• Subdued safari colours such as khaki, green, beige and neutral colours (dark blue and black clothing is not practical during game drives but can be worn at the lodges & camps)
• Shirts with long sleeves for a chilly evening and even in summer: as protection from the sun & mosquitoes
• Golfshirt/T shirts
• Shorts or light skirts
• (Safari) trousers for evenings and cooler days
• A fleece or thick sweater is recommended for early morning and evening game drives & for use at the Ngorongoro Crater
• Lightweight waterproof jacket
• Swim and beachwear (swimming is available at each of the Elewana Collection of lodges and camps).
• Comfortable walking shoes (running/tennis shoes are fine).
• Jackets or ties are not required nor any special dress code when dining in lodges & restaurants.
• We suggest that ladies do not wear shorts in cities, particularly in Muslim areas. The same applies for public areas on the island of Zanzibar.
• Swimwear is fine on the beach or around the pool, but not appropriate in town. Topless sunbathing is prohibited.

In general, tourists should wear modest or conservative attire, especially in Zanzibar, which is a conservative Muslim society. Western women should not wear clothing that reveals too much skin. 'Kangas', brightly-colored wrap-around cloth, are affordable, available throughout the country, and can serve as a discreet covering.

• Sun block with high SPF.  Hat, moisturizer and lip-salve are all essentials.
• Personal toiletries – all our Elewana properties have their own range of complimentary shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion
• Malaria tablets if applicable - please seek advice from your physician or local travel clinic.
• Basic medical kit containing plasters, travel sickness tablets, anti-septic cream, anti-histamine cream, pain relieving tablets for headaches, indigestion tablets, eye drops, medication for upset stomachs, rehydrate sachets and after-sun moisturizer. If you have any allergies i.e. insect stings, or an asthma condition, please make sure you bring enough of your required medication with you.
• Strong insect repellent.

• A good camera with zoom function. 300 mm lenses are adequate for wildlife photography.
• We recommend you bring plenty of memory cards/film and batteries.
• A dustproof bag ensures your camera is safe from the dust whilst on safari.
• A pair of binoculars will enhance your game viewing experience and although your guide will have pairs available to use, you may wish to bring your own.
• Please don’t forget to ask permission before taking a photograph of any East African resident. There could be a charge for this.
• A small flashlight - although flashlights are available at each of the Elewana Collection of lodges and camps.

East Africa has a generally comfortable tropical climate year-round, but there are significant regional variations. The coast & Zanzibar are warm & humid and can feel sticky throughout the rains. These rains throughout the region are ‘the long rains’ from March to May and ‘the short rains’ from October to December. Note that due to the altitude it can be very cold at night at the Ngorongoro Crater during June & July. The coolest months are from June to October and the warmest are from December to February.

The local currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling and in Kenya - the Kenyan Shilling. You can either change money at a Bureau de Change or bank which you will find at the major airports & towns. ATMs are available there too but note that you can only draw Shillings.

US Dollars are widely accepted in sites frequented by tourists. We advise our guests to take spending money in the form of US Dollars cash, bring some small denominations too for tipping purposes. Note that USD bills must be newer than 2006. Credit cards are accepted at larger shops & restaurants but note that often a surcharge (approximately 5%) is levied. Note that Elewana does not apply this policy, there is no surcharge levied on any credit card payments.

Most nationalities can obtain their Tanzanian visa upon arrival at a fee. Make sure you bring US Dollars in cash in US $20 and US $50 bills to pay for your visa. However, some Tanzanian Embassies recommend that you obtain your visa before arrival. When applying for your visa in your home country you might be asked for means of financial support, please fill in “Pre-arranged by UK/US (or any other country) Operator.” Occasionally there are long queues at Immigration upon arrival so obtaining a visa beforehand might speed up your entry into Tanzania. Note that obtaining the correct visa is every traveler’s own responsibility so we advise you strongly to check with your local Tanzania Embassy for the latest regulations before arriving in Tanzania.

Please note that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your departure from Tanzania. You need at least 4 unused consecutive blank pages

We recommend making copies of all important travel documents. Should you lose a travel document, a copy will speed up the process of acquiring a replacement document. Leave one copy at home and put one copy in your main luggage.

We often get asked ‘what should we tip?’ The simple answer is that you should tip as you wish, with no obligation whatsoever. What we do say is that tipping is very much welcomed and is normal here in Africa, and our staff very much appreciate any extra contributions. Once again we say that you should only tip as a reward for excellent service.
It is customary in Tanzania to tip 10% of your bill & 10% of the taxifare to taxi drivers. It is also the custom to tip local guides for excellent service.

SUGGESTED AMOUNTS:

• US$1 – Porterage
• US$1 – Housekeeping
• US$5-10 per person per day for general staff
• US$8-10 per person per day for guides

So if there are 3 of you travelling together, we would suggest tipping your guide between US$ 24-30 in total per day.

Each Elewana property has a ‘tipping box’ for a discrete contribution to your camp, lodge or hotel staff. Any staff member more deserving for excellent service may be tipped individually/separately and as for tipping your driver guide, we suggest that this is done separately.