Our itinerary: Karatu │ Tarangire National Park │ Ngorongoro Conservation Area │ Serengeti National Park │ Maasai Village │ Ngorongoro Crater │ Lake Manyara National Park │ Zanzibar

For no other country - not even for India - did we do as much research on diseases, vaccinations and medicines before our trip as we did for Tanzania. Dengue fever only recently broke out there, and the country has also had thousands of people infected with measles, cholera and malaria in recent years. But the trip was definitely worth it. At this point we want to report on our travel preparations.

Choosing the Right Safari Provider: Tourcompass vs. Chameleon Travel

Nine months before we wanted to start our trip, we booked our safari on the mainland and the break in Zanzibar via the online provider Tourcompass. We had already had very good experiences with the agency during our South Africa round trip. This year's trip was once again a package deal that could be adjusted according to individual needs. For example, hotel upgrades or the booking of additional excursions (a bush walk, a spice tour on Zanzibar or a balloon ride in the Serengeti, etc.) were possible. Tourcompass works in Tanzania with the local provider Zara Tours, who was our local contact and service provider. Funnily enough, we found out that behind the extremely expensive German operator Chamäleon Reisen was also Zara Tours and that some of the accommodations were even the same. We would have paid €XNUMX per person there, which is €XNUMX more than at Tourcompass. Chamäleon Reisen advertises that every person who books also buys XNUMX square meters of rainforest - but please not for an extra charge of €XNUMX per person! Due to the fact that Tourcompass and Chamäleon Reisen have the same service provider (i.e. Zara Tours), the quality of the trip is the same. For this reason we would book this trip again and again with Tourcompass. At Zara Tours, many guides speak German, and the entire trip was well organized.

All drivers were connected to each other with a radio during the safaris and always communicated the locations of animal sightings. This meant that all the tourists who were in the Serengeti on day X, for example, saw almost the same animals. We know that because we always saw the same people in the hotels and we shared our animal sightings. So it made absolutely no difference whether someone had booked the safari through Tourcompass, Chamäleon Reisen or another provider. We spotted the same wild animals especially when the big cats were lying lazily and full under a tree or asleep on a rock, not moving from the spot for hours. Hunting scenes, in which the lion was chasing a gazelle, or animal fights in which several elephants fought each other, were strokes of luck that not all visitors of the day got to see.

Since you could still make upgrades with Tourcompass, we also made use of it: We decided to stay two nights in the Ngorongoro Wild Camp, which turned out to be an absolute stroke of luck. Because there, in the middle of the wilderness in the Ngorongoro Crater, the giraffes came to visit every morning and every evening, they walked right past our tent. At night the zebras always came to the camp to eat. We also booked a bush walk including a sundowner at the Ikoma Wild Camp, which we would recommend to everyone. This property is located in the buffer zone (edge ​​zone) of the Serengeti and in the rainy season the whole herds with thousands of animals pass by. The zebras always paid us a visit at night because they seemed to like the grass in our camp particularly well. They always made a tremendous noise as they ran along the concrete paths with their hooves. We also booked another hotel upgrade for Zanzibar. We always think it's nice to have some time to ourselves as a couple after a group trip, i.e. to be alone in another hotel where not everyone else from the first week of safari is staying. Therefore, we chose the Ocean Paradise Resort & Spa with half board, which we can also warmly recommend to everyone.

Due to the package offer, it was unfortunately not possible to integrate the visit to our godchild in Tanzania into the itinerary. We thought that was a pity, but we will make up for the visit at some point.

The right time to go on safari in Tanzania

There are two seasons in Tanzania: the dry season and the rainy season. We were there in mid-August during the dry season, where we saw a particularly large number of big cats (lions, cheetahs and leopards) and numerous baby animals. The daytime temperatures were also pleasantly warm and comparable to those in Germany. On the other hand, it got cold at night, so you should definitely take warm clothes with you on the trip. Unfortunately, August was also the most expensive travel month of the entire year. But just to see all the cute baby lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras and hippo live in the wild, you should decide to travel in August.

Our guide Iddy's favorite time, on the other hand, is the rainy season in November and June, when the entire Serengeti is beautifully green and lush. Then you can find even more herds of animals there. There are also more rhinos at this time (we only spotted one in August) but far fewer lions.

