• Arusha, Tanzania
  • +255-714 094 921/689 332 181
  • info@maasaiwanderlust.co.tz
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Tanzania Safari Tips

Location

With an area of 939,701 sq. km, Tanzania lies on the East African Coast between latitudes 1˚00´ and 11˚45´ south of the Equator and between longitudes 29˚40´ and 40˚35´ east embracing the Islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia. It is, thus almost the size of France, Belgium and Germany combined or slightly over two times the size of Sweden (450,000 sq. km).

Tanzanian Safari

Safari is a Swahili word which means going on any long adventurous journey or trip that include some form of nightly rest spend on route. Tanzania is a dream safari destination that offers everything from thrilling active adventure to sheer indulgent opulence safaris in her remoteness and authenticity unlocking the mystery of nature lovers.

Safari Pack, Clothing and Equipments

Your safari Baggage should be kept to a bare minimum. Pliable, round, lockable and waterproof luggage are the best for an African Adventure safaris. Dress in natural colors like browns, beiges and khaki. Shorts or trousers and short-sleeved shirts blouses or T-shirts in cotton, are generally preferable. Light woolens may be required in the evenings or early morning’s game drives, especially in the northern Circuit. Comfortable walking shoes are ideal in the bush, especially for walking safaris. Sunglasses, hat suntan lotion, freshen-up towels and mosquito repellant cream are a must. Carry a camera, plenty of film, replacement batteries and binoculars.

Safety on Safari

The Tanzanian people are very welcoming, happy to have you in their country. But again just like any other place, don’t go out walking alone in Arusha especially during evenings instead arrange a walking tour with our guides or from your hotel. Keep any valuables to a minimum and out of sight when walking in the street. When using your camera wrap the strap around your arm. Also, try not to use a back pack – use a cross body bag as small as you can manage. There are some incidences of snatch and grabs in Arusha, but physical violence is not usual.

Best Time for African game drive Safari

Game drive safaris can be made at any time of year. Depending on what time of year you have planned for your African safari, the short or light rains occur from early November to February with the heavier rains in March until May. Don’t worry, all the parks have good all weather dirt roads but access to some of the more remote areas could be affected during the heavy rains and during the rest of the year. The roughness and dusty of the unbeaten wilderness tracks but all in all, they marks the beginning of the real wildlife adventure experience reflecting original African safaris in the Northern Tanzania.

Game-Viewing Safari

Tanzania game-viewing is dictated by luck for it is impossible to guarantee that a given species will be in an area at a certain time. Our safari itineraries have early morning and late evening game drives as wildlife tend to emerge from the shade of the trees where they have rested overnight or from the mid-day sun, and then grazes or prepare for its nocturnal activities. You should try to look through the bush and not at the individual trees and this is where binoculars are vital. You are looking for silhouettes and shadows, for anything that seems somewhat out of place or moves, perhaps a lion’s ear or a leopard’s tail. May be the unusual will be a termite mound, a bush or a log. Sometimes it will be an animal. If you must talk at all when viewing an animal, do so very quietly as the sound you make carries for a long distance and will frighten the animal and irritate others people. Approaching an animal slowly and preferably obliquely will frighten it less. Always be patient, by simply rushing up to an animal, taking a quick picture and then heading towards the next animals, you may miss the memorable picture you want. Remember, everything you will see on your safari has a reason for being where it is and has carved out its own particular niche the habitat dictates the resident species and in this rains are the key factor.

Our Safari Drivers & Guides

Our English speaking professional drivers and guides have earned reputation as safari gurus with informative insights and keen eyes on spotting the flora and fauna of Tanzanian wilderness. You should try to supplement your driver/guide efforts and never be afraid to ask questions, there is no such thing as a silly question in the bush, only a silly answer. You will judge the caliber of our drivers/guides on the basis of their answers and this will help you the size of their tip at the end of your safaris. Sometimes, your driver/guide may not know the answer immediately to all your questions. Our drivers/guides will consult once they get back to the lodge/camp where you are staying and give you the answer later that day.

Safari Camps & Lodges

Between the morning and evening drives, there follows a period at the camp or lodge where you are staying for those who have not taken a picnic lunch, a good time to rest, clean your equipments, write postcard and read. Most Camps and Lodges have libraries of books, magazines, journals and the like usually about wildlife.

Safari Farewell

If you follow the above you should be basically prepared to maximize your outlay, to adapt to Africa’s very special pace, and to forget the cares of your home and office. So good viewing on your African safari or as the Tanzanians says in Swahili, “Safari Njema” meaning “Have a good journey”, and you definitely say “Hakuna Matata” or “No worries” as you are traveling with the best tour safari Operator Company.