The big five on a horesback safari in Tanzania
Africa > Tanzania

Safari between Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro

This horseback safari through Tanzania covers 3 diverse ecosystems, full-of-life forests, at an altitude of 4565m, around Mt Meru in the Arusha National Park, the vast plains of the Enduimet corridor and the foothills of Kilimanjaro (5890m). This itinerant horse riding trip to Kilimanjaro offers occasions to observe majestic wildlife, such as giraffe, hippo, elephant and eland. Be moved by the sense of freedom that comes from riding in Tanzania and spend the night in 'Out Of Africa' style camps.
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Horseback Safari
10 days / 7 days riding
From £3,795
  • A horseback safari at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro
    Ride between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru
  • Horses and elephants on safari in Africa
    An experience of a lifetime! One of the famous big five!
  • Horse and rider on safari in Africa
    Enjoy the cooling waters of the waterfall
  • Horseback riding across the open plains of Africa
    Blue skies and tranquility in the heart of the African bush
  • Discover Tanzania on a horesback safari
    Discovering the beauty of Tanzania on horseback
  • Zebra and buffalo on safari in Tanzania
    Buffalo and zebra at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro
  • Monkeys spotted in Tanzania on horesback safari
    Riding under the watchful eye of the Tanzanian monkeys
  • Horse and rider in Tanzania on a safari
    Horse and rider enjoying a quiet moment together
  • Beautiful African horses on Safari in Tanzania
    Kisses!
  • Monkey riding a horse on safari
    Monkeys enjoy a horseback safari too!

Itinerary

Highlights

- Enjoy the unique chance to ride through the stunning Arusha National Park, with special authorisation, and explore the spectacular countryside at the foot of Kilimanjaro
- Experience an itinerant horseback safari in small groups of 8 riders
- Spend the night in campsites in comfortable tents, with separate bathroom tents and access to hot showers, and relax in the African bush in the light of lanterns and a crackling campfire
- Or choose to stay in one of the big new V-frame tents with en suite bathroom (WC and shower)
- From horseback, observe a wide range of African wildlife in 3 different ecosystems, including giraffe, elephant, gnus, impala and much more
- At the end of the safari, discover a small farm full of life and energy, nestled in the Kilimanjaro foothills and home to orphaned and displaced animals as well as a veterinary clinic caring for injured local wildlife

  • Day 1 1 : EUROPE - ARUSHA

    Overnight flight from the UK to Kilimanjaro airport (JRO) - arrival the next day as most flight routes from the US or Europe are usually overnight flights. Flights are not included but can be arranged on request.

    If you chose a day flight, please contact us for the best travel arrangements. If your flight arrives before 21h30 today then you can be taken directly to the farm and we will arrange an extra night for you there (at an additional cost). If you arrive after 21h30 we can arrange a hotel for you near the airport.

  • Day 2 2 : KILI AIRPORT - MACHAME - 2 hours riding

    Makoa Farm
    Arrival at JRO. You will be welcomed by your hosts onto their small farm, situated in the heart of a 145 hectare coffee plantation and tropical forest which surround the Machame Gate, one of the entry points for people wishing to climb Kilimanjaro. The house itself and the rooms have been built to make the most out of the truly spectacular views of the highest summit in Africa.

    Looking out over the farm land, you will see not only the domesticated farm animals but also the native Vervet monkeys and baboons. Makoa is also home to Gray´s and red duiker, bushbuck, reedbuck and bush pigs as well as nocturnal animals like aardvarks, porcupines, civet cat and jackal, even striped and occasionally spotted hyena and leopard.

    Makoa is a safe haven for many domesticated and wild animals, some of which where brought to our veterinary clinic when injured or orphaned – so the you will have a chance to see and learn about more animals usually not often spotted.

    You will have lunch on the farm before spending the afternoon in the stables and enjoying a ride around the property to get to know your horse for the week a little better. You will have your dinner and spend the night on the farm.