Since we had already seen quite a few rhinos in South Africa in 2015, but comparatively few big cats, August turned out to be the perfect travel time for Tanzania for us.

The online visa for Tanzania

Two and a half weeks before the start of the trip we applied for a visa online official platform from Tanzania, the us 50 USD (45€) per person cost. You could easily pay with the Credit card. Since processing can take up to two weeks, it is advisable to submit the application in good time. We ourselves were a little late. To our great surprise, we received it our visas three days after submitting the application by email.

Although we entered via Nairobi (Kenya), we did not need our own transit visa - the condition for this regulation is that you are not allowed to leave the airport and have to fly on directly.

Vaccinations, possible diseases and important medicines

Vaccinations, including information on yellow fever vaccination

Since we were already on holiday in South Africa in XNUMX, we had been vaccinated against hepatitis A and B before this trip. On the website of the Federal Foreign Office it says on the subject of vaccinations:

"The Federal Foreign Office generally recommends checking and completing the standard vaccinations for children and adults according to the current vaccination calendar of the Robert Koch Institute for children and adults on the occasion of every trip. For adults, this includes vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), possibly also against polio, mumps, measles, rubella (MMR), influenza, pneumococci and herpes zoster (shingles). Vaccinations against hepatitis A are recommended as travel vaccinations, and for long-term stays or special exposure also against yellow fever, hepatitis B, rabies, meningococcal disease (ACWY) and typhoid." (Status: July XNUMX)

The Federal Foreign Office wrote about the yellow fever vaccination: "The Tanzanian Embassy in Berlin has stated that all travelers from Germany and Europe traveling directly to Zanzibar, staying less than 12 hours in transit in a yellow fever area, do not need proof of yellow fever vaccination. Feedback from travelers confirms this. Travelers entering Zanzibar via the mainland will be checked again at the port or airport upon entry to determine if they have previously been in a yellow fever endemic area. If in doubt, carry instructions from the Zanzibar Ministry of Health." (Download: yellow-fever-zanzibar-data) (As of July 2019).

When we arrived from Europe on the Tanzanian mainland at Kilimanjaro Airport, they intercepted us immediately and wanted to see our vaccination cards with the yellow fever vaccinations. Since we could not show these, we showed them the printed and carried document, which you can download above in this article. Thereupon we were waved through without any problems. Upon arrival in Zanzibar, no one asked for it again. In short, it can be said that you actually do not need the yellow fever vaccination at the moment (as of August XNUMX). The information on the website of Tourcompass is therefore no longer up to date - there is namely pointed out the obligation of this vaccination.

In addition to the vaccinations we already had, we took special tablets with us to Tanzania from our South Africa round trip in XNUMX for our protection against malaria, although we didn't know if the active ingredient was even effective for that long. On the website of the Federal Foreign Office it says about malaria: "If left untreated, the dangerous malaria tropica (over XNUMX% of cases in Tanzania!) is often fatal in non-immune Europeans." Tanzania is indeed a malaria stronghold, protection against it is essential. Every day the mosquitoes buzzed around us around the clock.

Diseases in Tanzania and an effective mosquito spray with DEET content

In Tanzania there are numerous serious diseases caused by insect bites. These include dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya fever, African tick bite fever and sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis). That is why the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends mosquito repellent with the highly effective and tried and tested active ingredient DEET. How long the remedy works depends in each case on its concentration:

• Sprays with a DEET active ingredient content of 30% protect for around 4 hours.
• A DEET percentage of 40% protects you for 6-8 hours.
• Sprays with 50% DEET offer you effective protection for up to 10 hours. Source: Tropeninstitut.de

In order to be perfectly armed against mosquito bites, we bought the CarePlus DEET Spray XNUMX% for our skin and the Nobite clothing spray for our clothes.

Attention: The skin spray CarePlus DEET 50% causes stains on the clothes! Actually, you would have to spray yourself naked, let the liquid dry and only then get dressed.

