FAQs

We can assist you with any and all aspects of your trip. Whether you are traveling alone or with family and friends, we can make all of your travel and safari arrangements. Simply tell us how long you would like to stay, the number of people in your party, the approximate dates of your trip, and any special destination requests or needs. We will recommend a trip to meet your requirements and give you the cost per person

Please click on the following link to learn about the Seasons of East Africa.

There are two factors to consider when choosing a time to visit Tanzania, the wildlife and the crowds. For the best wildlife viewing, visit Tanzania during the dry seasons of December through February and July through September. To avoid the crowds, visit in May, June or November.

If we felt that traveling in East Africa was unsafe, we would not encourage visitors to come. Yes, petty theft exists in major towns and cities in East Africa, as it does all around the world. However, if you are sensible and use common sense with taking care of your items, then your visit to East Africa will be a wonderful and safe one. Avoid walking alone at night and keep a close eye on your camera, phone and handbag whilst around popular market places.

Yes there are some great snorkeling and diving spots in Zanzibar. Just let us know if you would like to include a diving or snorkeling activity into your Zanzibar itinerary.

Before booking your international flight, it’s best to have a draft safari itinerary already in hand, as internal East African traveling costs can be reduced with some careful planning. For example, if you would like to see the gorillas in Uganda, then it’s best to fly into Entebbe, Uganda to start your holiday. If your safari is finishing up with Zanzibar, then it’s best to fly back home out of ideally Zanzibar or if that is not possible, then Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. If you are doing both, then it’s a good idea to look into an international airline which will allow you to fly into Uganda but out of Tanzania for little or no extra cost. Together, we can save you money by being clever and innovative regarding your itinerary, so you can afford that extra glass of wine whilst you overlook a river full of elephants.

Yes. Safaris-R-Us can help book all internal flights, road transfers and any accommodation required whilst you are in East Africa. For international flights outside East Africa, we recommend going through a travel agent in your home country.

If you are going to Zanzibar after your safari, we recommend:

• Flying from Mt Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, if your safari itinerary finishes in Arusha (or if you have been climbing Mt Kilimanjaro).
• Flying from Serengeti National Park to Zanzibar (requires booking far in advance), which will save money and time overall. Although this flight is slightly more expensive than the Mt Kilimanjaro – Zanzibar flight, you cut off seven hours of driving between Serengeti and Mt Kilimanjaro.

However, be advised that a flight from the Serengeti will likely have a baggage weight restriction of 15 kgs. We are happy to help organise either of the above flights.

We are happy to help you plan for your East African safari of a lifetime.

Visitors always fly into East Africa using one of the following airports as their point of entry:
• Dar es Salaam-Tanzania
• Mt Kilimanjaro-Tanzania
• Kigali-Rwanda
• Entebbe-Uganda
• Nairobi-Kenya

Which point of entry to use should be determined by the safari itinerary you have planned, therefore booking international flights should not be completed until a draft itinerary has at least been organised (as you can save money by ensuring you choose the closest and most direct point of entry and exit).

From the International airports above, you may need assistance organising regional flights within countries to destinations such as:
• Zanzibar
• any National Park
• Mombassa or
• Any other domestic airport within any of the East African countries.

Please note that most regional airlines operating within East Africa have a 15kg check in luggage allowance.

If you need our help simply send us an email on info@safaris-r-us.com

There are three ways of getting to Tanzania:

1. The best way is to fly directly into Mt Kilimanjaro International Airport in northern Tanzania. This is the closest airport to Arusha. Safaris-R-Us can then help organise your transfer from the airport to your place of accommodation. Airlines like Qatar, Ethiopian and KLM fly directly into Mt Kilimanjaro from their international hub airports.
2. If flying into Mt Kilimanjaro is not possible then you can fly into Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Upon arrival, you will need to either fly domestically (1 hour) to either Mt Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha domestic airport. Or bus it (~12 hours) to Arusha.
3. Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. You can then get to Arusha or Mt Kilimanjaro Airport by either:
   1. Catching  a connecting 1 hour Nairobi-Mt Kilimanjaro flight whereby you will be picked up on arrival and driven to your accommodation
   2. Drive to Arusha city over the border into Tanzania by either:

• Joining a twice-daily scheduled shuttle bus with other commuters via the Kenya/Tanzania road border. The trip takes about 7 hours.
• Organise a private vehicle and be driven to Arusha via the Kenya/Tanzania road border. Safaris-R-Us can help organise such a vehicle for you.