  • Day 3 3 : MACHAME - MT. MERU ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK - 4-6 hours riding

    After an early breakfast and transfer of both horses and riders to Arusha National Park you will find yourself in the environs of Mount Meru. This still active volcano reaches a peak altitude of 4656 metres and is the 4th highest summit in Africa and the second highest in Tanzania. Surrounding this majestic peak is incredible countryside - open savannahs, dense forest, impressive craters and numerous lakes. In each distinct vegetal region, you will find varied and lush flora and fauna, including the 'Big Five' such as elephant, buffalo and leopard.

    You will start your horseback safari in the region known as the Little Serengeti, a large plain frequented by many species of herbivore. Progressively, you will make your way into the foothills around the base of Mount Meru before stopping for lunch at Park Resthouse. You will then continue across the slopes of Mount Meru enjoying spectacular views. In a truly magical spot, you will arrive at and settle into your camp for the evening.

  • Day 4 4 : ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK - 4-6 hours riding

    In the early hours of the morning, you will wake to the calls of mantled guereza, long-haired black and white monkeys. After a light breakfast, you will head out early - in order to benefit from the best observation opportunities - and ride into a forest, straight from fairy tales, brimming with tree-like ferns and immense moss-covered trees. You may even cross the path of a herd of elephants. Following numerous animal tracks, you will ride to the Fig Tree Arch, a giant fig tree whose trunk has been formed into an arch by the digging and passage of the local wildlife. There, a brunch will be waiting for you, as well as a splendid view of the plains and lakes that stretch out all the way to Kilimanjaro.

    Following your brunch, you will ride down towards the Mount Meru waterfall where it is almost guaranteed that you will observe buffalo grazing in lush pastures. Your will return to your camp and allow the horses a break as you take the 4WDs to Momella Lakes where you will find flamingo, hippo, giraffe, antelope and gazelle and a fantastic view of Kilimanjaro.

  • Day 5 5 : ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK - MAASAILAND - 4-6 hours riding

    Waking up early, you will be served tea or coffee in your tent. Then, you will ride out for a long morning on horseback through a tree-strewn savannah where you can observe giraffe, buffalo, and antelope etc. Towards the end of the morning, you will leave behind the green pastures and dense acacia forest of the Arusha National Park and enter vastly different Maasaï country.

    Your lunch stop will be brief as the afternoon ride will be long, allowing for fantastic gallops. Here and there, you will cross paths with Maasaï shepherds and their herds before reaching you camp - seemingly pulled right out of a scene from 'Out of Africa' with its romantic atmosphere. The encampment is found amidst large yellow-trunked acacias not far from a path well-trodden by elephants. A welcome shower, a drink and a good dinner around a campfire in the heart of the savannah will await you upon your arrival... a dream experience.

  • Day 6 6 : MAASAILAND - ENDUIMET CORRIDOR - 4-6 hours riding

    After breakfast at sunrise, your day's safari will lead you north onto terrain that is ideal for galloping, sometimes alongside zebras and gnous. At a gentler pace, you will be able to observe wildlife such as, kudus, antelope, gazelle, and Kori bustards.

    You will ride through the Enduimet pass, a protected region, which allows for the annual large wildlife migration between Amboseli, the Kilimanjaro region, and Arusha National Park.


    At the end of the day, you will ride into Mgunga private Camp, found in the shadow of an immense tree. You will spend the evening relaxing, looking out over, the now distant, Mount Meru as the sun sets casting an ethereal light across the savannah. You will remember this magical moment in the heart of the African brush.

  • Day 7 7 : ENDUIMET - WEST KILIMANJARO - 4-6 hours riding

    As the sun rises behind Kilimanjaro, your guiding team will wake you with a cup of tea or coffee, whichever you would prefer, before enjoying a day dedicated to animal observation. These open plains, strewn with acacia trees with their tender leaves attracting herds of giraffe, are dominated by small hills which upon riding over will offer some fantastic viewpoints. These plains are also home to delicate impala and massive eland. You should also be able to observe kobs, kudu, Grant and Thompson gazelles, Burshell zebras - often found in the company of gnous.

