Getting there and Flights

Arriving in Tanzania
Most intercontinental flights to Tanzania will arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam which is Tanzania’s main airport and is located 13km/8m southwest of Dar es Salaam. Cheap flights to Tanzania are available from Heathrow Airport near London and it will require a UK citizen a visa to enter Tanzania therefore you need to check with the Tanzania High Commission for more information regarding visas. There are city buses available for journeys into the city center which leave from the bus stops outside the airport terminal. These work hand in hand with metered taxis at negotiable prices. Since most of these drivers don’t turn their meters on therefore you should always negotiate the fare before getting into the vehicle.

There are direct and one-stop flights from overseas to Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro (near Arusha), and Zanzibar Island. Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is situated 46km/29mi east of Arush. Arusha town is the starting point for Tanzania’s most popular Northern Safari Circuit. The latter is the entry point for visitors to the southern parks.

You can fly or drive between reserves or opt to do a bit of both when moving from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Some of the domestic flights out of Arusha leave from Kilimanjaro International Airport and the other flights to reserves leave from the smaller Arusha Airport (ARK) located 8km/5m west of town. In most cases, your tour operator will pick you up from the airport and will arrange all further transportation as part of your safari package. There are various bus services connecting to most cities and towns in Tanzania with Express buses available on popular routes (such as between Dar es Salaam and Arusha) although seats need to be booked in advance and this can be done from a booking office in or near the bus station with well-known companies like Dar Express and Scandinavia. Besides the buses, there are also ordinary buses seen on major routes which are cheaper although they do not always run on time.

For short distances within cities and towns Dalla-Dallas, or minibusses, are used with destinations and fares usually painted on the front of vehicles. Dalla-dallas only depart when full, and are often packed with both people and cargo to get off, you have to alert the conductor by yelling ‘Shusha’. Private taxis are also available in major cities with a negotiable fare and Bajaj (three-wheeled vehicles) are also available and useful for quick trips around town.

Main Attractions
Tanzania has a variety of stunning natural sights. Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the country’s biggest tourist draw cards and it is the highest mountain in Africa. You can also be able to visit the vast Serengeti National Park to see more of the country’s indigenous animals for instance the famous wildebeest migration which is a splendid sight to watch. The ‘Cradle of Mankind. Or the Olduvai Gorge and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area can as well be traveled around.