Vegan Voyage Tanzania
Thank you for joining Vegan Voyage Tanzania where we tour Arusha, go on a safari, visit Dar Es Salam, go to the Stone Town Museum of Slavery, and go to Zanzibar!
We, Seyka and Brian, are on a 21 country vegan voyage over 5 months to enjoy vegan food from all parts of our planet, connect the vegan community, spread the vegan mission, report plant based news, create ethical consumer guides, and have a blast while doing it.
Country number ten was Vegan Voyage UAE.
Country eleven is Tanzania!
Vegan Voyage Tanzania Overview
It is difficult to plan a budget safari to Tanzania online ahead of time. Many transactions in Tanzania happen in person. Make arrangements carefully and try to stay flexible. (Details on planning a safari below).
Before going to this country I was pronouncing it (tan-zuh-nee-uh). The correct pronunciation that we heard throughout Africa, Israel, Egypt, and some parts of Europe is (tahn-zhania) which contradicts most online videos that say the country name pronunciation, but I’d rather say it how the locals say it.
Tipping is expected in Tanzania and the rates are high. Do some googling for the specific services you are receiving to know how much to tip!
Cost
Especially compared to other third-world countries, Tanzania is expensive. Lodging is expensive, food is expensive, excursions are expensive, and you are always told that you need a paid guide wherever you go. When you go for hikes, even a local hike through the hills, you are told you need to have a guide. I challenge that we really needed one, but because we didn’t want to hike ourselves into a complicated situation with some locals without a common language, we chose to pay for guides wherever we went.
Hotels that say they are 4 or 5 stars do not meet the quality of 4 or 5 star hotels in many other countries – but the cost would make you think you are booking a pretty nice place.
Paying into the community does feel good, however. Tanzania needs tourism and paying locals (as opposed to large tour companies that may be located in other countries) means you are directly giving money to the people working.
People on the Street
It can be very confusing to interact with people on the street who seem to be friendly but have an ulterior motive. It is very common for people to approach you on the street and say “hello friend, where are you from?” or “where are you going?”. You answer them, to not be rude, and they begin walking with you – giving you information about the best way to get where you are going, telling you about their brothers and cousins who have services they can help you with, and joining you for an uncomfortable amount of time.
At the end of these interactions they ask for a tip or money. We had one person ask for $150 USD at the end of walking with us for an hour after we told them they were welcome to walk with us but we didn’t want to pay for a tour. So it isn’t a small amount of money and can be very awkward once they begin applying the pressure. They will sometimes offer to sell you a painting or something they’ve created for a relatively high price and then tell you that they’ve spent so much of their time with you and need the money.
To keep yourself out of this pickle you need to practice saying “no thank you we are busy” and stopping them before they get going. It feels uncomfortable and rude, but you get practice quickly – we had about 10 approaches in the first day we were in town. You will have to say no many times before they relent.
The positive side of all of this is that if you need someone to guide you around or show you something, there is someone around every corner. Figure out what you are willing to give them, offer them that to show you what you need, and be prepared that they will likely ask for more at the end.
Planning a Safari
If you have unlimited funds you can purchase a safari before you get to Tanzania through a large organization who will arrange food, lodging, safari drives, and transport to and from town. Those can easily cost $2000 per person for 3 days on the low end.
We got a very good deal, and did a lot of work to get this good of a deal, so it is not common. But our safari, in high season, with food and not-tent-lodging included cost $650 per person and tip is not included. We went through a company called Big 5 Voyage Safaris that we found on foot, walking through town. We didn’t find any deals that could match this price online without camping in tents.
Things to Check for When Booking Safari:
- Lodging
- Camping in tents or in actual lodges. Tents cost less money usually. Either way, check reviews before booking. There are some lodges with very bad reviews.
- Food included
- There are no places to get food while on safari. You are out in the wilderness where the wild animals are. Make sure your safari includes food. Vegans: make sure you’ve requested (at every chance you get) for your food to be vegan. Explain what it means and then explain it again.
- Park entry included
- This is where a lot of the cost comes from.
- Private or group safari
- It is hard to find a company that will mesh you with other travelers to fit the large safari vehicle. This is a great way to save money!
- The Safari Company is well reviewed
- Keep yourself safe by using a well-reviewed and well-known safari company.
What Clothing to Pack for a Safari
Safaris can be very hot and very cold. Bring layers so you can strip down to shorts and a tank top if you need or have pants and a thick jacket on.
Bring water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and maybe load some music /podcast / books on your phone so you can entertain yourself during the long drive to the animal areas.
Bring you camera!
Bring sunscreen.
Ethical Safaris
- Request a vegan meal before your trip, before you pay, before you get in the car, before you eat, etc. (I’m kinda kidding, but really you may have to remind them many times).
- Do not ask your driver to get close to the animals. Your driver will be default stay on the driving path. If you encourage them, however, they may drive closer which can disturb the animals’ safety.
Interacting with Animals
In Zanzibar we paid for a tour where we would get to go to Prison Island and see the wild giant tortoises. We verified that they were free and roaming the island. I’m very sad to report that we didn’t do enough research before purchasing the tickets. These were not wild tortoises. They were captive and were brought over from Britain 100 years ago. What really frustrated me though is that these are creatures who can live to be nearly 200 years old. They had many baby tortoises there in the captive area as well, so they were breeding them into captivity and we paid them which encourages them to sell tickets.