    From horseback, you may also sometimes catch a glimpse of spotted hyenas, timid leopards and the equally as rare cheetah, as well as occasionally crossing ambling herds of buffalo and elephant.

  • Day 8 8 : RIDING TO KILIMANJARO - 4-6 hours riding

    Makoa Farm
    The day's ride will see you leave behind the exceptional natural spaces of West Kilimanjaro to once more find yourselves amongst the coffee and cocoa plantations. You will ride through the open savannah and explore the surrounding forests as throughout the day, the slopes of Kilimanjaro reveal their wooded nature. You will ride the edge between the savannah to the west and the forest to the east. At the end of the afternoon, you will reach the transport that will transfer you back to your hosts' farm.

  • Day 9 9 : MACHAME - KILIMANJARO AIRPORT

    After a relaxing breakfast, you will have a bit more time to explore your guides' farm and discover the numerous education projects that run there to teach school children about ecological sustainability and environmental protection.
    This farm is also a functioning veterinary clinic which offers shelter and care to many domestic and wild animals who have either been injured, orphaned or displaced from their native habitat.

    Later in the day, you will be transferred to the International Kilimanjaro airport to catch your overnight flight back home - again, most likely an overnight flight arriving the following day.

  • Day 10 10 : EUROPE

    Arrive in the Europe in the morning.

Dates & prices

Price details

- Flights to your destination (international/domestic) are not included, but can be booked on request - please contact us for rates.     

- Rates are per person, based on two riders sharing a twin or double room/tent during the ride. 

- Groups are composed of a minimum of 2 riders and a maximum of 8 international riders, plus guides. 

- Entry fees to the National Park are not included in the above price - fees covering the entirety of the safari come to approx. €910/£810/$1065 and will be invoiced.

IMPORTANT :
- If you would prefer to spend the trip on your own in a spacious en suite double tent then a c. €450/£410/$530 supplement will be added to your invoice
- If you are travelling on your own and do not wish to pay the above supplement, you will stay in a smaller single person tent. There is a single supplement payable at the farm at €65/£59/$80 per night at the farm.

IMPORTANT : All of the departure dates for this ride may be adjusted depending on the movements of the wildlife and the date choices of the first riders to book on to this ride
Please Note
The itinerary may be modified at anytime for security reasons, meteorological or events beyond our control such as blocked roads, rivers in flood, drought, strikes and local holidays. Equus Journeys, our local partners and their local guides will always strive to find the best solution and will alter the itinerary as needed.
The names of the hotels and accommodation are given for information only and depending on availability, they may be modified without notice and replaced by another of a similar standard.

Price includes

Support team

1 English-speaking guide
1 English-speaking "back-up guide"

Logistics

1 vehicle and driver for transporting your baggage

Inland transport

Return transfers to and from Kilimanjaro airport

Accommodation

2 nights in comfortable rooms on your hosts' farm
5 nights spent camping 'Out of Africa' style in large 2 person tents with a separate toilet and shower tent

Meals

Full-board from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 9
Included in the price are all snacks, tea, coffee and other drinks, evening apéritifs and dinner drinks : wine, beer and local alcohols

Horses and equipment

Horses, tack and horse transportation, etc.
Flying doctor membership

Price doesn't include

Transports

International flights

Extras

Laundry, telephone calls and other personal extras
National Park entry fees - see above for details

Insurance

Cancellation and travel insurance are not included in the above listed price. Please note that insurance is mandatory. We recommend taking out an insurance policy as soon as your trip is booked to cover you in case of cancellation

