itinerary.
Kiliwarrior Expeditions is another great tour company you can pick. They've been operating for over 15 years now, starting off with creating experiences for those who wish to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. Now they provide you with all inclusive packages ranging from hotel accommodation to transportation, excursions and even meals. You can request a quote on their website explaining the type of trips that you would like and they will customize a trip for you.
Built by passionate people, Asilia combined their experience, family spirit and commitment to East Africa and formed one of the country’s most popular Safari companies. What’s interesting about them is their efforts for conservation to provide a meaningful change to the region, from how they source their energy and materials at camps to how they work alongside community and conservation programmes. It’s understandable why they would stand out. There is a lot of information on their website that offer a starting point to your planning. Their safari experiences also include Safari Camps & Lodges of warm hospitality. it’s definitely a company I would reach out to next time I visit, or even when I visit Kenya someday since they also operate there.
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