The mosquitoes buzzed around us around the clock, so a XNUMX-hour mosquito repellent was essential. For this we had to spray ourselves several times a day. Shortly after getting up I was just in front of our tent to photograph the sunrise over the Serengeti. Since I hadn't sprayed myself at that point, a mosquito actually bit my wrist. Luckily I didn't get sick. There was also room bug spray in our jeep and some accommodations that could have been used. In Zanzibar, the housekeeping service came to our room every evening, unfolded the mosquito nets over the bed and "fumigated" the room with anti-mosquito spray. Last night, however, that was forgotten and the next morning I promptly had five mosquito bites on one foot, sometimes two on top of each other on one toe. A larger one looked like an open wound for days, liquid kept leaking out and the expected scab did not form for a long time. Only the use of a wound disinfectant led to improvement.

To protect yourself from mosquito bites, there is also special anti-mosquito clothing, which we will tell about later in this article.

Furthermore, the Federal Foreign Office provides detailed information on its website about other diseases in Tanzania that are not caused by mosquito bites. These include measles, HIV/AIDS, diarrheal diseases and cholera as well as meningococcal disease (including bacterial meningitis), schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and altitude sickness.

In order to minimize the risk of cholera or gastrointestinal disease, we got ourselves a water disinfectant. So we could brush our teeth without bacteria. Don't forget to take an empty bottle with you from Germany. The disinfectant only works after XNUMX minutes, so it is best to fill the water in the bottle you have brought with you and then wait for the prescribed period of time. Since we didn't want to get up half an hour before brushing our teeth in the morning, we always prepared our water-disinfectant mixture the evening before.

Source: Tropeninstitut.de

Warning of poisonous animals in Tanzania

You should also beware of poisonous animals such as scorpions, spiders and snakes. Their bites can cause physical harm as well as death. The Federal Foreign Office therefore advises that any toxic "subtenants" should be removed by carefully shaking out bed covers and sheets, clothing, shoes and headgear before using them. Apart from a few harmless geckos we didn't see any small animals of any kind.

Important medicines and other things for the trip

As M would say, I once again took "half the pharmacy" with me to Tanzania:

• Malaria tablets (we had it with us, but did not do any prophylaxis, since the remedy can also be taken after the disease has broken out)
• Ibu-lysine from Ratiopharm (ibuprofen with lysine for pain and fever, in combination with lysine, ibuprofen works faster)
• Vomex (anti-nausea and vomiting medication, also good before diving if you are seasick)
• Octenisept wound disinfectant
• Compeed blister plasters
• a small first aid kit from Derma-Plast with plasters, bandages and scissors
• Imodium acute (for acute diarrhea, this remedy immediately stops all digestion, but the harmful germs still remain in the body and continue to multiply, so the diarrhea returns after stopping the tablets; the remedy is good for flights or long trips).
• Perenterol forte (yeast tablets for diarrhea)
• Oral pedon (electrolyte-glucose mixture for the resumption of important nutrients in case of diarrhea)
• Iberogast (for gastrointestinal problems)
• a hand disinfectant from the drugstore
• Nobite clothing spray (against mosquitoes)
• Care Plus DEET 50% (mosquito spray for the skin)
• GeloMyrtol (for respiratory diseases)
• Sinupret Extract (also for respiratory diseases)
• GeloRevoice (for sore throats)
• Silomat intensive tablets (for acute irritable cough)
• Inhalation pen from Wick (if the nose is blocked, if inhalation is not possible while traveling)
• Nasal duo nasal spray from Ratiopharm
• Pinimenthol cold ointment (for the infected nose)
• Honey in a small jar from Bonne Maman (for herpes)
• Omni-Biotic Reise (Prevention of Gastrointestinal Disorders, must be taken throughout the journey)
• Antibiotic cefurox (for more severe diseases)
• Care Plus Hadex water disinfectant
• Nivea Sun sun protection factor 50 (also holds in water)

We always order our medications online DocMorris.*

Unfortunately, we forgot an after-sun remedy for burned skin or deliberately did not take it with us, because we had convinced ourselves not to get sunburn. That was a mistake, as it turned out after snorkeling, because I got bright red and very painful "snorkeling legs". Fortunately, there was a very soothing aloe vera cream against sunburn to buy in the hotel store of the Ocean Paradise Resort. Our tip: Before snorkeling, be sure to smear your calves with sun cream!

Useful insurance

For all our trips we have taken out a travel cancellation insurance (Europ Assistance), an international health insurance (Ergo) and a diving insurance (Aquamed).

