FAQ’s

If you are coming from North America or Europe, we recommend flying KLM to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) Kilimanjaro Airport is a one-hour drive from Arusha while Dar es Salaam and Nairobi are a one-hour flight or several hours bus ride from Arusha.

Charter companies like Regional Air, Flightlink, Coastal Aviation and commercial airlines like Precision Air are the best way to get to Zanzibar. There are many daily flights departing from mid-morning to early evening and Memorable Safari can help you book any of those to fit in with your itinerary.

Memorable Safari books East Africa internal travel, including flights, bus rides and shuttles. Your tickets will be kept in the office for you or mailed to you, depending on your first destination.

All airport taxes are now included with most flights, both domestically and internationally.

Memorable Safari uses 4WD Land Cruisers on all safaris and all vehicles are owned and maintained by us. We have made our vehicles safari ready by including comfortable seats and an open roof that allows for better animal viewing. Each passenger is guaranteed a window seat.

Although the roads between cities and the national parks are generally well-maintained, the roads inside the national parks are rough, dusty, and often muddy. During the dry season you will get very dusty, so bring some moist cleansing cloths to clean up before meal times. The road from Arusha to Ngorongoro and Tarangire is now tarmac.

For current immunization recommendations and requirements for travel to Tanzania, please check the Center for Disease Control Tanzania (CDC) site for more information.

Malaria is endemic but is preventable: use insect repellent, cover up at sundown, sleep under a mosquito net and take anti-malaria as advised by your doctor

Be sure to wash your hands often with soap and avoid eating raw vegetables and fruits. Before meals, wash and dry your hands before touching your food. Do not eat food sold by street vendors. Wipe the mouth of soda and alcohol bottles before drinking and ensure that water bottles are sealed properly before purchasing. Also, only eat fruits that can be peeled, such as bananas, unless it is fruit prepared by us. If you unsure of any food, ask our cooks and guides.

Health insurance is not included in our quotes. However, for an additional of US$20-70pp depending on age and duration of their trip, we can assist you to take out membership for the First Air Responder(FAR), which provides aero-medical evacuation services for up to 2000km from Nairobi Wilson Airport and for up to eight weeks in duration (depending on your itinerary). This membership allows for air rescue transportation to medical facilities in the event of an emergency. THIS DOES NOT REPLACE PERSONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE IN ANYWAY.

No, once the booking is paid, we cannot switch as this will result in the loss of the payment.

We provide camping equipment including tents, sleeping mattresses, tables and chairs only for nights of basic camping or when trekking in the Ngorongoro crater highlands. We also provide all cooking equipment for the camping safari. There are very limited toilet and shower facilities in these areas, so be prepared.

Absolutely, just let us know in advance so we can make necessary arrangements.

We provide 1.5 bottled water per person per day on safari and unlimited drinking water on Kilimanjaro and Meru trekking.

Staple foods found throughout Tanzania include Ugali (Maize meal), Chapati (thick naan-like bread), Kachumbari (Tomato, Cucumber, and Bell pepper salad), Nyama Choma (barbecued meat – Goat, Chicken, Beef) and Mchicha (spinach). Dishes specific to Northern Tanzania include Ndizi Nyama (banana beef stew), Makande (maize and bean stew) and many more. If you would like to try Tanzanian food, let us know prior to your climb or camping safari and we’ll include some local dishes on your menu.

For Reservation and Cancellation please visit our Terms and Condonations Page.

You can withdraw Tanzanian shillings using a Visa/MasterCard in Arusha, Moshi, Karatu, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. Most restaurants/hotels do not accept credit cards, and the ones that do usually charge a commission of at least 3-5%. Please call your credit card company before you leave for Tanzania to notify them of your travel plans. Some companies will put a block on your card if you try to use it at a Tanzanian ATM. There is a withdrawal limit of 400,000/- per transaction (approx US$280) at ATMs but you can withdraw several times according to your personal limit with your own bank. Plan ahead if you have something in particular that you need to pay for.

We recommend changing some money to shillings to pay for small items during your trip. Local stores and restaurants charge in shillings, and if you pay in dollars you will pay a higher rate. At souvenir stores in Arusha. US$100 and US$50 dollar noted attract a better exchange rate than US$20, US$10, US$5 and US$1 – however these smaller notes are handy sometimes for buying souvenirs enroute during safari.

NO, not at all and Tanzania is very strict on this. Please travel with notes dated 2006 or newer if you want to use them anywhere in Tanzania. Prior to that year, Africa was hit with an epidemic of counterfeiting and people are extremely weary to accept older notes, and banks simply will not accept them at all.

During your safari, you’ll be accompanied by a trained wildlife guide. All of our guides have at least five years of experience on safari and have taken several language and wildlife courses. If you choose an adventure camping safari, you’ll also travel with a chef, who will prepare all of your delicious meals while in the bush. As with any of our arranged trip, we will only combine tourist groups at the client’s request. You can expect a private vehicle with your very own wildlife guide.

The Big Five were originally the animals most sought after by hunters. They were the fiercest animals, the animals that hunted the hunters. They include rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and Cape buffalo. Today, these are still the animals that most tourists want to see when visiting Tanzania’s national parks. You can see all five of these animals during a visit to Northern Parks in Tanzania.

The wildebeest migration is the annual movement of approx 1.2 million wildebeest and 600,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomason gazelle from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to Kenya’s Masai Mara. The migration offers excellent opportunities to view animal behaviour, especially the predators. The old migration was usually in the Serengeti from December through June and then again from August. The rains in recent years have kept the wildebeest in the Serengeti longer than normal and the exact migratory paths are now more of an art than a science. Feel free to contact us in advance to find out the latest updates.

A bush walk is a nature walk or walking safari inside or near a national park. We can tailor a bush walk to your interests, our Roots Tale Safari offers such an experience. If you are a bird lover, we’ll take you on a bird walk. If you want to be near big game on foot, we’ll arrange a bush walk in a national park. (These walks require an armed guard.) If you’re interested in Tanzanian culture, we’ll arrange a cultural tour.

We have put together detailed guidelines for tipping in Tanzania. Please contact the office directly for further information.

For the best wildlife viewing, visit Tanzania during the dry seasons of December to February, and July to September. To avoid the crowds, visit in May, June or November.

The driest month to climb Kilimanjaro is September. However, it is also one of the coldest and busiest. Because Kilimanjaro is such a large mountain, it has its own weather pattern and it often rains on Kilimanjaro when it is not raining elsewhere. You should prepare for rain and have your rain gear with you at all times while on the mountain. For more information please check out Trekking.