Optional

Accommodation

Individual rooms or tents with a supplementary charge
  • Departure Return Price without flights Price including flights Status
    04/11/2021 13/11/2021 £3,875 €4,563 $5,309 Open Book now
    13/11/2021 22/11/2021 £3,875 €4,563 $5,309 Open Book now
    22/11/2021 01/12/2021 £3,875 €4,563 $5,309 Open Book now
    11/12/2021 20/12/2021 £3,875 €4,563 $5,309 Open Book now
    20/12/2021 29/12/2021 £3,875 €4,563 $5,309 Open Book now
    29/12/2021 07/01/2022 £3,875 €4,563 $5,309 Open Book now
  • Departure Return Price without flights Price including flights Status
    03/02/2022 12/02/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    11/02/2022 20/02/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    25/02/2022 06/03/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
  • Departure Return Price without flights Price including flights Status
    11/03/2022 20/03/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    19/03/2022 28/03/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
  • Departure Return Price without flights Price including flights Status
    08/07/2022 17/07/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    22/07/2022 31/07/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    05/08/2022 14/08/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    14/08/2022 23/08/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    26/08/2022 04/09/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
  • Departure Return Price without flights Price including flights Status
    05/09/2022 14/09/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    15/09/2022 24/09/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    24/09/2022 03/10/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    05/10/2022 14/10/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    14/10/2022 23/10/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
  • Departure Return Price without flights Price including flights Status
    02/11/2022 11/11/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    11/11/2022 20/11/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    20/11/2022 29/11/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    02/12/2022 11/12/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now
    10/12/2022 19/12/2022 £3,795 €4,469 $5,199 Open Book now

Equestrian info

Horses

The horses on this safari are mainly Half-blood Anglo-Arabs, Pure and Half-blood Bavarians, Australian Brumbies, Trakehners, etc.

They are all lively, sure footed and comfortable to ride, making them perfect for safaris. They are well trained and well looked after (both of your hosts are practicing vets). They are also all inventively named; Pumucki, Tonino, Narcolino,Talisman (to name a few)

Minimum riding ability

Minimum riding ability

To get the most out of this safari, you need to be at ease at all 3 paces (rising trot, galloping in a group with a well-balanced seat) and be able to maintain this trot and gallop, for around 10 minutes, while keeping control of your mount over uneven terrain. Jumping experience over naturally-occurring obstacles is a plus.

This ride is for good intermediate+ riders.

For riders over 90kg/ 14st 1lb/ 198 lbs, it is important that you contact us before signing up to this ride. If you are over 95 kg / 15st / 210 lbs, but an accomplished rider, please get in contact with us to discuss mount options.

Pace

The base pace of this horseback safari is a walking pace. You will experience trots and long, rhythmic gallops whenever the terrain allows. The horses will respond perfectly to your movements and often with relaxed reins.

Tacking ability and participation

The team of fantastic grooms will tack and untack the horses each day whilst out on safari. It is not expected from you to assist, but if you would like to you are more than welcome to help prepare the horses for the day ahead.

Trip conditions and Requested experience

To help get the most out of this trip, riders who have not been riding regularly are required to get back into the saddle before heading out for this safari.

The riding style is "Endurance", with long reins. The horses will also respond to neck reining - keeping one hand free for pictures. The ground can be uneven and in order to release the back of the horse you will be asked to stay in a “half seat” during trots or canters.
Heading out through Tanzania, you will meet people from a different culture with a different mindset to your own, you must be ready to accept and respect any differences you encounter.

Equestrian equipment

On safari you will ride in treeless Startrek and Trekker, Endurance (Podium) and treeless Trail Saddles (SA Trailrider / Leon Liversage) as well now the very comfortable Hungarian Touring Saddles. Each horse has its own individual fitted saddle.
We recommend our riders to wear a helmet to the correct standard and you should bring your own to ensure a proper fit.

Horses are ridden with simple bitless bridles, either Hackamore or Sidepull, which can require a little bit of time to get used to.

Travel info

Comfort

This safari offers up a variety of accommodation styles. You will spend 2 nights in a private cottage on your hosts' farm which grants spectacular views of Kilimanjaro. You will spend 5 nights camping out in the Tanzanian wilderness in 'Out of Africa' style encampments. Your mobile camp will be made up of comfortable single person tents, a separate toilet tent and a hot shower tent or Big V-frame double / twin tents with en suite toilet / shower.

The tents are equipped with beds, mattresses and linen, bedside table and the verandah has comfortable chairs and an extra table - which doubles as a crate for any items you might not want to keep in your tent.

