Tanzanie | Sous l'Acacia

Our trips

L'incroyable faune du N'gorongoro
- Ngorongoro
- 15 days
- From €2,300 / pers. (*)
(*) price based on 1 person

Formalities

ENTRY FORMALITIES

A passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry to Tanzania is required by all nationals of Australia, USA, Canada, the UK and other EU countries.

While still part of Tanzania, Zanzibar and the other islands are administered autonomously; they have their own immigration procedures and you will be asked to show your passport on entry and exit.

Visas

Visas for Tanzania are required by all nationals referred to above, except: Nationals of Cyprus and Romania, who do not require a visa. You can obtain single-entry and transit visas on arrival at the port of entry into Tanzania.

Passport photos are not required; all other requirements must be in place.

Visa note: Nationals not mentioned are advised to contact the embassy or high commission to check visa requirements for Tanzania.

Types and cost:

Single-entry tourist visa: US$50 on arrival (the exception is US citizens for whom a single-entry visa is US$100) or £40 in advance.

Multiple-entry business visa: £80 (six months) or £100 (12 months).

Validity:

Single-entry tourist visa: up to three months from the date of issue. You can re-enter Tanzania on the same visa (providing it is still valid) if coming into Tanzania for a second time from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda or Burundi.

IMPORTANT:

Tanzania has announced that it will ban single-use polythene bags from June 2019 in the war against plastic pollution. Travellers bringing plastic bags in the country may face heave fines. Please do not try to bring in any plastic bags (including zip lock bags for liquids under 100ml) into the country.

Embassies

Tanzanian High Commission

3 Stratford Place

W1C 1AS London

Tél. : +44 (0) 207 569 1470

Fax : balozi@tanzania-online.gov.uk

Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Tanzania except that you will need to have a cholera stamp (to prove you don't have the disease) if you plan to visit Zanzibar. And you need a Yellow Fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Tanzania) where that disease is widely prevalent. A yellow fever vaccination is often recommended anyway!

The general vaccinations against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) are recommended, as are both Hepatitis A and Typhoid. If you are staying longer than 3 months or have a particular risk you might consider a Rabies vaccination. Vaccination against Tuberculosis and Hepatitis B are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months. Like most African countries south of the Sahara, Malaria is prevalent in the country. Don't underestimate this tropical disease and take precautions. Buy repellent (preferably with 50% DEET), and sleep under a net.

Equipment

Packing List for your safari with Sous l'Acacia

Important: For safaris, you should wear neutral coloured clothing (green, brown, beige or grey) to blend in with the landscape.

Head

- A sun hat or a cap

- Sunglasses with high UV protection- they should have a cord attached so they don't fly off

- Buff or bandana for protecting your neck and face from the sun.

Upper body

- 4-6 Long-sleeved shirts to provide protection from the sun (quick dry fabric)

- T-shirts and jumpers for the evening

- Lightweight fleece or jumper - some nights can be cold

- Safari jacket

Legs

- Jeans or safari/walking trousers.

- short or bermuda.

- A swimming costume may be useful.

- Non-irritant cotton or synthetic underwear

Hands and Feet

- Light hiking boots

- Lightweight shoes or trainers for the evenings

- Several pairs of socks

Other useful items

- Travel bag, preferably a soft bag 70-100ltrs (15kg max.)

- Water bottle (1.5l) - Head torch or small torch for moving around at night

- bring spare batteries and bulbs

- Toiletries (biodegradable wipes to replace water)

- Swiss army knife or equivalent (in checking-in luggage!!)

- Backpack of 25-30ltrs to carry all your small belongings (lipstick, sunscreen, passport, mini camera, glasses, etc.).

- Earplugs (may be useful)

- Camera and high capacity memory card. Spare battery

- A pair of binoculars

Medical kit

Make sure any allergies (to medication or otherwise) are clearly stated in your medical kit

- Any medication you regularly take

- Painkillers

- Imodium or similar anti-diarrheal medication

- Vitamin C tablets

- Sunscreen and lip balm - should be high factor

- Insect repellent

- Eye drops

- Hydrating/ soothing cream

- Plasters

- Blister plasters in case of any rubs

- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc..