If you are travelling to Zanzibar then airlines like Qatar and KLM can fly you into Mt Kilimanjaro for the safari part of your trip but then let you fly out of Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam after your island holiday. This saves you having to backtrack.

If you are travelling to other African countries as well, then please contact our office on info@safaris-r-us.com for advice before speaking with your flight agent.

You can get basic alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks at all safari spots by paying directly to their bar. Most places will accept local shillings or US currency as payment. A beer is around $2USD or so, for example.

Some hotels and camps have a credit card machine which you can use to pay your bill but note that if you do use this option you will be charged at least 5% bank fee. Best to carry cash as electricity and network inhibit credit card machines often from working.

As you know, the cost of your safari is covered but you will want to have some spending money for drinks, laundry, souvenirs, and tips.

There is information in this FAQs here how you can access ATMs or get local currency cash for spending.

You can get basic alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks at all safari spots by paying directly to their bar. Most places will accept local shillings or US currency as payment. A beer is around $2USD or so, for example.

Some hotels and camps have a credit card machine which you can use to pay your bill but note that if you do use this option you will be charged at least 5% bank fee. Best to carry cash as electricity and network inhibit credit card machines often from working.

Tipping: Tipping in Tanzania is like the USA system. Whilst it is impossible for us to provide a detailed guide (as every safari has different elements of service and we don’t want to limit your generosity, below may help with your trip planning.

Re tips, local community members prefer local currency as changing USD into local currency is not easy. However, if USD is all you have available, then it will be accepted with a thankful smile.

Transfer Driver: ~$5-10 in local currency per car for drivers doing airport transfers.

Luggage carriers ~$1-2 in local currency, per person when checking in or out

Night guides who walk you to your room ~$1-2 in local currency per night guide

Waiters and hotel staff: Feel free to tip individual waiters as you wish. There is also normally a “tip box’ for hotel staff to share. It is suggested that $2 per person in the group could be put into the tip box on check out.

Driver guide: We suggest ~ $10-$15 US in local currency, per person (client) per day.  If the service is good give more, if not adjust your tip accordingly. Generally, tips are given at the end of the safari.

USD notes will need to have been produced in the year 2009 or later. Some banks may accept older notes but don’t risk it as even if they do accept your older notes, the exchange rate will not be good. Also remember that bank hours of operating are 9am to 4pm only and they are not open over the weekend and so you need to plan accordingly as there are no banks out in the national parks.

Most banks however have an ATM these days that accepts Visa and possibly other credit cards. ATM dispense local currency and can be found in towns or outside the arrivals hall at Tanzanian airports.

Yes, there are ATMs (where you can use your credit card like Visa to withdraw local currency) and local forex shops (where you can change USD/EURO/POUND cash into local currency) normally at the airport or close by. Just ask your airport pickup drive to assist you in locating them.

Having some local currency is good as it will help you in paying for smaller items such as drinks or snacks during your trip. Local stores, restaurants and souvenir shops usually charge in local currency although some may accept visa card (often with a surcharge %) or USD cash (however if you pay in USD cash you will normally be charged at a higher rate forex wise).

Then, any local currency you have leftover may be used to tip local community people who assist you during your trip.

If you do carry foreign currency, be sure to carry small notes for things such as tips and drinks in whatever currency you choose, as it is difficult to get change on safari

Kenya and Tanzania both use “Shillings”, while Rwanda uses the “Franc”. We advise you to check www.xe.com for current exchange rates. Normally the only way to change US, Euro, or pound cash is to take the cash to a bank and ask the bank to give you local currency. Note however that banks are only open Monday to Friday 9 am-4 pm and are normally closed on the weekends, so you need to plan accordingly so as not to be out of cash. Banks prefer to change large denominations such as $100 or $50 notes, with lower denominations normally attracting a lower exchange rate. Notes also need to be quite new (i.e. produced no earlier than 2015; the newer the better).

VISA and MasterCard are accepted at many ATMs around larger towns as well as at larger city hotels.

It is recommended that you bring some USD cash which you can exchange into local currency at nearly any bank in East Africa as well as a VISA or MasterCard as a backup to get local currency at almost any of the many ATMs in the larger towns in the country where you are visiting.