No electricity when out fly camping: make sure you brink spare batteries. There is no open wi-fi internet access available on Makoa-Farm.

Your meals will all be homemade from the farm's produce and all prepared by a fantastic cook!

Meals

Your meals on the safari will consist of English breakfasts: tea, coffee, egg and bacon with beans or other veggies, fresh home-made bread, cheese, fresh fruit and sweet options.
With the exception of a picnic lunch, your lunch will be served from a back-up vehicle where the chef will be waiting for you with a table and chairs all set up. Lunch will consist of – salad, often gratins, pie, pizza or quiche, etc., as well as dessert (e.g. home-made cake, biscuits or fruit).
Dinner will be a 3-course meal, usually starting with a soup, then meat or fish, vegetables, rice, potato or home-made pasta, followed by dessert.

Wine and beer are served with dinner or for sunset-drinks, together with other options.

Climate

Generally speaking, Tanzania has 2 distinct climatic zones:
- The inland climate, with its plateaus at altitudes of up to 1500m, has a moderate tropical climate
- On the coast, Tanzania benefits from a humid equatorial climate

The higher you move up into the country, the lower the temperature drops. The further you move down towards the Indian Ocean, the hotter it will become - occasionally extremely hot.

The seasons in Tanzania are quite varied. The dry season is from May to October and the hottest season from December to February. The country has a long rains season stretching from mid-March to the beginning of May, with the most substantial rainfall falling in April. The evenings during this period are often cool or cold. The lighter rains last from the beginning of November to mid-December. Throughout this period, the rain doesn't usually fall all day, only a few hours at a time.

On Mount Kilimanjaro, in January and February there is often snowfall throughout the night and nights reaching freezing temperatures through July and August.

Guide and local team

You will enjoy excellent guiding by 2 former professional long-distance riders, they are both vets and are passionate about showing their guests the beauty of Tanzania's wilderness.

Tips

It is customary to tip in Tanzania. Tips, which remain at your discretion, should be based on your level of satisfaction with the team. These tips are split across the team at the Makoa Farm - a reasonable tip would be around $20-25 (£15-20) per day. Transfer drivers should get extra tips depending on the time and effort they have shown.

Packing list

When on a horseback safari, it is best to wear clothes of a neutral colour (green, brown, beige or grey) that will blend in to the countryside.

Head
- A riding helmet is recommended. We recommend that you take your own to ensure a correct fit. Helmet makers (GPA, HKM, LAS Helmets, Lamicell, Troxel, Equithème) now offer horse-riding helmets that are ventilated, strong, light and comfortable. You also have the option of buying protective shells to go under your hats (Ranch & Rider, Lexington Safety Products) or western hat helmets (Troxel).
- Sunhat (indispensable) with a cord to go under your chin
- Sunglasses - with a cord attached so they don't fly off when riding
- Buff or bandana for protecting your neck and face from the sun, wind or rain

Upper body
- 4 to 6 polo shirts in cotton or long-sleeved shirts (to protect against the sun)
- 1 or 2 long-sleeved shirts for the evening
- 1 lightweight fleece or jumper (from September to June)
- 1 warm fleece or jumper (from June to September during the winter)
- 1 lightweight or warm waterproof jacket (depending on the season). It is always a good idea to wear a coat with a multitude of pockets to keep your cameras, snacks, other items in.

Legs
- 2 pairs of lightweight, comfortable riding trousers or jodhpurs in cotton with either mini or long chaps in leather or other synthetic materials - this will help to protect you against the long vegetation. We recommend riding in them at home before taking them on holiday to ensure they don't rub
- Casual clothes for the evenings (jeans or walking trousers)
- Non-irritant cotton or synthetic underwear

Hands and Feet
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend short boots with half. We don't recommend taking your favourite leather boots in case they get damaged
- Lightweight shoes or trainers for the evenings
- Several pairs of warm socks
- Gloves - your hands are particularly exposed to the sun, wind or rain whilst riding