- 10cm wide bandage

- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses

- Re-hydration sachets

- Antiseptic wipes

- Hand wash gel

General information

- The internal flight only allows up to 15 kg per passenger and no more than 100ml of liquids.

- We recommend taking any valuables, such as your camera, iPod, iPad, medicines and glasses etc. in your hand luggage. Travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes is highly recommended - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!

- We recommend taking a copy of your passport and insurance documents with you in case you lose your originals.

- If, in wishing to 'travel light', you plan to wash your clothes throughout the trip, please ensure you bring biodegradable laundry products with which to do your washing. - Ensure you bring something for your chemical waste (batteries, aerosol cans, cream tubes, plastic wrapping), in order to take it back to Europe where recycling and waste disposal is done well and effectively. We advise to, wherever possible, avoid altogether bringing wrapped products to Tanzania. If you do, ensure you take them back to Europe with you

Practical info

Voltage

230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are mostly UK-style square three-pin, but round three-pin plugs are also in use. Power cuts are common in the rainy season, though most large hotels have back-up generators.

Budget & money

Tanzanian Shilling (TZS; symbol TSh). Notes are in denominations of TSh10,000, 5000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of TSh200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 but these are worth very little and are rarely used. In Kiswahili, it is shilingi and written prices are often denoted with the symbol /=; i.e. 100/= is the same as TSh100. Credit cards: Most top-end hotels, safari lodges, airlines and tour operators accept Visa and MasterCard (American Express and Diners Club less so), though a commission of 2-5% is usually charged. Budget hotels and most restaurants and shops do not accept credit cards, and they are rarely accepted for payment outside the main tourist areas. ATM: Cash can easily be withdrawn from ATMs using Visa or MasterCard. Any sizeable town has at least one bank with an ATM, and there are ATMs at the larger airports. ATMs generally only dispense notes in increments of TSh 10,000 and these larger notes are often hard for people to change – hoard smaller change whenever possible to pay for taxi fares, snacks, souvenirs and the like. The import and export of local currency is prohibited, so use up you Shillings before departing.

Telephone & jet lag

Mobile phone roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Tanzania's many cellular networks cover almost all towns, the urban sections of the coast, Zanzibar and the tourist areas, but not some of the parks and reserves or the southwest of Tanzania away from the towns and the main road. SIM and top-up cards for the pay-as-you-go mobile providers are available just about everywhere; in the towns and cities they often have their own shops, but you can buy cards from roadside vendors anywhere, even in the smallest of settlements.

GMT + 3 hours Dialling code +255

Interesting facts

TANZANIA KEYS FACTS

Administrative informations: Commonwealth Member

Capital: Dodoma

Area: 945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles).

Population: 48.3 million (2013).

Population density: 51.1 per sq km.

Language: Kiswahili and English are the official languages. The terms Swahili and Kiswahili are used interchangeably, though the term Swahili normally refers to the people while Kiswahili refers to the language. Originating along the coast, Kiswahili is a Bantu language with many words derived from Arabic. Other African languages such as Bantu and those of Nilo-Hamitic and Khoisan origin are also spoken in more remote regions.

Religion: About 40-45% of Tanzania's population is Christian and about 35-40% are Muslim (most of which live along the coast and on Zanzibar and the other islands). A small number follow traditional religions and there are some Asian communities including Sikhs and Hindus.

Political regime: Federal Republic since 1964. Tanganyika gained independence from the UK in 1961. In 1964, Tanganyika joined with Zanzibar, which had been a British protectorate until 1963, and became Tanzania

Head of state: President Jakaya Kikwete since 2005. Zanzibar is semi-autonomous and has its own parliament and president (President Ali Mohamed Shein since 2010Head of government: Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda since 2008.

SOCIAL & ECONOMICAL DATA

Tanzania's economy relies heavily on agriculture; the sector employs around 80% of the working population and cash crops are one of the country's main export earners, which accounts for nearly half of the country's GDP. Mineral production (gold, diamonds and tanzanite) has grown significantly in the last decade, and mining represents Tanzania's biggest source of economic growth, provides over 3% of the GDP and accounts for half of Tanzania's exports.

