- Prepare copies and electronic versions of all necessary documents (passport, driving licenses and vaccination certificate against yellow fever);
- Do all necessary vaccinations for travel to Tanzania;
- Make sure that your credit card and bank cards can be used abroad. Inform your bank about your travel beforehand and note phone numbers for contact in case your card is lost or blocked;
- Ensure to take your essentials in hand luggage. Do not pack prohibited items in your carry-on luggage;
- Rarely, travellers experience a delay in receiving their checked luggage. Usually, it arrives in 1 or 2 days. If this unfortunate situation occurs, your luggage will be delivered directly to your hotel by the BAS Travel team. We even bring it up to the mountains if your climbing tour has already started. To save yourself some hassle, pack a few items of clothing in your carry-on luggage.
- Tanzania is a safe and peaceful country. But you should practice common travel safety, as you would anywhere: do not show off large amounts of money. When exchanging money or withdrawing from an ATM, count your money in a secure and private place before exiting, never on the street. If moving about with expensive equipment such as a large camera or laptop, consider taking a taxi, especially at night. Most hotels offer safe boxes or an option to leave expensive items at the reception desk for safe-keeping if you are interested in taking a city tour, or walking to a restaurant in the evening;
- Use only registered taxis, never private vehicles. An official taxi has a white license plate and the car clearly bears registration numbers, usually painted on each door. They are typically white cars with green writing in Dar es Salaam and Arusha and Moshi towns. Ask BAS or your hotel to order you a taxi when moving about town;
- Arusha and Zanzibar have a special Tourism Police Force in order to support and assist tourists. If you have any problem, BAS can help you connect with the special Tourism Police Force;
- Do not exchange money in the street. Tanzania has recently changed laws about foreign currency exchange and money should be exchanged only at authorized change bureaus or banks;
- Get a receipt. Every authorized business in Tanzania has a tax number and offers official receipts. If shopping, request an official receipt when purchasing any items. Some local craft markets are the exception, the safe way to buy handmade items and gifts in Tanzania is to only purchase handicrafts from locations your tour guide suggests. You may even have a day for souvenir shopping and your driver-guide will bring you to an excellent craft market that offers authentic goods.
