About Tanzania

Tanzania is a  a destination that excites us all but remains quite unknown to most of us so we hope with this blog post the iinerary and all other related blog posts will guide you and orientate you quite a bit in the planning of the trip!

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania.

Zanzibar, the exotic island of Tanzania (or maybe not?)

Zanzibar is a rising travel destination, beloved for wedding trips and kite surfing lovers is truly a heaven on earth. Blue waters and all-white sand an unparalleled beauty scenery which contrasts in a strange and awkward way to the hard lives of the inhabitants of the island and the living conditions which  are really bad. Our feelings about the exotic Zanzibar island are mixed. If you re intrested to learn more about zanzibar island read our blog post!

What to do in Tanzania

There are many choices, among them: hiking Kilimanjaro, safari game drive at national parks, adventure in cities and villages, exotic Zanzibar, visit a village of Maasai, volunteering etc. Read three different itinerary options we recommend in our blog post depending on the time you have and your interests and create your journey from scratch!

Safari game drive in Tanzania’s National Parks

For our safari game driving experience we can write countless blog posts but we still will not be able to transfer you all of our feelings about the greatness of nature as we experienced it! What we’re going to tell you is that it’s a unique experience with absolute respect to nature and animals! Read in detail our thoughts, advice and everything about the national parks we chose to explore.

How to move in Tanzania

Tanzania is a huge country where travel is an issue that concerns us all quite specifically if you want to explore it like a lot…! Our options are as follows:

Plane

With several international airports and even more local ones it is very easy to reachable from the south to the north of the country within one hour or less! Air Companies like Air Tanzania, Precision Air  offer tickets from $50 per route e.g. from Dar El Salam to Kilimanjaro. Book your tickets online!

Bus

The bus is also a very widespread means of transport and you can easily reach for $20 and more from Dar El Salam to Arusha with companies such as Dar express. Book your tickets online!

Train

Train we didn’t try but there’s definitely one for some long asting adventures throughout the country! There’s an info page on internet, but to book your tickets you have to go to the station!

Ship

You’ll need to take a boat if you don’t choose the plane to go from the mainland to Zanzibar and back! Calculate from $35 and above for this specific route and be informed about the routes because they are limited per day.

Dala dala & Tuk tuk

Local minivans often open from top and back  can be found everywhere around the country and move affordably but not comfortably. There are dala dala stations but you can easily catch them both on the roa, just raise your hand and they will stop! Tuk tuk the classics and favorite known tricycles from Southeast Asia!

What to pack for a trip to Tanzania? – Travel Packing List for a trip to Tanzania

First of all, let us give you a really important piece of advice! Don’t go To Zanania with a suitcase, it’s only convenient for the backpack unless you’re comfortable enough and luxurious travelling  with private transfers! Check out our travel packing list for a trip to Tanzania that lasts two weeks, including camping, sea, hiking etc. You will find a useful travel packing list in our relevant blog post!

How much does a trip to Tanzania cost?

As you may understand the cost is indicative because it depends on the way you travel, the days of the trip and the type of traveller you are. There is room for everyone of course and we do not criticize any type of traveler just in case keep in mind that the prices below refer to “low to medium” budget backpacking trip (which means that the cost goes even lower). The cost is per person.

• Flights from Brussels with Turkish airlines and luggage 32 kg 350€
• Safari 5 days (including food lunch, breakfast entrances to the National Parks transfers and camping accommodation) $900 (prices vary depending on the choices and company)
• Food $10-15 per person a day with a beer (not for the safari days)
• Accommodation starts at $20 (we don’t recommend it), calculate at least $30 for a relatively comfortable stay (usually with a shared bathroom)
• Other transfers and entrances, e.g. in the waterfall areas you need to pay a small fee, also  if planning on taking a national flight calculate $50-70 a flight, bus $20 for long journeys, ship to Zanzibar 35-50 dollars. The local dala dala costs little, 500-2000 Tanzanian shillings which is less than 1.5€
• If anyone hikes Kilimanjaro, for example, a climb will cost you up from 250 usd to $5000.
• For souvenirs you will spend less. We preferred the masai market in Arusha and the locals in Zanzibar.
• Tips calculate a small amount
• Visa $50 (online)

Useful information

1. A visa is issued electronically prior to arrival in Tanzania and also applies to Zanzibar. If you are going to volunteer you may need to ask any further obligations.
2. We made local change at Kilimanjaro airport for the whole trip.
3. Internet card can be found almost everywhere eg at the airport and at local markets in obvious places.

