Almost everyone dreams of going to a safari in Tanzania, arguably the best wilderness safari destination in the world. For whotever reason of doing it, whether is a dream, adventure, passion or vacation, there are always expectations on how it will be. Well, to ease up, here are the few things to align what you expect to the real experince of this land.
Some travellers on planning for safari tour do not include or anticipate the early mornings. Depending on where we were headed the next day, some mornings we rose as early as 5 am to cook breakfast, pack up the tents and hit the road bright and early to go animal spotting. Also at high afternoon temperatures, some of wildlife animals are seen openly, thus choose to go with morning hours.
Tanzania has always been popular for its impressive concentration and diversity of wildlife. It is normal to find a herd of zebras along with wildebeests in one corner and then a pride of lions or hyenas on another. One iconic wildlife event in Tanzania is the Great Wildebeest Migration, where millions of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, and kudus move in a clockwise manner around the East African plains in anticipation of the rains and better grazing.
Some of the visitors have testified that the number of animals they saw in South Africa for two weeks equals the number of animals they saw in Tanzania for five days.
Tanzania is blessed with a widely diverse ecosystem that ranges from golden savannas and plains to mountains and forests to waterfalls and walled cities to islands that offer a tropical paradise of exquisite proportions. In a typical safari, you will be able to witness a glorious display of these landscapes. You will be able to drive through rough roads, some almost impassable during certain times, and you will be able to enjoy a striking natural scenery all throughout.
One of the most visited parks that offers a unique landscape is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Its main highlight is the UNESCO World Heritage Site and Africa’s “Garden of Eden.
Tanzania is an equatorial zone country, so it only has wet and dry season. likewise, weather can be pretty much unpredictable. considered to be mostly sunny country, but some days, it’s rainy. Sometimes rains can go as short as few minutes or a few hours, also it can rain all day. Some days it’s cold, other times it’s hot and humid and some other days it’s a blend of these temperatures. So pack comfortable clothes, sunblock, a hatand consider bringing a rainy gear.
Internet coverage is so limited and not guranteed at all in remote areas while travel across parks. Most of the remote camps have zero internet coverage. Even voice calls tends to be unreachable. When it comes to internet connectivity, almost all camps and lodges (even the remote ones) have WiFi so you can still go online, check e-mails and post photos on social media platform. Tasks which requires high bandwidth may not be accomodated at all.
Food in safaris is glorious! It’s either you eat on your lodge/camp or dine among the animals in a picnic mat, a picnic table or even on your safari vehicle! You will have the schedule/itinerary beforehand so you would know what time your meals and snacks will be served. You also don’t have to worry because chefs prepare your meals special and you can also ask for any diet restrictions you may have. Food in the lodges are great but when you go on a safari, you bring a “lunchbox” where options can be limited as it has to last several hrs before being consumed. Typical options include sandwiches often white bread, fried foods (chicken), boiled egg and some fruits. But expect breakfast and dinner to make up for it as lodges often prepare both local and international cuisine and it is normally served buffet style so you’re sure to have lots of options.
Accommodations in Tanzania range from budget camping tents that are famous for backpackers and travelers who want to rough it out to standard lodges or tented camps that feature basic facilities, to luxurious hotel-style lodges and extravagant tented camps that are just exquisite in every corner. Depending on the type of accommodation you choose, you will be staying in an exclusive area in the wilderness where you will be surrounded by stunning vistas and freely roaming animals or you will be staying in camps/lodges that are strategically located along areas very accessible to wildlife encounters or attractions.
Some few places accepts credit card payment. Touristic sites accepts payments in US dollars. GBP, Uero and US dollars are widely used as foreign currency. Only cash in TZS can be withdrawn from ATMs machines. Buying things from locals sellers preffers TZS or equivqlent USD. Plan your expenidture well. ATMs tends to be far away from one place to another.
es, there might be hundreds of thousands of creatures hiding in the Serengeti National Park, but that doesn’t mean a rhino or a cheetah is a guaranteed sight. As long as you keep an open mind it will reduce the chances of feeling disappointed for not seeing the Big 5 during your safari journey.
Some campsites we stayed at were like any large camping site in Europe. There were bars, nearby markets, plenty of other groups we could mingle with and boasted modern shower facilities and the opportunity to upgrade to a hostel room if we wanted to. At the start our trip we also spent time in Zanzibar for a few nights and were spoilt with a modern hotel upgrade on the beach.