Entry in the crisis prevention list of the Federal Foreign Office

Whenever we travel to certain countries, we register beforehand in the official one Crisis preparedness list of the Federal Foreign Office. This can ensure that in emergencies (terrorist attacks, natural disasters, etc.) Aid from the Federal Republic of Germany receive. It is sufficient if only one of the travelers registers in the portal and then registers all fellow travelers under his account. You can also several contact persons or family members specifywho are informed of their own whereabouts by the Federal Foreign Office in an emergency.

Only a few minutes after registration, we then received an automatically generated e-mail from the Federal Foreign Office: "Dear Ms. M*************, on xx.XNUMX you successfully registered in the crisis preparedness list of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany under the foreign mission DARESSALAM. By doing so, you have met an important requirement for inclusion in crisis preparedness and response measures of the Federal Foreign Office and its missions abroad. Please ensure that your details are always up to date. In your own interest, please make any necessary changes without delay."

Important errands in advance

Purchasing US dollar bills from the travel bank at Munich Airport

The official currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS), although some institutions only quote their prices in US dollars. For the visa we should therefore pay XNUMX USD and at Cheetah's Rock in Zanzibar it was XNUMX USD per person. However, since the ATMs in Tanzania do not always work and there are generally only relatively few of them, we had to get US dollars in Germany beforehand. For this we were a few days before our departure at Terminal XNUMX of Munich Airport, where the Reisebank is based. Unfortunately, the conversion rate there is XNUMX:XNUMX, so for XNUMX euros you get XNUMX USD. In this sample calculation, this results in a minus of €XNUMX. The more foreign currency money you want to "buy", the higher the loss for you and the profit for the Reisebank. With our DKB Visa cards, we can withdraw money worldwide free of charge, but as mentioned above, it is more of a gamble with the ATMs in Tanzania. Incidentally, the travel bank at Munich Airport is open daily from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. (as of mid-August XNUMX). It is good that you can also have smaller bills paid out there, such as $XNUMX or $XNUMX bills, which are ideal as tips.

Power adapter, dry shampoo and pens

Because we were in many lodges in Tanzania in the middle of nature where the electricity in the rooms was turned off at night, we had taken a distribution socket with us. With this we could have recharged all our devices, especially the camera batteries, at the reception overnight. In the end we didn't use it because our sockets in the tents worked around the clock - that wasn't the case with all of our fellow travelers.

Due to the regulated power supply in most accommodations, hair washing, blow drying and straightening was extremely difficult. Therefore, I had bought in advance in Germany a dry shampoo of the brand Batiste, which I can really recommend to everyone. But this is only suitable in an emergency, because all the dust still gets caught in the hair and becomes more and more from day to day.

In XNUMX, we visited an elementary school in South Africa. We would have loved to make the children there happy and bring them something. We made up for it and sent a package full of school supplies to the South African school. In order not to be empty-handed again this time, we bought a set of XNUMX colorful pens in advance to make the locals happy. You can't imagine how much people in developing countries are happy about pens.

Our used vacation check list

For our holidays, especially the longer ones, we always use Jörg Eidam's ready-made holiday checklist from the internet. This covers all needs and types of vacation, from beach vacations to outdoor vacations or trips with children.

The right clothes on a safari

Choosing the right color for a safari - Do lions and elephants see red? And: warning about the color blue?

Anyone who thinks that bulls actually become aggressive when a red cloth is held in front of their horns is wrong. And anyone who thinks that the color red attracts lions and elephants is just as wrong.

Big cats, such as lions, have the same color abilities as ordinary domestic cats. They can therefore already recognize and distinguish colors, but only very weakly (source: Arizona State University). Here you can see a screenshot from the Business Insider homepage, which I modified a bit for clarity:

If you look at the red roof from a lion's point of view, then this is no longer an eye-catcher. Because the colors red and green (the roof and the lawn) look very similar in the eyes of the big cat. So nobody wearing red clothes should be afraid of big cats.

Now let's move on to elephants: The KOTA Foundation for Elephants homepage writes the following about the color vision of these pachyderms: "Elephants seem to be able to distinguish between different colors quite well, although they show about the same differences as a color-blind human. African elephants could distinguish between the Maasai tribes, who kill elephants, and the Kamba peoples, who typically do not (see McComba reference). The Maasai always wear the color red. They try very hard to consciously avoid the Maasai. This could also be due to their sense of smell, which is one of the greatest of all mammals (see Bates reference). However, elephants that have been taught to paint can easily choose the same colors over and over again, showing that they can distinguish colours" (translated from English). In summary, this means that elephants do not attack people dressed in red, but rather run away from them.