Other useful items
- Travel bag 70-100 litres (hold luggage)
- Travel bag 25-30 litres (cabin bag
- Double saddlebags are available on request
- Water bottle (1.5 litres or 2 equivalent)
- Headtorch or torch for moving around at night - bring spare batteries and bulbs
- Toiletries
- Protein or cereal bars for the longer stretches of riding
- Toilet paper and a lighter to burn it after use
- Swiss army knife or equivalent (in checking-in luggage!!)
- Small plastic bags for you rubbish
- Ear plugs (may be useful)
- Camera and high capacity memory card. Spare battery
- A pair of binoculars

Medical kit
Make sure any allergies (to medication or otherwise) and clearly stated in your medical kit
- Any medication you regularly take
- Painkillers
- Imodium or similar anti-diarrhea medication
- Vitamin C tablets
- Sunscreen and lip balm - should be high factor
- Insect repellent
- Eye drops
- Hydrating/ soothing cream
- Plasters
- Blister plasters in case of any rubs
- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc..
- 10cm wide bandage
- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses
- Re-hydration sachets
- Antiseptic wipes
- Handwash gel
- Game country is always tick country... make sure your insect repellent also protects you from ticks. Additionally we recommend you treat your clothes with a special repellent for clothes (e.g. from NoBite). Do this before you start your journey, the effect lasts for several weeks and it really makes a difference!

Our Recommendations
- Backpacks cannot be worn whilst riding. We recommend a small bumbag or a coat with pockets so that you can carry small items with you during the day (camera - see below, lip balm etc)
- For your cameras, we strongly recommend keeping them in a dust-proof pouch, that can be attached to you whilst riding. It should be easily accessible and not take more than 2 seconds to take out of the pouch. Keeping your camera in your saddle bag is not ideal as by the time you have extracted the camera, you can be sure that whatever you wanted to take a picture of will have moved away!
- A soothing cream may be useful to treat areas irritated by long hours in the saddle
- We recommend travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes in your hand luggage - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!

Photos & Extras
- We recommend bringing a camera with a zoom capacity of 200 or 300 mm to take the fantastic photos of the animals on the plains and large panorama images of the countryside
- Bring a change of batteries and a charger adapted for a vehicle cigarette lighter. We recommend you bring changes of batteries and multiple memory cards
- A pair of binoculars
- Before taking a photo of a person, you must always ask permission of the people concerned. You must consider the feelings/ opinions/ respect due to the possible subjects of your photos
-Throughout the world, and particularly in Africa, it is forbidden to take photos on or of administrative or military installations

Visa & Health

Formalities

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of your visa application.

While still part of Tanzania, Zanzibar and the other islands are administered autonomously; they have their own immigration procedures and you will be asked to show your passport on entry and exit.

All British passport holders and most other nationalities need a tourist or business visa to enter Tanzania. Tanzania has introduced an ‘e-visas’ system through which applications can be submitted and approved online in advance of travel: https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/

It is no longer possible to get a visa from the Tanzanian High Commission in London. American nationals are required to apply for a multiple entry e-visa for all tourism visits to Tanzania; the ordinary single entry e-visa is unavailable for Americans to apply to.

It is also possible to get a tourist or business visa for a single entry on arrival at main ports of entry to Tanzania, subject to the fulfilment of all immigration requirements. You may be asked to provide proof of your return journey. You will not be able to get a multiple entry visa on arrival. For further information about visas visit the Tanzanian immigration website:
https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/

Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements

IMPORTANT:
Tanzania has announced that it will ban single-use polythene bags from June 2019 in the war against plastic pollution.

Travellers bringing plastic bags in the country may face heave fines. Please do not try to bring in any plastic bags (including zip lock bags for liquids under 100ml) into the country.