Is a trip to Tanzania safe?

With absolute certainty our answer is yes! We didn’t feel not even for a second uncomfortable or dangerous at any point of our trip both in a city or a village we were visiting. People were everywhere kind and ready to help if needed!

Ngorongoro crater vista point

Useful words for your arrival in Tanzania

Mambo
Jambo
Poa
Karibu
Asante

Travel and volunteering

Did you know you could combine a trip with volunteering? How with very little money you will get back a lot richer than you started? In Tanzania there are wonderful projects both held by Greek organizations and by foreign ones, you can help on your own, of course, either by physical presence or through others! Sometimes you can even exchange your services for free accommodation (e.g. if you are a web developer you can build a website for a school so that they will be able to accept shipments and funding directly from interested parties). Read ways and information about volunteering in Tanzania in our blog post and proceed to do some practicing and undo the comfort of your everyday life! This time for Africa…

Karibu!

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Today we are presenting 2 a two-week itineraries to choose from, for your trip to Tanzania

2 Week travel itinerary in Tanzania No 1

• Starting at Dar El Salam (International Airport)
• A day at Dar El Salam
• Bus (e.g. with Dar express bus) to the north
• Stop for a two-day staying and hiking in Lushoto
• Three to four days on safari at the national parks
• A day in Arusha transfer with Dala dala to Moshi
• One to two days in Moshi
• Flight to Zanzibar City (e.g. with Air Tanzania)
• Five days volunteer project in project in the region
• Two days relaxing and touring the island

• 2 Week travel itinerary in Tanzania No 2

  • Starting at Kilimanjaro (International Airport)
  • Five days volunteer project in the region
  • Two days on safari at national parks
  • A one day Stay in Arusha
  • Transportation by Dala dala to Moshi
  • One day stay in Moshi
  • Bus to the south (e.g. Dar express bus)
  • Stop included accommodation in Lushoto (one or two days)
  • Bus to Dar El Salam
  • Accommodation in Dar El Salam
  • Ferry to Zanzibar
  • Relaxation and island tour

2 Week travel itinerary in Tanzania No 3

If you are a hiking enthusiast and you aim to climb Kilimanjaro you should be prepared for the below two things, first one is  to spare time to complete the route (7 days) and money (indicatively $5,000). So if you re planning to dedicate the first week at the area you must have Kilimanjaro Airport as your starting point and for the second week you can choose to go with the above itineraries  more or less.

What was our itinerary?

We started from Dar El Salam we flew to Arusha from where we explored the city of Arusha and we tried a safari game drive at the national parks of Serengeti, Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the villages of Masai, then we headed to Moshi overlooking Kilimanjaro africa’s tallest mountain, we explored and hiked in the area around Kilimanjaro, Materuni and Marangu waterfalls, we flew to Zanzibar where we explored the island and the village of Jambiani where we developed some contacts with the village primary school that lists nearly 900 children. We enjoyed the sun at Paje beach and came home with lots of thoughts about new projects!

What is certain is that we are talking about a huge country with unparalleled beauty and natural wealth! Read more about our safari game drive experience and everything you need to know to participate in a voluntary program or just help by all means you could possibly do so and create the ideal travel itinerary for you!

Enjoy!

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Apart from the above, of course, each country is differenet and so is the travel packing list which may vary a bit! . It goes without saying, of course, that depending on the activities you intend to join you may need to change the list appropriately (e.g. if you climb Kilimanjaro you will need mountain trekking shoes but also special snowwear). So here is our travel paching list for our trip in Tanzania:

