Mahiri African Tours

SAFARI FAQs

As we plan your trip to Tanzania we are here to help you to prepare before arriving to answer any questions and concerns about safety, health, language, and other logistics. We want to make your experience easy and simple so you can enjoy your time in Africa.

Questions

General FAQs

A visa is mandatory for foreign officials entering Tanzania. Your passport will need to have a minimum of 6 months before the expiry date. A tourist visa can usually be obtained at the airport.
For US citizens, the cost is USD 100 and USD 50 for all other nationals. We recommend you review your country based on regulations before arrival to ensure no issues occur.

Tanzania has 2 types of plugs, type G (British) and type D (old British )The most common plug you will find in the country is type G, but to be cautious, we recommend bringing an adapter for both types.

We recommend bringing USD currency. All USD bills must be issued after 2006, or they will not be accepted in the country due to issues with counterfeit bills. You can use USD cash for tipping, buying souvenirs, and final payments for tours. The airport arrival visa payment will accept USD cash or a visa card for payment.

Tourists can use local ATMs as well and can withdraw the local currency of Tanzanian Shillings to use in the country. ATM machines will not dispense USD

Mahiri African Tours does not include travel insurance in the safari price and package.

We highly recommend you purchase comprehensive travel insurance before travelling. Coverage should include trip cancellation, delay or interruption, emergency accident, illness, and lost luggage.

For climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Meru we recommend contacting your insurance company to ensure the climb is covered under the policy, as you may need additional high-altitude insurance for the climbs.

Please seek advice from your medical doctor or travel clinic regarding vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis. A yellow fever certificate is only needed to enter Tanzania if you are arriving from a high-risk country, please follow up on any recent travels and the possible need for this certificate. If you are entering Tanzania from Europe, USA or Canada you do not need to show a yellow fever card.

Safari FAQs

Included:

  • All accommodations while on safari
  • All meals while on the tour (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • All airport and hotel transfers
  • All national park and conservation area entrance fees
  • 4WD Landcruiser with unlimited kilometers for game drives
  • Services of a Tanzanian safari guide
  • Use of binoculars while on safari
  • Unlimited bottled drinking water in your vehicle
  • Chef (if on camping safari)

Not included:

  • International airfare to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport
  • Tanzania tourist visa fee payable upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport
  • Gratuities to your safari guide & lodge/camp staff
  • Travel Insurance
  • Laundry and drinks at the lodges and camps
  • Optional activities – unless previously planned before departure (balloon safari, Maasai tour, walking safari)
  • Personal items, souvenirs

We tailor the itineraries to the migration movement patterns to ensure that game viewing is excellent no matter what time of the year you visit. We follow the animals. We will build your itinerary based on making sure whatever month you decide to come, you are in the right parks and the right regions for the best viewings.

The high season for wildlife safaris is in June – September and December – March. The heavy rainy season is from the end of March- to the end of May. During November – December, there is a short rainy season with light rain, but you are still able to encounter wildlife with the light rains and normally do not cause significant issues with driving.

If you are looking to witness particular wildlife viewing, such as the migration patterns, whether it is the wildebeest calving season in February- March or the wildebeest river crossing from July- September, you should be aware of the dates and book accordingly.

Often the heavy rainy season at the end of March-May is not recommended time to go on safari due to heavy rains, which can make the roads less drivable in the national parks due to mud and the risk of safari vehicles getting stuck. Although if you want to visit in the rainy season, hotel rates decrease, and there are significantly fewer crowds in the national parks.

We recommend trying to not rush through the parks, as wildlife is unpredictable the more time spent on safari the more likely you are to see animals you came to Africa to find. We offer day trips to the closer National Parks of Arusha and Tarangire but would recommend 3 days for a short timeline, but if wanting to go to the Serengeti we recommend a minimum of 5 days due to the travel distance to get there. Often people find 7-8 days on safari an enjoyable experience, that is not too rushed.

We have a wet season or a dry season here. The weather can change from year to year, but commonly the dry season is from the middle of June to October. The rainy season is from November to May, with a shorter dry season in January and February. The heavy rain season is from late March to the end of May. With a short rain season in November and December, with light rains.

Serengeti weather is usually between 30°C Celsius and as low as 13°C in cooler months at night. The rim of the Ngorongoro Crater has an elevation of over 2,200 metres, and while the afternoons are usually pleasant, the nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing.

So make sure you bring layers because in Africa, when the sun sets, it can get chilly, and you want to be warm enough on your early morning and evening game drives.

The migration is the movement of the large herds of wildebeest and zebras as they search for green pastures. It consists of over a million wildebeest and a unique wildlife experience that is a favourite experience among travellers. The movement itself is unpredictable at the exact timing where they will be or decide to move depending year to year, often depending on rain patterns.

The migration happens all year round, you just have to know where to find the migration, but there are two main experiences people come to see. These are the calving season of the wildebeest, which occurs in February and March in the Ndutu region when the million wildebeest find green flat pastures to give birth. The other experience is when the migration crosses the river in northern Serengeti to Kenya over the Mara River and the Grumeti River, which occurs in July / August. A difficult experience to capture due to unpredictable wildlife patterns, but when seen may be one of the most unique experiences you can have on safari, watching the predators of crocodiles vs the crossing of thousands of wildebeest.

We recommend booking 8-12 months in advance if booking in the high season (June -September, December – March) this is to secure your preferred accommodations.

We can always book short notice and last-minute trips as well however, the accommodations we can book will be based on availability.

Please check with your airline for international flight luggage restrictions.

For domestic flights within Tanzania and Zanzibar, the luggage restriction is 15 kg or 33 lbs and soft duffel bags for luggage are recommended rather than a rigid suitcase. If you are not flying within the country, there are no weight restrictions for luggage in the safari vehicle but we still recommend a soft duffel for easier packing.

We use a well-maintained and comfortable 4×4 Toyota Landcruiser with a pop-up roof for game viewing. We can accommodate 7 passengers in an extended land cruiser or 5 passengers in a regular size land cruiser. All passengers are guaranteed a window seat. All safari vehicles are well-maintained and serviced regularly.

There are no mileage restrictions on any of our safaris.

You can get a local sim card on arrival in the city before departure to have phone access while travelling. Many hotels you stay in will have access to free wifi, and the safari jeep will carry a free wifi hotspot, but this is dependent on local service in the area we are travelling to as some areas in the Serengeti and other remote parts have no cell service available.

Tipping is a customary practice within the tourism industry in Tanzania, tipping can be in USD or local Tanzanian shillings.

We recommend $15-20 per client per day for the driver guide, depending on your overall satisfaction with your guide and experience. If you have a chef accompanying you on safari for camping safaris, we recommend $10-15 per client per day for the chef.

For tipping at the safari lodges, camps and hotels, our recommended tipping guideline is as follows

  • $ 1 to 2 USD (or the equivalent of 1,500 to 3,000TSH) for the porters, who will be helping you with your luggage upon arrival at the tented camps & lodges
  • $ 10 to 15 USD (or equivalent or 15,000 to 30,000TSH) for each night’s stay at the lodge. Typically the safari accommodation will have a general tipping box at the reception desk, where you can leave your tip at the end of your stay.

Don’t Hesitate To Contact Us If You Have Any Question

Contact us for all your Tanzania adventures, and our team about any questions regarding planning your Tanzanian trip. We are happy to discuss and tailor any adventure to your needs.