Coal, phosphates, gypsum, tin and other ores are also extracted. Reserves of uranium, nickel, silver and natural gas have been located and the mining sector is expected to be developed further to capitalise on these resources. The industrial sector is one of the smallest in Africa, concentrated in agricultural processing and light consumer goods such as sugar processing, brewing and textiles. Tourism is thought to be worth around US$950 million annually to the Tanzanian economy and ranks as the second foreign exchange earner after agriculture.

On the whole, the economy has improved steadily since the mid-1990s. In 2006, Tanzania signed economic agreements with China for development assistance in the communications, transport and health sectors and saw the African Development Bank write off US$640 million of Tanzania's foreign debt. More recently, with continued help from donor assistance and a boost from an increase in gold exports, Tanzania's economy has picked up the pace. GDP was a healthy 6.5% in 2010, with inflation estimated to be around 7.2%.

TANZANIAN HISTORY

Tanzania is probably one of the oldest countries ever to be known continuously inhabited areas on Earth; fossil remains of humans and pre-human hominids have been found dating back over two million years. About 2000 years ago, Bantu-speaking people began to arrive from western Africa in a series of migrations. Later, Nilotic pastoralists arrived, and continued to immigrate into the area through to the 18th century. Travellers and merchants from the Persian Gulf and Western India have visited the East African coast since early in the first millennium AD. Islam was practised on the Swahili coast as early as the eighth or ninth century AD. Claiming the coastal strip, Omani Sultan Seyyid Said moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. During this time, Zanzibar became the center for the Arab slave trade.

In the late 19th century, Imperial Germany conquered the regions that are now Tanzania (minus Zanzibar), Rwanda, and Burundi, and incorporated them into German East Africa. During World War I, an invasion attempt by the British was thwarted by German General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, who then mounted a drawn out guerrilla campaign against the British. The post-World War I accords and the League of Nations charter designated the area a British Mandate, except for a small area in the northwest, which was ceded to Belgium and later became Rwanda and Burundi. British rule came to an end in 1961 after a relatively peaceful (compared with neighbouring Kenya, for instance) transition to independence, with Julius Nyerere as the first president. After the Zanzibar Revolution overthrew the Arab regime in neighboring Zanzibar, which had become independent in 1963, the island merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the nation of Tanzania on 26 April 1964. Nyerere set up one-party rule. The communist bloc powers of China, East Germany and the USSR established friendly relations with the new regime. Corruption was rampant. Years of socialism left the country as one of the poorest, the least developed and the most aid-dependent in the world. From the mid 1980s, the regime financed itself by borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and underwent some reforms. From the mid 1980s Tanzania's GDP per capita has grown and poverty has been reduced and tourism has risen to proportions which are becoming almost beyond sustainability.

TANZANIAN GEOGRAPHY

The United Republic of Tanzania lies on the east coast of Africa and is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; by Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west; by the Indian Ocean to the east; and by Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The Tanzanian mainland is divided into several clearly defined regions: the coastal plains, which vary in width from 16 to 64km (10 to 39 miles) and have lush, tropical vegetation; the Maasai Steppe in the north, 213 to 1,067m (698 to 3,500ft) above sea level, which gives rise to two prominent mountains, Kilimanjaro, 5,895m (19,341ft) above sea level and Africa's highest peak, and Mount Meru, 4,565m (14,973ft); and there's a high plateau known as the Southern Highlands in the southern area towards Zambia and Lake Malawi.

Savannah and bush cover over half the country, and semi-desert accounts for the remaining land area, with the exception of the coastal plains. Over 53,000 sq km (20,463 sq miles) is inland water, mostly lakes formed in the Rift Valley and Tanzania's share of Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, both on its western border. Lake Victoria covers 69,490 sq km (26,832 sq miles), which is Africa's largest lake and 49% of it lies in Tanzania. With maximum depths of 1,470m (4,821ft), Lake Tanganyika is estimated to be the deepest lake in Africa and is 673km (420 miles) long and averages 50km (31 miles) across; 41% of its area lies in Tanzania. The United Republic of Tanzania includes the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, about 45km (28 miles) off the coast to the northeast of the country.

The Engaresero village on the Western shores of Lake Natron has been chosen by the government of Tanzania to exemplify the Maasai pastoral system given its singularity, integrity, high diversity of habitats and biodiversity. The site also has major additional significance, because of the presence of Lake Natron and the volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, which have immense ecological, geological and cultural value. The community has demonstrated a strong resilience in facing threats to their systems, and has maintained associated social and cultural institutions, which ensure its sustainability under prevailing environmental conditions.