Addresses of consulates

  • Paris | Ambassade de Tanzanie
    7 ter rue de Leonard de Vinci
    75116 Paris
    Tél. : 01.53.70.63.66
    Fax :
    ambtanzanie@wanadoo.fr
  • Ambassade de France en Tanzanie
    Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road
    PO Box 2349
    Dar es Salaam
    Tél. : +255 22 219 88 00
    Fax :
    contact@ambafrance-tz.org
  • Tanzanian High Commission
    3 Stratford Place
    W1C 1AS London
    Tél. : +44 (0) 207 569 1470
    Fax :
    balozi@tanzania-online.gov.uk

Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Tanzania except that you will need to have a cholera stamp (to prove you don't have the disease) if you plan to visit Zanzibar. And you need a Yellow Fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Tanzania) where that disease is widely prevalent. A yellow fever vaccination is often recommended anyway!
The general vaccinations against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) are recommended, as are both Hepatitis A and Typhoid.
If you are staying longer than 3 months or have a particular risk you might consider a Rabies vaccination. Vaccination against Tuberculosis and Hepatitis B are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months.
Like most African countries south of the Sahara, Malaria is prevalent in the country. Don't underestimate this tropical disease and take precautions. Buy repellent (preferably with 50% DEET), and sleep under a net.

Insurance

It is a condition of your booking with Equus Journeys that you have travel insurance which covers you for the riding activities to be undertaken. Your travel insurance should cover you for medical expenses and repatriation. Your guides will require your travel insurance details before they allow you to ride and may refuse to let you ride if you cannot provide them. You should take your insurance documents with you.

Voltage

230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are mostly UK-style square three-pin, but round three-pin plugs are also in use. Power cuts are common in the rainy season, though most large hotels have back-up generators.

Budget and money

Tanzanian Shilling (TZS; symbol TSh). Notes are in denominations of TSh10,000, 5000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of TSh200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 but these are worth very little and are rarely used. In Kiswahili, it is shilingi and written prices are often denoted with the symbol /=; i.e. 100/= is the same as TSh100.
Credit cards:
Most top-end hotels, safari lodges, airlines and tour operators accept Visa and MasterCard (American Express and Diners Club less so), though a commission of 2-5% is usually charged. Budget hotels and most restaurants and shops do not accept credit cards, and they are rarely accepted for payment outside the main tourist areas.
ATM:
Cash can easily be withdrawn from ATMs using Visa or MasterCard. Any sizeable town has at least one bank with an ATM, and there are ATMs at the larger airports. ATMs generally only dispense notes in increments of TSh 10,000 and these larger notes are often hard for people to change – hoard smaller change whenever possible to pay for taxi fares, snacks, souvenirs and the like.
The import and export of local currency is prohibited, so use up you Shillings before departing.

Telephone and jetlag

Mobile phone roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Tanzania’s many cellular networks cover almost all towns, the urban sections of the coast, Zanzibar and the tourist areas, but not some of the parks and reserves or the southwest of Tanzania away from the towns and the main road. SIM and top-up cards for the pay-as-you-go mobile providers are available just about everywhere; in the towns and cities they often have their own shops, but you can buy cards from roadside vendors anywhere, even in the smallest of settlements.
GMT + 3 hours
Dialling code +255

Did you know?

Did you know?

Thomson's gazelle 

While you are riding in Tanzania you are likely to meet with the Thomson's gazelle. It has a bright fawn on the upper half of its body and white on the inside of the legs and belly, a horizontal dark fawn stripe along its flanks. With a split coat of  half-long, silky fur  which is shorter on its legs.

This gazelle is very sociable, a herd can consist of six to sixty individuals, sometimes even more. The composition of these herds is curious because they consist of only females with one lone-adult male. Gazelles are extremely fast and can run at speeds of 50-60 km / hour on long distances  or sprint short distances at 80 km / hour to escape from a predator.

The Thomson's gazelle is known for its high leaping gate. It is always fun to gallop with them by your side in the savannah on your riding safari. Most horseback safaris offer the possibility to canter alongside plains games, which is a memorable experience! 

On the blog

A riding safari in Africa is an unforgettable experience. Really, nothing quite compares to watching giraffe on horseback, race with a herd of zebra or coming face to face with elephant. Horseback safaris are amongst our most exciting riding holidays and we are pleased to have a fantastic selection of options to suit novice and experienced riders alike. We have written the following guide to help you select your safari based on what wildlife you want to see. Read more on the blog.