What to know
• Dar es Salaam time is GMT+3.
• Power runs on 230 volts, and uses standard British plugs.
• Driving is on the left hand side of the road.
• The official languages are Swahili and English.
• The telephone index for the country is + 255, and 22 for Dar es Salaam.
How to get to Dar es Salaam by plane ?
Several airline companies fly direct to Dar es Salaam, other with stopover. Among them are:
- KLM from Amsterdam
- ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES from Addis-Abeba
- QATAR AIRWAYS from Doha
- EMIRATES from Dubaï
- AIR FRANCE from Paris
- KENYA AIRWAYS from Nairobi
- TURKISH AIRLINES from Istanbul
If you are coming from another town you will need to check connections on the web where you will find connections from your departure place up to Dar es Salaam as well as helpful information such as the exact duration of your trip, the number of stopovers and how long each one would be.
And where is the Embassy of your own country in Tanzania ?
Although you will probably not need it, you can find here the address of your Embassy in Tanzania.
When to travel ?
Southern Tanzania can unfortunately not be visited all year round.
April and May are the closing months: it’s raining so much that nearly no safaris are possible. Most of the lodges are closed then for 2 up to 3 months.
June, July and August are dry and cool. Therefore it’s the best time to travel for people who can hardly stand the heath.
Of course all this is theory as, here like in the rest of the world, climate is changing and it becomes difficult to forecast the weather…
You have to know also that if the dry season makes it easier to spot animals from far, colours after and between the rains are fantastic.
What about the money ?
Credit cards and travelers cheques are sometimes accepted in lodges, hotels and restaurants but at poor rates or with important fees. You should better bring some cash with you.
Regarding to the dollars, the most common foreign currency, you have to know that 100 usd and 50 usd notes get a better rate of exchange than smaller ones. Notes from before 2009 are not anymore accepted in Tanzania.
The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling (Tsh). Numerous bureau de change in Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar make the change easy.
You can find out here the day’s exchange rate.
Tips are not included in our prices. Usually, the lodges policy is to share the tips between all their employees. Most of the camps are asking to tip to the driver / guides separately. You should count from 10 to 20usd per person per day, depending on your satisfaction (but it is at your discretion).
