Here are some things we learned on our trip that we want to share to make your trip the best it can be!
1. You pay to enter each National Park in Tanzania. This was included in the cost of our trip, but if we had decided to leave a park to come back to our lodging for a hot lunch and then go back out again, it would have cost another entry fee. Sometimes you need to listen to your guide about timing because the entry fee means that you have to leave the park by a certain time, otherwise you will have to pay more $$.
Park entrance (Ngorongoro Conservation Area)
2. Toilets in Tanzania vary! Some are quite nice, some you might need to squat over a hole. Don't forget that if it is a nice (think regular American bathroom), you should probably have a $1 bill to tip the attendant - they don't take coins.
Also, while you are on safari out in the middle of the Serengeti plains (or almost anywhere else), there aren't toilets available. Before our trip, I wondered if there would be some type of portable toilet tent that would be brought out - NOPE! I had tissues, a ziploc bag (for used tissues) and disinfectant wipes, so that I could squat behind the vehicle and go... Take it easy on the coffee/tea/sodas or whatever else might mean more stops. There are picnic areas in the park with toilets, but it may be an hour drive or more away.
3. No plastic bags! There is a law banning the buying/selling/using plastic bags in Tanzania. Avoid bringing them, and if you do, you may have to give them up upon entry into the country. The exception is that travelers are allowed plastic bags for carrying travel toiletries, but you must take them back out of the country.
4. Sunscreen & bug spray: USE your sunscreen! We brought sunscreen but were jet lagged our first day and on our canoe trip, we both got sunburned wherever we forgot to apply the sunscreen. Bug spray is also important. We were recommended Off with Deet (at least 30%) or a spray with Icaridin (at least 20%) if you are in Europe.
5. Don't forget to have enough of your current medications while traveling and to pack them in carry on bags. You will likely have to take Malaria medicine which starts a day before you arrive and lasts seven days after you return (after 2 weeks, it was messing with our digestive systems). I am somewhat prone to motion sickness but wasn't affected on this trip. You might want to bring some medicine along if this is an issue you might have on bumpy roads.
6. Clothing while on safari: The general guidelines are to use colors of nature such as greens and browns. Natural colors help you blend in and not scare away animals. Dark colors such as blues and black can attract the tsetse fly and bug spray doesn't really help, so wearing long sleeves/pants can help prevent bites.
On another note, many of the roads (dirt trails in a safari vehicle) are BUMPY! I would strongly recommend a sports or support bra.
7. DUST! Driving on dirt roads can be really dusty. Since your vehicle windows are probably open to help cool you off, you will likely get dusty. Our luggage, our faces, hair, camera, everything was covered with dust about half way through our trip (and it was the beginning of rainy season!) One piece of advice was to bring covers for your luggage. We didn't do so and had fabric backpacks, so the outsides were quite dirty by the end of our trip. We had a large Ziploc for our good camera, because you want to have it ready to take a picture, but you also don't want it to get full of dust...
Arriving back at our lodging after a dusty day, we were always greeted with wet cloths to wipe our face and hands as well a refreshing glass of juice!
8. Electronics & Electricity: Tanzania is 230 volts, whereas the US is 120. You will need a plug adapter that is of the UK variety. Make sure your curling iron, blow dryer, electric razor, etc is able to handle this voltage or just don't take them. I did not take a blow dryer because I am used to having one at almost every hotel we stay, however I didn't find any available on our trip.
9. Haggling: We aren't really into shopping for souvenirs, so this wasn't a big thing for us, however it is a big part of Tanzanian culture. One of our two shopping experiences was at Marera Village Gallery. We stopped to eat our lunch and use the restroom. We browsed the shop where EVERYONE wanted to sell us something. Items are all priced for haggling. We were quoted $33 for two small items but didn't want to pay more than $20. When our sales person thought we were going to go with other items that cost less, she gave in and sold it for $20, but we probably could have gotten to 10 or 15. Think about what you really want to spend for it and then haggle your way down or walk away. Our last lodging had a much smaller number of local, handmade items for sale at a much more reasonable price.
10. Other ways to save money:
*Book your own flights - I booked the same flight suggested by our tour company and saved $300 or more.
*Watch for extra charges at lodging - One night we ordered wine and although we wanted a glass, they brought the whole bottle (don't be afraid to correct issues). One day I looked at the menu and decided on a cocktail/margarita that wasn't listed. They charged over $20 (and the ingredients were tequila, soda water and lime slices with a salt rim). Another time the wine we ordered by the glass was listed on our receipt as the more expensive glass - we corrected their mistake before paying. On another note, when we ordered drinks in the evening before dinner, they often brought us fritters or peanuts (at no cost).
*We also thought about the possibility of getting our driver to take us to a store at the beginning so we could pick up a bottle of wine or some beer (our vehicle had a cooler for water) that we could have enjoyed in our rooms (we wouldn't take it to the dining/bar area of course).
*When you book an activity through your tour provider, it can be more expensive. Sometimes if you decide last minute to do another activity during your trip, your driver can make arrangements (maybe) at a better cost. I would get some pricing from the tour provider in advance to help you decide if you are actually getting a good deal or not.
*When we were finalizing the cost of our trip with the booking company, they had to make reservations at all the places we would stay. We were told "that it was high season" (it wasn't) and the original hotel they wanted to put us at was full (we were booking 7 months in advance) and that it would cost about $40 extra per person. I asked that they find us a different place to stay that was less expensive and got the response that I would be given a 1% discount which would bring the cost back to its original quote. Note that they place they moved us to was one that they own!!!
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