{"id":207,"date":"2026-07-02T14:50:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T14:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/tanzania\/travel-notes\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:22:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:22:42","slug":"travel-notes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/tanzania\/travel-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\" tb-wysiwyg tb-block align-left background-light pattern-custom variant-none tb-collapsible-margins\" id=\"wysiwyg\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/08\/RTA-colors-1.png.webp)\" data-smush-webp-fallback=\"{&quot;bg-image&quot;:&quot; url(https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/RTA-colors-1.png)&quot;}\">\n    <div class=\"inner-block\">\n        <div class=\"tb-wysiwyg__inner \">\n            <div class=\"inner-block\">\n                                <div class=\"text-part wysiwyg\">\n                                                                                                            \t<div class=\"translation-block\"><h2>Tanzania Travel Notes<\/h2>\n<p><strong data-start=\"166\" data-end=\"223\">Your adventure in Tanzania is about to begin!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re excited you\u2019ve chosen to explore Tanzania with Roadtrip Africa. Before you hit the road, we\u2019re here to make sure you feel prepared and confident for the journey ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone on our team has travelled extensively across Tanzania. We know what it\u2019s like to be behind the wheel, and what information makes all the difference.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we created these Travel Notes. Inside, you\u2019ll find practical, on-the-go information to help you plan each day with ease:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"704\" data-end=\"868\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"704\" data-end=\"735\">Driving times and distances<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"778\">Where to find ATMs and petrol stations<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"779\" data-end=\"818\">Recommended picnic stops and sights<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"819\" data-end=\"868\">Tips for when Google Maps needs an extra hand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We\u2019ve organised everything by destination (parks, towns and highlights), listed in alphabetical order.\u00a0Simply start at your first stop and follow along!<\/p>\n<p><strong data-start=\"1026\" data-end=\"1040\">Important:<\/strong> When GPS directions aren&#8217;t reliable, or a little explanation comes in handy, we\u2019ll point it out clearly. Otherwise, feel free to rely on Google Maps.<\/p>\n<p>Before you start your journey, don\u2019t miss the general Roadtrip tips below, filled with advice to make your travels smoother.<\/p>\n<p><strong data-start=\"1284\" data-end=\"1350\">Enjoy the ride and travel safe!<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\t                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\" tb-textimage1 tb-block align-left background-light pattern-custom variant-none tb-collapsible-margins\" id=\"general-roadtrip-advice\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/08\/RTA-colors-1.png.webp )\" data-smush-webp-fallback=\"{&quot;bg-image&quot;:&quot; url(https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/RTA-colors-1.png )&quot;}\">\n\t<div class=\"inner-block tb-fade-in tb-fade-in--subtle\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"text-part\">\n\t\t\t<h2>General Roadtrip advice<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"translation-block\"><p><strong data-start=\"141\" data-end=\"239\">A little preparation goes a long way. Here\u2019s how to make your Tanzania Roadtrip smooth and safe.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Before you hit the road, for all routes<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Driving times are approximate and may vary depending on the exact location of your accommodation. Always check its location before setting off, as you may sometimes pass your accommodation before reaching the town or destination mentioned in your travel plan.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Visa<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Most travellers need a visa for Tanzania. The easiest way is to apply online at&nbsp;<a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/visa.immigration.go.tz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"565\" data-end=\"621\">visa.immigration.go.tz<\/a>. Make sure to print your application and carry it with you \u2014 you\u2019ll need to show it when you arrive. Apply well in advance, as processing can take up to a month. Didn\u2019t manage in time? No worries, you can also get your visa on arrival.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Yellow fever vaccination<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This one only applies if you come from a country where yellow fever occurs. If that\u2019s the case (age 1+), you\u2019ll need proof of vaccination at the border. Just transited through such a country? Then you don\u2019t need it. The good news: the vaccine protects you for life. Find the list of countries with a risk of virus transmission <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/yellow-book\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Visiting Zanzibar<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Planning to visit Zanzibar after your roadtrip? All visitors (except residents) must have Inbound Travel Insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. It\u2019s quick to arrange online. You can apply for it <a href=\"https:\/\/visitzanzibar.go.tz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stay connected<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Buy a local SIM card and load it with airtime and data \u2014 essential for navigation and staying in touch.&nbsp;Airtel works best for the Northern Safari circuit, and Vodacom and Tiggo work best for the coastal region. Coverage is good across most of the country.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bring a credit card.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The best way to handle money on your travels is to bring cash, multiple debit cards and a credit card. Why? Always carry cash for the unexpected. Most lodges and restaurants don\u2019t accept foreign debit cards. Credit cards work at high-end places, but don\u2019t count on it everywhere. As ATMs apply daily withdrawal limits, it is handy to carry an extra debit card. Park fees can only be paid via credit card.