• mosquito net (especially if you stay in hostel)
• urination bags (if you are going to campsite in national parks)
• download Uber if you use a taxi in Dar El Salam
• organic or soap shower gel
• Waterproofs
• isothermal (necessarily if you are camping)
• visa (online before you travel)
• jungle spray with more than 4 deet
• snacks like cereal bars for days you might not find anything else or want to supplement your diet
• powerbank
• adaptor
• reusable bottle
• medicines and vaccines – advise the experts or travel medicine of a hospital (for malaria – treatment for malaria, vaccinations for yellow fever, typhus, hyperpatitis a and b, dipthyritis – after first testing to see if you already have antibodies, we recommend that you have antiemetics, betadin, antiseptic hankerchiefs, painkillers and electrolytes)
• Hat
• light (if camping)
• Sunscreen
• work gloves (if any volunteering is in your itinerary)
• school supplies (if you are planning to visit school)
• clothes and shoes in good condition you don’t need or spare to give them to someone who may be in need
• hand antiseptic
• Slippers
• Sportwear and shoes
• microfiber towels

And last but not least happy smiles and good mood have to be in your travel packing list! Just an advice especially while visiting countries like Tanzania. Don’t expect to find western standards services, after all, you didn’t choose Tanzania for that reason, focus on the uniqueness of this country and the vibes of its people, respect their culture and their way of life, and your stay there will be unforgettable!

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We always visit villages and walk between houses, local shops, markets, fields etc, but during our trip to Tanzania and especially in Zanzibar we thought that we would do something different! We wanted to do something for other people, by helping them. So after a long search of several volunteering and crowdfunding programmes we contacted the school in jambiani village.

The village of Jambiani

Jambiani is one of the largest villages of Zanzibar and stretches over a large area of coastline,  to the west of the island. It is a beautiful village in terms of authenticity but it is very poor with no roads. Characteristic, is that there is no drinkable water. The locals have to walk (vehicles there are few) or cycle several kilometers, under an incredible heat, in order to procure water.

Arturo (Adam) a 18 years local told us that “You could die on the bike”…to bring water to your family!

If you visit the village don’t forget to walk all over the area. Try to communicate with the locals, they are very kind and smily! Watch how they grap the cocos from the trees, learn what they do with the algae and visit their houses. Ask a village boy, who might know English, to get you around or just look for Arturo!

Jambiani School

The truth is that in the search for points of contact we had some help from a Polish guy, who lives and works there. He also helped us to contact with the primary school of Jambiani village, where he volunteers as well. So our first contact with the school began. Unique experience, amazing images etched in our mind and our soul. Smily little children and admirable teachers try to do their best, in difficult conditions. With no infrustructure, no books, no places to do their lessons, no PCs… teachers try to transfer their knowledge! We have no word to describe what we saw, so you’d better see the photos we took with the school principal’s permission.

Nearly 900 kindergarten and high school children are housed there! Halls are full of children, many of them without desks (children just sit on the floor)! There also face problems in offering potable water to the children!

Jambiani school projects

School survival is very important for the local community. Its survival depends on needs that exist and are real, without any dose of exaggeration! Uniforms for students, tank for drinking water, walls painting, dining area, desks, books, notebooks, bags, PCs and many more!

How can you help?

• By Buying school supplies from Stone town (you will find small bookstores scattered in the city where you can buy notebooks) and donate them.
• To bring school supplies from your own country! Don’t worry about what to brind, because everything is precious!
• Try one of the infinite volunteer programs that exist and are already organized. In Jambiani there are African impact facilities. For example you can stay there and you could help them with projects that are already running.
• By making your “holidays” and simultaneously help the school by offering your extra time. You can teach them English, that will be very helpfull for their future!
• Send money to jambiani school or any other institution of your choice.
• Joining a crowdfunding campaign you know and trust (eg. wheeling2help).

Read more about the volunteer programs and do your search!

Why there? Certainly you can help people everywhere, even in your neighborhood. You can’t change the whole world, but you can definitely change a child’s life. It is not neccesary to offer a lot, just a simple children’s book, is enought. Jambiani school needs your help!!

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A few words about Zanzibar island

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre is Stone Town, which is a World Heritage Site. Zanzibar’s main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism.

What to see and what to do in Zanzibar island

• Stone town (Market, slave memorial etc)
• Dala dala experience (from Stone town to Paje beach costs 2500 Tanzanian shillings or  under 2 euros while by taxi you ll gonna need at least $25)
• Prison island (bargain the price at about 3-5 usd there on site and don’t book prior traveling for $35)
• Paje beach (the most beautiful beach in our opinion)
• Jambiani village and beach
• Jambiani school visit and volunteer
• Jozani forest to see monkeys
• Butterfly forest
• Cuza caves
• Snorkel
• Kite surfing
• Rock restaurant (for a luxurious meal)
• See the tide going up and down (check out the times of the tide so that you get to enjoy the sea)
• Other beaches of the island (move around by Dala dala)
• Visit one of the near Islands

Watch our map on google earth and our video!