Further up in this article we have reported on all diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and flies. To avoid attracting tsetse flies, the colors blue and black should be avoided (sources: Dr. med. van der Ploeg and welt.de). Or spray all clothing with Nobite spray - this should also keep the insects at bay.

In summary, we have never had any problems with our choice of colors - from red to black and blue - on a safari. In addition, two of our fellow travelers bought extra expensive, special anti-mosquito clothing from Craghoppers, which is also produced in the colors dark red and blue. So these colors can't be that bad.

The right safari outfit

If only to protect against mosquitoes, we recommend long pants and long tops. Comfortable, lightweight fabrics are best. Since it can get very cold in the evening and at night, you should definitely take some warm clothes with you. In the High View Hotel as well as in the Ngorongoro Crater we froze quite hard at night at about XNUMX°C, there was no heating. We also recommend closed, comfortable shoes, such as outdoor shoes or normal sneakers. Sandals, flip-flops or shoes with heels should be avoided.

The textile manufacturer Craghoppers specializes in insect-protective clothing, but it is extremely expensive. It is questionable whether you have to buy a shirt for XNUMX€ that you will never wear again after the safari (see screenshots of the provider). If, on the other hand, you spend more time at lakes and are repeatedly bitten by mosquitoes, then this clothing is still worthwhile after the safari.

Our photo equipment we took with us

• Canon EOS 80D
• Canon EOS 450D (sorted out since April 2016, but taken to Tanzania as a second camera)
• Sony DSC-RX 100 III (used for wide-angle landscape shooting and diving)
• Sony underwater case MPK-URX100A (bought new for diving in Zanzibar)
• GoPro 7 Black (also for underwater shots)
• iPhone X (best for taking selfies with the animals when all other cameras fail)
• various lenses, including Sigma 150-600 mm F5-6.3 DG (an absolute must on the safari, we were absolutely satisfied with it)
• Photo backpack Flipside Sport 15L by Lowepro
• Various batteries and memory cards, including new ones for Tanzania

You have to be fast on safari, so you can't keep changing the lens. Every time you change lenses, you risk dirtying the mirror of your digital SLR camera. And if it gets even a tiny speck of dust on it, from a photographer's point of view, the entire vacation is over.

Unfortunately, a super telephoto lens is not able to photograph the lion running past right in front of our nose. This is exactly why we took the Canon EOS 450D, which had been discarded for three years, with us to Tanzania as a second camera. Two couples traveling with us, carrying different lenses, were constantly changing them, which turned out to be rather suboptimal.

The Sigma 80-150mm F600.-5 DG was screwed onto the 6.3D during the safari week, and we used the 450D with the standard lens of the 80D (EF-S 18-135f/3.4-5.6 IS Nano USM).

For diving and snorkeling, we had to use our Sony DSC-RX XNUMX III with the MPK-URXXNUMXA underwater housing. Thanks to the new software (version XNUMX), there is now also an automatic white balance especially for underwater shots, but it does not help much. With the Dive+ app, the blue underwater colors can be removed flawlessly. (Photos: optimized with the app on the left, original photos on the right).

Entry requirements and customs regulations

The following information can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office:

"The import and export of plastic bags will be prohibited from June XNUMX, XNUMX, with the exception of small plastic bags with zip fasteners for cosmetics and liquids in hand luggage. Travelers should be able to hand in other plastic bags they take with them at the airports.

When exporting animal material, the provisions of the Washington Convention on the Protection of Endangered Species must be observed (no export of items made from the material of protected animals). Recent arrests have warned against buying or exporting animal trophies or jewelry containing parts of CITES-listed animals. Sensitive prison terms and fines can be imposed."

Sources:

own experiences in August/September 2019

After all the time-consuming preparation, we could then start in the country that we had wanted to visit for years. All posts about our experiences are linked below.

Note: This article was created voluntarily and there are no collaborations of any kind. This means we financed the entire trip 100% ourselves.

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