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Plan your drive wisely<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The driving times we mention are just that: driving times. Always add extra time for fuel stops, lunch breaks, and unexpected delays. You&#8217;ll also notice that our times are longer than what Google Maps suggests. That&#8217;s on purpose. Google is often too optimistic in Tanzania, especially on smaller roads and in national parks. Our estimates reflect what you can realistically expect behind the wheel.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use smart navigation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Combine Google Maps with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/maps.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maps.me<\/a> app. Pro tip: Map your route in short sections, targeting the next major town, instead of the whole day at once. Google loves shortcuts \u2014 not all of them are good!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Essential tools on board<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your car comes with a Nelles map of Tanzania. Handy when mobile coverage drops.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Start early<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On travel days, hit the road early. It gives you breathing space for surprises and lets you enjoy the drive at a relaxed pace.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mind your speed<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Highways: Max 80 km\/h (even if the official limit is 100 km\/h)<br \/>Urban areas: Stick to 40 km\/h<br \/>Watch out for unmarked speed bumps at town entrances and potholes that can damage the car or cause flat tyres.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>No driving after dark<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Road conditions become dangerous after 7 PM: poor street lighting and approaching traffic that often uses high beams make it challenging to detect potholes, pedestrians, and animals crossing the road. Gates of the national parks close at 6 PM and won&#8217;t let you in to reach your lodge at sunset.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fuel up smart<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Stick to the major brands\/ chains in towns like Shell, Total, Puma, Mount Meru and BP.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stay secure<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Always lock your doors in cities and towns. Don\u2019t leave valuables unattended in the car.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be prepared<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Carry some cash, drinking water, and a fully charged phone. It\u2019s your best backup when plans change.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Food tips<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Good lunch spots are rare outside the cities. If we know of a nice place, we\u2019ll mention it in the notes. Otherwise, bring a lunchbox from your lodge. Feeling adventurous? Try a local <strong>Chipsi Mayai&nbsp;\u2014<\/strong> a hearty omelette made with fries mixed or layered into beaten eggs. It\u2019s often considered the country&#8217;s unofficial national street food!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>National Park visits<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We take care of your park permits in advance. You\u2019ll find the entrances listed in your Travel Plan.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong data-start=\"319\" data-end=\"331\">Validity:&nbsp;<\/strong>A day pass is valid for 12 hours and allows a single entry. If you stay the night inside a park lodge, your permit is valid for 24 hours. This means you can enjoy both a morning and an afternoon game drive.<\/li>\n<li><strong data-start=\"547\" data-end=\"561\">Park gates:&nbsp;<\/strong>Open daily from <strong data-start=\"582\" data-end=\"604\">6:00 AM to 6:00 PM<\/strong>. You may enter and exit through different gates, depending on where you stay the night.<\/li>\n<li><strong data-start=\"700\" data-end=\"719\">Optional visits:<\/strong> If your itinerary lists a visit as optional, the permit is not included. You can buy it directly at the gate on arrival. No need to worry about being denied entry \u2014 TANAPA does not limit visitor numbers. Payment is by credit card only (Visa or Mastercard). Cash and debit cards are not accepted. Check <a title=\"National parks\" href=\"\/tanzania\/practical-info\/national-parks\/\" data-destination-id=\"e0334ea6-b559-4fd9-977c-409934b88c89\" data-destination-type=\"guidePage\" data-start-item-path=\"homepage\" data-start-item-id=\"7ee4dd46-7382-4797-8bd2-2be3e75a7bf1\" data-link-type=\"Content\">our website for the latest entrance fees.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong data-start=\"1073\" data-end=\"1105\">Exit stamp \u2013 very important!<br \/><\/strong> Always get an exit stamp when leaving a national park. If no ranger is present at the gate, go to the nearest ranger post. Forgetting to check out may trigger a search, and fines will be issued. These fines will be charged to you.<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"inner-block\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tb-image-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src='https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-1536x1152.jpg.webp' width='1536' height='1152' alt='IMG 20210206 180634~2' srcset='https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-1536x1152.jpg.webp 1536w, https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-300x225.jpg.webp 300w, https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-1024x768.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-768x576.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-2048x1536.jpg.webp 2048w, https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/sites\/154\/2026\/07\/img_20210206_180634-2-16x12.jpg.webp 16w' sizes='(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 570px' loading='lazy' decoding='async' data-smush-webp-fallback='{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-1536x1152.jpg&quot;,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\\\/\\\/rta.travelblox.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/154\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/img_20210206_180634-2-16x12.jpg 16w&quot;}'>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":1809,"parent":135,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"guide-section","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-207","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"page_package_ids":"","is_main_package_page":false,"additional_linked_packages":[],"feed_page_to_atlas":true},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/207\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3695,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/207\/revisions\/3695"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}