{"id":1263,"date":"2011-03-22T20:22:11","date_gmt":"2011-03-23T02:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/withinrch.wordpress.com\/?p=1263"},"modified":"2012-03-18T18:23:11","modified_gmt":"2012-03-19T00:23:11","slug":"tanzania-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/2011\/03\/22\/tanzania-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"Tanzania Expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many people, Tanzania is the first Third World country they have gone to.\u00a0 It is also very different culturally.\u00a0 Here are some things to be aware of, which will make your Kilimanjaro trek<\/a> and Tanzania safari<\/a> more enjoyable.<\/p>\n

ELECTRICITY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tanzania is a Third World country and is prone to rolling blackouts.\u00a0 Most hotels have generators, but they may not operate 24 hours a day.\u00a0 Some stores do not have generators, so cold drinks and ice may not be plentiful all the time.<\/p>\n

We recommend keeping a headlamp or flashlight near your bed for nighttime bathroom visits.\u00a0 Charge your batteries in the early evening and in the mornings when electricity is more dependable.\u00a0 Bring multiple power converters if you have a lot of batteries to charge.<\/p>\n

HOT WATER<\/strong><\/p>\n

If there is no electricity, there is no hot water.\u00a0 All of the safari lodges (no matter how expensive) are susceptible to a lack of hot water.\u00a0 You are in the bush, and all the comforts of home are not necessarily available.<\/p>\n

BOTTLED WATER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always use bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth.\u00a0 Hotels will have bottled water available, but it will be cheaper at a store.\u00a0 You may also want to bring a Steripen or filter if you don?t want to buy bottled water all the time to save money and the environment.<\/p>\n

TRAFFIC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like everywhere in the world, traffic can be a problem in Moshi, Arusha, and at the Kilimanjaro Airport.\u00a0 Getting places takes longer than you think.\u00a0 Patience is appreciated.<\/p>\n

AFRICA TIME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Life in Tanzania just moves slower than some Westerners are used to.\u00a0 Be prepared to wait.<\/p>\n

ITINERARY<\/strong><\/p>\n

We try to stick with the trip itinerary exactly as stated in your reservation confirmation.\u00a0 However, changes in accommodations or other unforeseen circumstances may require last minute changes to your itinerary.\u00a0 Also, if there is a change you would like to make, your guide may be able to accommodate your request, but not always.<\/p>\n

SELLING HASSLES<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many people in Tanzania trying to make a living and barely scraping by.\u00a0 They may hassle you buy things from them.\u00a0 Be firm and don?t let it upset you.\u00a0 Learning some Swahili can also help.<\/p>\n

DOUBLE BEDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most mid-range and budget accommodations have twin beds.\u00a0 We can request a double\/queen bed, but it doesn?t always happen.\u00a0 Luxury accommodations have more queen\/king beds.<\/p>\n

CUSTOMER SERVICE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like many places in the world, customer service at hotels, restaurants, and shops vary greatly.\u00a0 Tanzania tends to be slower and less helpful than what some people are used to.<\/p>\n

INTERNET<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Internet in Tanzania can be very slow and very expensive.\u00a0 The further away you get from a major town, the slower and more expensive it gets.<\/p>\n

HOTEL CHARGES<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you order drinks, food, Internet, laundry, or other services at a hotel, they write the charge down on a slip of paper and put it in the ?box? for your room.\u00a0 They will add these up when you check out.\u00a0 Look carefully at these slips to make sure they are all correct.<\/p>\n

ATMS\/CREDIT CARDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

ATMs are available in major towns like Moshi and Arusha, but they do not always work.\u00a0 Credit Cards are accepted at larger hotels, stores, and restaurants, but sometimes they are not.\u00a0 How?s that for uncertainty?!\u00a0 Check with the hotel\/restaurant ahead of time to budget your cash correctly, and bring more cash than you think you need.<\/p>\n

TIPPING<\/strong><\/p>\n

All AWR staff is paid a salary, but tips are greatly appreciated.\u00a0 Hotels have a tip box to cover all staff at the hotel.<\/p>\n

SAFETY<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are in busy areas of town or on safari during the day, you are generally safe, but be careful and smart.\u00a0 It is recommended that you keep your money well hidden, do not bring valuables, and do not go out at night alone.<\/p>\n

There may not be seat belts in some of the vehicles in Tanzania….<\/p>\n

SLOW FOOD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Restaurants in Moshi and Arusha serve lunch and dinner very slow.\u00a0 It can take up to an hour for food to be served after you order.\u00a0 If you are eating at your hotel, consider ordering ahead of time.\u00a0 If you are in a hurry, find a buffet or go to a coffee shop, which is faster.\u00a0 Or, just be prepared to relax and wait.<\/p>\n

COMFORT FOOD<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have particular favorite foods, you may want to bring them from home as not everything is available in Tanzania.\u00a0 You may also want to stop at a local convenience store on your trip to pick up comfort foods like chocolate to have on hand.<\/p>\n

BUGS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mosquitoes are mainly a problem during the rainy season ? April, May, and November.\u00a0 However, there can be mosquitoes and other bugs all year round.\u00a0 All hotels have mosquito nets over the beds, and tented camps have zippered screen doors and windows.\u00a0 You will still want to bring bug spray and keep it handy particularly in the evenings.<\/p>\n

MONKEYS AND BIRDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

On safari, monkeys will find their way into your hotel room through an open door or window to grab any food you might have around.\u00a0 The lunch break areas on safari are also very popular for birds looking for a snack. Do not feed the animals, and watch out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many people, Tanzania is the first Third World country they have gone to.\u00a0 It is also very different culturally.\u00a0 Here are some things to be aware of, which will make your Kilimanjaro trek and Tanzania safari more enjoyable. ELECTRICITY … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[23,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tanzania","category-travel-advice"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Xxsg-kn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1263"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2196,"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263\/revisions\/2196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureswithinreach.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}