Acacia Farm Lodge

Major foreign currencies – particularly USD ­and EUROS are accepted and are convertible at banks in the main towns and tourist areas. In general, credit cards are of little use in Tanzania.

Credit cards are not widely accepted and when they are accepted, they carry poor exchange rates and are subject to processing fees (between 5-10%). Some banks in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Moshi offer ATM facilities against international credit cards, but again the rates are typically poor and the amount that can be withdrawn is limited. ATMs are not available at all elsewhere.

Exchanging Money: The best exchange rate is obtained at banks in the cities (Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar) and at the international airports. Hotels will exchange currency for you, but these are rarely the best rates. Do NOT exchange on the street. Just find a bank or ATM (your guide can advise you) and most will have a similar rate. Do be conscious of your surroundings when changing the money and when leaving the bank. The best rate is for new-version (2006 or newer) $100 USD bills. Bills smaller than $50 USD get a worse rate and older bills (2006 or older) will generally NOT be accepted. We recommend using Tanzanian money for the smaller tips like a porter or waiter, but USD for your safari guide.

Pack lightweight, washable clothes plus a sweater for early morning game drives, as well as a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Long sleeves and trousers in light­colored fabrics help discourage insect bites. Brightly colored clothing may alarm the animals.

You can buy clothes in Dar, Zanzibar and Arusha if necessary. Shorts are acceptable only while on safari for both men and women. Women should bring a wrap skirt (for over shorts) or wear capri-length or long pants to cover legs in villages and towns as revealing clothes can cause offense.

On the beach and within the confines of beach hotels normal swimwear is acceptable (but not nudity). For climbing on Kilimanjaro or Meru, take thermal underwear, light layers, sweater, rain jacket, good socks and sturdy boots.

Tanzanians have a very different dress code than westerners, which we need to respect. In urban areas western dress is appropriate, although generally throughout Tanzania shorts are only worn by primary school­aged boys.

For an adult, wearing shorts is culturally equivalent to walking around in underwear. In villages, men should wear long pants and shirts with collars and women should either wear skirts, lightweight dresses or pants that cover below the knee and shirts that cover shoulders. Depending upon the nature and location of your village visit your shoe choices can vary.

If walking around a village area wear a sturdy pair of walking shoes. If you are doing formal meetings (at a school for example) then a nicer pair of close-toed shoes would be preferable. If in doubt, choose the culturally sensitive, conservative approach. If you dress shabbily, it may be interpreted as a lack of respect for the community.

A 3 rectangular pin UK plug adapter is required to use electrical appliances including video cameras and digital cameras. The plug adapter is placed onto your appliance plug so that it will fit into the 3 rectangular pin electrical sockets. Tanzania electrical sockets are identical to those found in the United Kingdom. The electrical voltage in Tanzania is 220V while the electrical voltage in the United States is 120V. If you have a dual voltage appliance or a universal power supply capable of operating safely with either 120V or 220V, all you will need is the plug adapter mentioned above. Most newer laptops, digital cameras and video cameras come equipped with a dual voltage power supply. Check to make sure that the input reads 100V – 240V or 120V – 240V. If you do not have a dual voltage power supply, then in addition to the plug adapter, you will need to purchase a transformer/converter. For more information, please visit https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/

As with all air travel, and perhaps more especially with small airlines that have less-sophisticated logistical planning systems and fewer backup airplanes, there are sometimes flight delays or cancellations that can cause disruption to your travel plans. While we will do everything we can to get you on the right flight at the right time, sometimes flight changes happen that are outside your control. A good majority of the time, flights will happen without problem, but every now and then, there is a problem. As soon as we are informed of any such issue we will do everything we can to resolve the situation.