Where to eat in Zanzibar island?

1. Stone town Tamu (gelateria Italians for cheap pizza bites by an Italian owner)
2. Paje beach Bausinga (local restaurant with local food and fair prices)
3. Paje beach Chianti (European restaurant with touristic mood)
4. Rock restaurant (one of its kind, very pricey to our opinion)

How to get from Tanzania mainland to Zanzibar island?

There are two ways of getting around in Zanzibar, the one is of course by air via Zanzibar airport which is located just outside Stone town and the second one is by ferry from the beach of the mainland of Tanzania and Dar El Salam! There is no ideal way in terms of money because e.g. the plane ticket can cost $55 and the boat $35, but if you take a taxi to get you to the boat especially in case you are traveling late night, the cost exceeds the cost of the plane. Whenever you travel always  check both options and chose the best one for you!

Where to stay in Zanzibar island?

The options for staying are also many and affordable for all budgets. Luckily for everyone Zanzibar doesn’t even have so many all-inclusive hotels that really would spoil the aesthetics of the island! However, most of the accommodations are owned by European owners. We stayed in bungalows on Paje beach which was an excellent choice. In Stone town you could have plenty of cheap options to stay, we used a hostel, which had a fantastic view and was in the city center. Don’t forget, of course, that it is a poor island that does not have infrastructure even if you decide to stay someplace more expensive. Try understand the way of local living and do not expect it to be a dreamy vacation on a sun lounger (of course this is also available there, but you don’t have to make it all the way to Zanzibar to do that)! Don’t expect air conditioning unless you stay in a classic tourist hotel (which isn’t bad of course) and here comes our objection to the way we treat the exotic Zanzibar… and the way we westerners wanna experience the island!

Is Zanzibar an Exotic destination after all?

Zanzibar island is a wonderful island with blue waters and white sand! With wonderful pure and smiling people who have nothing to do with Western culture. It is not that  ok for all of us to go there and demand services and air conditioning while the average local of the island does not even have access to clean drinking water. We do not intent to judge but we really dont like seeing tourists waiting to live the dream of an exotic beach vacation demanding luxurious sun beds and cocktails (which are there for you of course… after all,  actually you can have anything you wish and require and the local employees are there to satisfy will pleasure the requirements that owners of the lodges mainly Europeans have already trained them to offer to the tourists) while only two meters further, in the village there is no clean water for the children!

So our point of view  is that yes, Zanzibar is an exotic dreamy destination because it is exotic naturally and not because we tourists imagine it as an exotic place! Zanzibar is a very pure place, with quiet and kind muslim people in religion, with their children living below any poverty standards but with a constant smile on their face and it is worth being respecting without any demands for all inclusive situations and demonstration of our western culture. Let’s leave some places evolve at their own pace and their own unique way, the copy paste thing and some dreaming of an exotic honeymoon trip two meters away from reality do not suit Zanzibar.

How much does a trip to Zanzibar island cost?

Assuming that airfares vary and cost about 400€ per person (we flew for 350€ per person from Brussels with Turkish airlines), a budget of 1400€ for two people for a week will offer you more than comfortable living! With food and beer at 20€ a day, cheap dala – dala travel, local restaurants with affordable food and accommodation for every budget we would say Zanzibar is a low budget destination! For lower budget travellers expect to spend 1200€ per two persons for a week with a plane ticket of 350€ per person, accommodation in hostels 250€, food 200€ and some money for transportation and  souvenirs.

So, is Zanzibar island an exotic destination you would like to visit? Of course it is! This goes without saying.. Visit Zanzibar, respect it, help it and love it for  what this place stands! After all, its beauty is so unique that it is generously given to you whether you stay in a hostel or a well-known all inclusive hotel. Its beauty is found in the simplicity of its people which you will get to feel once you visit one of its authentic villages for a real cultural experience!

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