Generally, banks are open Monday thru Friday 9am to 4pm only and some open Saturday mornings.

Yes! We strongly advise you to secure Travel Insurance for accident, sickness, emergency medical, baggage loss and trip cancellation.

Kiswahili is the language used in Tanzania and Kenya, however, many people also know English as a second or third language. During your safari, a professional guide who speaks English will accompany you (unless you request another language speaking guide). People working at hotels and restaurants can usually speak English as well.

Many lodges and camps have small curio shops where you can buy postcards, local carvings, simple clothing, books etc, but they are usually expensive. The best thing is to ask your driver guide to take you to a souvenir shop or roadside market, where the prices will be a little cheaper and the range of goods much wider. In most cities, there are market jewelers and art galleries where you can easily spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on Tanzanian art. It is advised to watch the shop owner wrap your art to insure you are going home with what you have selected. Most reputable shops also offer shipping at an extra cost.

Select lodges have internet facilities, although it can be slow and unreliable. It is best to ask hotel workers if it is working that day and how you can connect to it. There are also internet cafes in most larger towns/cities and at St Jude’s (when it’s working!). We would advise you to travel expecting little internet access, and then you’ll be pleasantly surprised whenever you are able to get online!

As is with the UK, Tanzania utilizes three flat-pronged sockets called BS-1363 (see picture).  If you have a three-flat prong adapter, that will be all you need.  For guests bringing expensive electrical materials like iPods or laptops, a surge protector is also recommended, as the electricity here can sometimes be unreliable and unstable. On a good day, the electricity supply is the same as Australia (approx. 240V), just don’t bring your toaster oven!

If you are budget camping at a campsite each night then normally the only way to charge your devices is on the inverters in the safari vehicle (yes the safari cars are fitted with ~240V electrical sockets but we recommend not using them unless desperate as the roads are bumpy and this affects the electricity coming through the car inverter sockets sometimes). However, each campsite is different so we recommend that as soon as you reach the campsite ask your safari driver to help you find out if there is any electricity to charge your devices on.

If you are staying at lodges then you will probably have access to ~240V electricity in your room to charge your devices and camera etc but electricity in Tanzania often goes off so we would suggest that as soon as you reach your room, put everything you need charged onto electricity straight away as the electricity may go off at night.

If you are staying at a “glamping type” Tented Camp, then sadly you will probably not have ~240V electrical sockets in your tent. Rather there is usually a charging station in the main tent which everyone shares so again as soon as you reach the camp, charge everything that needs charging as tented camps usually run on generators and they turn off their generators around 10am till 6am in the morning.

It’s best to click on the following link for a suggested Safari Packing List In general, clothing should be lightweight, loose-fitting and of “breathable” fabrics such as cotton. In the daytime, shorts and T-shirts are most comfortable, paired with sandals or comfortable shoes. While out in the bush, you will find that neutral colors are best, as they blend in with the natural surroundings and show the least dust. The nights at the higher elevations like Ngorongoro Crater get to be quite cool, so you should also bring a sweater, a fleece or jacket. Layers are great, as temperatures can range from early morning to evening.

We have mosquito nets at St Jude’s and nearly all lodges have them. Any tented camps which don’t have mosquito nets will spray your tents while you are having dinner, so it is not necessary that you bring a net on safari.

Your places of accommodation will have towels, however it is advisable to travel with an extra one, as it can get dusty here and it might come in handy.

Obviously, you are going to have to do some personal laundry during your trip.

Hotels in cities normally have washing machines and a laundry service at the hotel which you can enquire about at reception.

Most tented camps have a laundry service which you can enquire about on check-in. However note that tented camps out in the national parks use hand washing (not machine) and so if you intend to do some laundry plan a time during your trip when you are staying at the same camp for at least two nights so the employee washing your clothes at the camp, has a day to wash and dry naturally your clothing.

If your tented camp does not have an official laundry service you could approach a staff member to help as there are normally staff who are happy to wash your clothes for you for a small fee which you would mutually agree to.

At The School of St Jude, there are washing machines for visitors to use but no dryers. Clothing is dried on the wire lines near the washing machine room. The visitor department at the school provides soap for washing your clothes during your visit to the school and will also show you where the washing machines and clotheslines are.