PEOPLE, CULTURES & TRADITIONS

When meeting and parting, hands are always shaken; this applies throughout the country in both rural and urban areas. It is the convention to use the right hand, not the left, to shake hands or pass or receive anything. The standard greeting of 'hello' is jambo. People are delighted if visitors can greet them in Kiswahili. Dress is on the whole casual but a smart appearance for formal occasions such as an upmarket restaurant is always appreciated. Because of its Muslim influence, the coast is a little more conservative, and away from the beach it is advised to dress respectably and cover up bare arms and legs. Alcohol is only available in the tourist areas on Zanzibar, where it is also considered highly impolite to eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours when people are fasting during Ramadan (the exception to this is in the tourist hotels and restaurants).

Subregions

Arusha et Mont Meru

Aursha est le point de départ de nombreux safaris en Tanzanie, mais également une étape d'acclimatation avant de partir faire l'ascension du Kilimandjaro. Entourée de collines à la végétation luxuriante, Arusha est perchée à 1380 m d'altitude. A une petite heure de route de Situé à une petite heure de route de la ville, le parc national d’Arusha est petit (137 km²) mais ne manque certainement pas d'intérêt. Il offre notamment de splendides paysages, comme le Mont Méru, la forêt d’altitude, des cratères ou encore les lacs alcalins de Momela. Depuis ces lacs, par temps clair, on peut voir le Méru et le Kilimandjaro. Le parc permet également d’observer une faune très diverse : une multitude...
Kilimandjaro

Plus haut sommet du continent africain, le Kilimandjaro est un massif volcanique du nord-est de la Tanzanie. Il est composé de trois volcans, avec à l'Est Shira et ses 3962 mètres d'altitude, les 5149 mètres du Mawenzi à l'Ouest et au centre le Kibo, point culminant avec 5895 mètres de hauteur. Sa première ascension a eu lieu en 1889 et est maintenant le défi de tout randonneur passionné. Plusieurs routes mènent au sommet de l'Afrique, comme la voie Machame, entre forêts équatoriales, landes d'altitude et herbes hautes, désert d'altitude et enfin les montagnes enneigées du "Kili". Avec un niveau de difficulté élevé, les autres chemins s'adressent aux alpinistes plus avertis. Le grand...
Gombe & Mahale

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Lac Natron

Lac Natron Dans la vallée du Rift, le volcan Ol Doinyo Lengaï surplombe les paysages du Lac Natron. Appelé "La Montagne de Dieu" par les Maasaï, il est le seul volcan encore actif en Tanzanie. Unique au monde, sa lave natro-carbonite noire pendant l'éruption, forme une couche blanche en refroidissant. Du haut de ses 2878 mètres, son ascension s'adresse aux plus aguerris tandis que la vallée est un terrain a explorer avec les couleurs contrastées du Lac Natron. Son nom est tiré de l'importante quantité de natron contenue dans l'alcalinité de son eau. Lac salé, sa température peut atteindre les 60 degrés. Ses eaux sont connues pour pétrifier les animaux trop aventureux. Une colonie de...
Mafia & Pemba

Au nord de Zanzibar, se trouve l'île de Pemba, tandis que Mafia se trouve au sud. Pemba, appelée Al Jazeera Al Khadra en arabe, est aussi l'île la moins connue. "L'île Verte" partage son paysage entre rizières et forêts, avec les plages de sable blanc et une eau translucide. Décor de rêve, l'activité principale sur l'île est la pêche artisanale. Principal producteur de clous de girofle de l'archipel, Pemba est aussi réputée pour ses bananes et ses noix de coco. Plus au sud, Mafia est la plus grande et la plus inhospitalière des îles de l'archipel. Afin de protéger son incroyable barrière de corail, l'île a crée un parc marin destiné à protéger cet écosystème unique, composé d'une...
Ngorongoro

