Some important points that we feel any person visiting Tanzania should be aware of.
Shah Tours emergency contacts:
- +255 627 060 504
- +255 752 087 290
- +255 745 941 518 (WhatsApp)
- info@shah-tours.com.
We highly recommend calling (standard call not over the internet) where the emergency requires immediate attention as internet in Tanzania is not 100% reliable.
COVID 19 (Corona virus) entry requirements
As of 12 January 2023, all travellers (vaccinated or unvaccinated) are exempt from any RT-PCR or vaccine proof requirements at all Tanzanian ports. From time-to-time port officials may perform a free COVID-19 Rapid Test for surveillance purposes. Yellow fever vaccination proof will be required for travellers arriving or transiting in an endemic country (generally an African or South American country) for more than 12 hours. You can find the full latest covid guidelines here: https://www.shah-tours.com/hiking-trekking/latest-covid-entry-requirements-to- tanzania-on-12-january-2023/
Visa
All passengers will require a valid visa to enter the United republic of Tanzania. You can see the latest guidelines and requirements here: https://visa.immigration.go.tz/. Many nationalities can get the visa on arrival or pre- obtain the visa using the e-visa system.
Vaccinations Our port may require a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate for travellers 1 year of age and older coming from (or who are in airport transit for more than 12 hours within) a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission (list of required countries here: https://www.iamat.org/country/tanzania/risk/yellow-fever). Our port does not require any other vaccines for entry however your own doctor, country requirements may advise you to have additional vaccinations.
Cash and finances
United States Dollars (USD $) bank notes must be printed in 2007 or later as notes printed before this year are not accepted anywhere in Tanzania and not legal tender. You should only pay for up to $49 in small notes ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20) and all larger amounts should be paid using $50 or $100 bank notes.
Euros (EUR €) or Pounds (GBP £) bank notes can be accepted by Shah Tours and Travels for payments when pre-arranged, however not all suppliers (e.g., your hotels, curio shops etc.) will accept these.
Tanzanian Shillings (TZS /=) is the national currency however most tourists will use United States Dollars (USD $) which are widely accepted throughout Tanzania for tourist services as the preferred currency for payments. You may also receive change for USD payments in Tanzanian Shillings where USD notes are not available.
Visa and Mastercard – You may be able to make card payments using VISA or MASTERCARD to various suppliers or your hotels however this method generally incurs up to 5% in payment processing surcharges. Card payment providers may not be 100% reliable or always available and we can never guarantee these services and highly recommend keeping cash (USD $) for emergencies or payments.
ATMs and withdrawing cash – You can only withdraw Tanzanian Shillings (TZS) from local ATM’s and cannot withdraw USD or any other currency. If you are planning on paying for services in cash
FOREX – You can only convert many major foreign currencies at banks subject to their opening hours. When paying for a tour in a foreign currency (including TZS) you will be subject to an exchange rate against USD $.
Travellers’ cheques – Are not accepted in Tanzania
Plastic bags
As of 01 June 2019, the sale, production, importation, or use of plastic bags (regardless of thickness), is banned in Tanzania. You should ensure that you do not have any disposable bags on your person or in your luggage before you arrive in Tanzania as fines may be incurred if discovered. Zip-loc and reusable bags will be allowed (e.g., those used for liquids in flights, however the expectation is that these will be kept on your person and taken back to your country of origin once you leave Tanzania, and they should not be disposed of whilst inside of the country.
Arrivals
For airport pick-ups arranged by Shah Tours, clients should make their way to the arrivals and look out for drivers holding placards with Shah Tour’s logo at the top and group name at the bottom unless and otherwise organised. If in case clients are not able to spot the driver, the client may enquire with other drivers to be directed to the correct person or call our emergency number for help.
Delayed / lost luggage
Luggage maybe lost or delayed by the airline or transportation which can cause major problems for planned tours. We advise clients to travel with all essential items required in their hand luggage e.g., walking boots (if trekking), valuables, medication etc. Furthermore, we strongly advise clients to arrive at least one / two days prior to the start date of the actual tour. If luggage is delayed / lost client must fill in the luggage claim form at the airport itself and carry a copy with them. Shah Tours will do everything possible to help during this situation, however any additional costs that may occur, e.g., extra equipment hires, transport to the airport, transportation of luggage etc. will have to be paid locally (and claimed from the airline or insurance companies). The nature of most tours means that there can be no changes made to the itinerary due to such incidences at a very last minute.
Connectivity
An internet or even phone connection isn’t 100% guaranteed during your tour or in Tanzania. Many lodges (and some of our vehicles) will come with some wifi however these services can be unreliable and may not be fast enough for your requirements. Generally most guests purchase a local sim card (biometric registration required) and add data bundles for use in Tanzania. If you absolutely must have a phone or internet connection throughout your tour you can speak to your tour consultant although where absolutely required a satellite phone (bring from home) is the most reliable (but expensive) method.
Other costs to expect
You can expect to incur additional charges such as items mentioned in your ‘excludes’ or ‘optional extras’ section, costs incurred due to delayed / lost luggage (e.g., rental equipment, clothing, transportation for luggage, airport transfers), costs incurred due to itinerary changes (e.g., extra transfers, accommodation, services) and personal extras (e.g., drinks, alcohol, snacks, souvenirs, add-ons not listed in your ‘includes’. All extra costs will require immediate payment either to us or the supplier you are purchasing from.