A Few Tips for this Amazing Trip

I will add to this list as we think of things.

Having only four people in the truck worked out very well. We rotated seats daily and had room to move and to see animals/birds.

Re money…

American, European and Tanzanian shillings were accepted everywhere.
ATMs were easy to find and the guides always helped us

Tipping
We took $20 U.S. in clean bills per day for the guides. The tip was given at the end of the trips. Totally worth it!
Also $100 U.S. in $1 U.S. bills for any extra services like laundry, restaurants

Re clothes…
2 pairs of quick dry long pants are all that is needed
1 or 2 pairs of quick dry shorts/capris
2 long sleeved quick dry shirts ( for sun protection and warmth)
4 or 5 T-shirts and sleeveless tops
Something comfortable to change into after a full safari day - light track pants, gym shorts, comfy loose dress, leggings
1 pair of running shoes
1 pair of sandals
Swimsuit
Sleepwear
Large brimmed hats (over baseball hats)

A very small quick dry towel came in very handy.

On safari, you get dusty and dirty. We just wore the same clothes as we were in the truck all the time. A quick rinse at night if needed. I took laundry soap sheets and a sink plug.

I was happy that I brought some headbands to wear when in the vehicle.

We didn’t need to dress up at all for meals.

We didn’t need our fleece jackets or rain jackets.

We didn’t take black or dark blue clothing due to not wanting to attract tsetse flies or other biting insect. Although, we didn’t see many insects at this time of year.

I took black Lululemon studio pants for the cities and on the plane. They worked out great.

Gail and I ended up buying 2 cheap loose sleeveless dresses. It was so hot in Zanzibar! The Muslim locals didn’t care what we wore.

Laundry services were available at the accommodations.

Sunscreen and small bottle of Ben’s insect repellent were always on hand.

Taking a headlamp or small flashlight was good. The driver had binoculars we could use but we were happy that we had our own.

The truck had USB charging stations and we also brought our portable power bank/charger just in case.

A phone leash was very helpful!

Chris got a chip for his phone but it isn’t really necessary and the reception is poor. The rest of us didn’t get one but used the accommodations’ wifi and were fine with that. Every place we stayed had wifi. On safari we didn’t use wifi.

We always had a refrigerator full of water, juices, beer and even wine in our truck.

Our driver knew where and when to find washrooms but at times we had to have Bush Bushes (pees). Always had T.P. in a pocket.

We took enough Malarone (malaria pills) for a day before the trip and a week after returning. Insomnia was a side effect of it so Pat and Gail stopped taking it after a week. (No bugs). They felt a lot better. We didn’t…

All of us had leg or foot cramps at times but Hydralyte (electrolytes) tablets in our water bottles really helped!

We had 100 toothbrushes and handed them out when kids approached our vehicle. It worked out well.

We did this trip in November, great time to go. Very little rain, and reduced human and vehicle traffic on safari, which we appreciated.Read more