Apparu il y a des millions d'années, le cratère de Ngorongoro est un ancien volcan dont le cône s'est effondré pour former cette incroyable caldeira. Créée en 1959, l'aire de conservation du Ngorongoro s'étale sur 8300km² et est intégrée aux 25000km² du Serengeti. Classé Patrimoine mondial de l'humanité par l'UNESCO en 1978, ce cratère est l'un des panoramas phares de la Tanzanie. Sa faune variée est d'une densité unique. Les animaux évoluent au cœur des 20km de diamètre du cratère en se protégeant, où ils viennent aussi s'abreuver. La savane, entre lacs et marais, cohabite avec une forêt tropicale, offrant au voyageur une multitude de paysages. Situé dans la vallée du Grand Rift, il est...
Parc Manyara

Le Parc Manyara est l'un des plus petits de Tanzanie, avec ses 330km². Occupé aux deux-tiers par le Lac Manyara, il est le terrain de jeu de nombreux oiseaux et mammifères. Il se situe dans la vallée du Rift, et on trouve de nombreux buffles, girafes et éléphants. Les flamants roses et les hippopotames viennent aussi profiter du lac, tandis que les plaines abritent les herbivores du parc. La forêt dense composée d'acacias, ficus ou des fameux arbres à saucisses est fréquentée par des colonies de singes, pendant que les branches d'acacias permettent aux lions de se reposer un moment. Le Manyara décrit comme "le plus beau que j'ai vu en Afrique" par Ernest Hemingway est d'une richesse...
Ruaha

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Selous

Situé au Sud-Est de la Tanzanie, le Selous est le plus grand parc national de Tanzanie, avec une superficie de 55 000 km². Cet incroyable écosystème possède une faune et une flore des plus variées. Zèbres, antilopes, gnous, koudous ou encore girafes en ont fait leur terrain de jeu favori. C'est aussi le lieu de villégiature de plus de la moitié des éléphants présents sur le territoire tanzanien. Le fleuve Rufiji traverse le parc et permet aux hippopotames noirs de se prélasser pendant que les derniers lycaons (chiens sauvages) du monde s'emparent des lieux. Ce panorama est observable chaque année par quelques 2000 touristes à pied, en voiture ou en bateau. Classé patrimoine mondial de...
Serengeti

Le Serengeti est une des zones les plus sauvages de la planète, avec un écosystème de 25 000km², délimité par le Masai Mara au Nord et la zone de conservation du Ngorongoro à l'Ouest. Situé au nord de la Tanzanie, le Parc National du Serengeti a été crée en 1951. Inscrit au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, il concentre l'une des plus importantes quantités de faune au monde avec 400 espèces d'oiseaux et 4 millions d'animaux, dont les fameux "Big Five". Il est le théâtre impressionnant de la migration annuelle des gnous, gazelles et zèbres. Le parc national du Serengeti est également connu pour ses étendues de plaines au sud, dont est tiré son nom, "La plaine sans fin" en langue Maa. Véritable...
Tarangire

Au coeur de la Rift Valley, le parc Tarangire, créé en 1970 est un parc méconnu et pourtant fabuleux... Situé à basse altitude en comparaison de N'Gorongoro et Serengeti, son écosystème est particulier, composé de savane arbustive sur un terrain très vallonné, et ponctué de très nombreux baobabs. L’atmosphère très africaine qui y règne vous séduira à coup sûr. Le parc doit son nom à la rivière Tarangire qui la traverse, et qui pour les animaux à la recherche d'eau et de pâturage, est un lieu de prédilection. Au milieu des très nombreux baobabs, vous rencontrerez de fréquentes troupes d’éléphants. Durant la saison sèche, de juillet à octobre, toute la faune des grandes steppes maasaï vient...
Zanzibar

Découvrir l'archipel de Zanzibar est un inoubliable retour sur les grandes civilisations exploratrices. Conquis à de nombreuses reprises, il est constitué de trois îles, et est un savant mélange entre l'Afrique et l'Orient. La culture swahilie et la pratique de la religion musulmane font le charme et l'authenticité de l'archipel. L'île la plus connue est Unguja (plus communément appelée Zanzibar). "L'île aux épices" est riche de son histoire et de sa culture à travers la visite de ses mosquées, du marché de Zanzibar, le Forodhani Night Food Market ou encore de la Jozani Forest et les singes colobes à dos rouge. Stone Town, classée patrimoine mondial de l'humanité par l'UNESCO, est le centre...