I’m ashamed that we did this. Hopefully it was a language barrier that misinformed us and not direct lies. Either way please learn from my failure and do research before you go to the area you will be in so you know what tours align with your values.
Inserting a picture not because it’s cool but because it will likely catch attention better than the big text above:
We did not see horse or camel riding while we were there but I’m sure it exists. Unless you can be truly sure that the animals are treated with love and care please refrain from paying into these sad systems.
What to Wear in Tanzania
Because this is a Muslim country, they are conservative. Plan appropriate clothing – especially in the heat this can take some thought. Men should have shirts that cover their shoulders, collared shirts aren’t necessary but you wouldn’t feel overdressed. Men should also wear shorts that cover their knees or ankle length pants. Women in Tanzania should wear loose fitting clothing that doesn’t show cleavage, breasts, shoulders, upper arms, midriffs, or knees.
On water tours, on safaris, and at resorts you can be freer with what you wear.
Getting Around Tanzania
Taxis
Taxis are expensive. To be safe, organize a ride through your hotel. You will need to pay cash, not credit card with taxis unless you can pay at your hotel front desk.
Arusha we paid around $60 USD from the airport to the town of Arusha one way.
Zanzibar Transportation and Tours
In Zanzibar we contacted a man that we found on another blog his name is Tamim. His number is +255-717-716-035 and you can message him on Whatsapp (if you do, tell him I sent you please 😊 I won’t make any money on it but I think it would be nice for him to know!). Tamim set us up with transportation around Zanzibar island, plus amazing tours that were significantly less expensive through him than we were able to find through our hotel or the “beach boys” at our resort who stand on the beach and try to sell you tours.
Transit Between Zanzibar and Arusha
We flew from Arusha to Zanzibar. Our return trip we took a ferry. Maybe our ferry trip was an exception but it was awful. They were handing out vomit bags every few minutes. The waves were rough and the ferry was too small to take the beating. Although the price was better than flying, if we did it again we would skip the vomit-rocket-ferry.
Vegan Voyage Tanzania Lodging
Arusha Giraffe Lodge
This is a budget lodge but they have security system, a gate, canopy beds, warm showers, a bar for socializing, friendly staff, and a chef at the restaurant who can make awesome vegan food. He knows what vegan means and truly creates delicious dishes!
Ziwade House Lodge
This is a nice lodge with breakfast included. They have a large wall and gate for protection with added security. They have large well decorated rooms, friendly staff, a guide named Edwin who is amazing and will take you on hikes and tours, and a chef who can make vegan options!
An outing with Zawadi House:
Brian at a Waterfall with Edwin:
Zawadi House Breakfast:
Zanzibar Filao Resort
We stayed at Filao Resort. It was lovely but very simple. One restaurant, a small beach, a small pool, and not much entertainment. Great for a calm relaxing time with a book or games with the family.
Vegan Voyage Tanzania Food
There are veg-option restaurants in Arusha. However we had most of our meals with the hotels that we stayed with as they all had dedicated chefs who were easy to communicate with. Eating at our hotels gave us the time to rest up and enjoy more of the Tanzania experience.
Vegan Voyage Tanzania To-Do
Hiking
We went on a hike to the Mt. Meru waterfall. It was beautiful. Not a high intensity hike, but a unique experience as you are scrambling over rocks and through streams.
Safari
Set up a Safari as described above. We used Big 5 Voyage and were able to negotiate a great deal of $600 per person for 3 days, 2 nights with food and park entrance fees included, not camping.
Zanzibar
Pop over to Zanzibar, an island off of Tanzania that was actually populated and turned into a strong community before Arusha and mainland Tanzania was!
Zanzibar is an amazing place to go! Zanzibar things that we did:
Zanzibar Slave Museum
Very powerful and difficult museum. Great education about slavery through time. This is worth the stop. Took us about 2 hours.
Resort Vacation on the White Zanzibar Beaches
Excursions for Scuba Diving or Snorkeling or Island Tours
In Zanzibar we contacted a man that we found on another blog his name is Tamim. His number is +255-717-716-035 and you can message him on Whatsapp (if you do, tell him I sent you please 😊 I won’t make any money on it but I think it would be nice for him to know!). Tamim set us up with transportation around Zanzibar island, plus amazing tours that were significantly less expensive through him than we were able to find through our hotel or the “beach boys” at our resort who stand on the beach and try to sell you tours.
Snorkeling
We had a magical time snorkeling near Mnemba. We boated out to the turquoise waters right when our tour guide announced that there were wild dolphins in the seas. We jumped into the water and swam with a pod of about 40 dolphins for 45 minutes.
Swimming with dolphins has been a tender spot in my heart for a long time. I have always wanted to swim with dolphins. They are incredible creatures. Here is one of a bajillion articles you can find with a quick search that describe how incredibly intelligent they are. They are social, they even have distinct names that they call each other, they pass down information to their pod, and so much more. They swim around 40 miles a day, and because they exhibit complex social interactions, it is highly unethical to swim with dolphins in captivity where they are imprisoned.
For these reasons I had given up the idea that I’d ever be near these majestic beauties. So finding them in the wild and them choosing to let us swim with them was a dream come true. 
Please do not pay to choose to swim with dolphins in captivity, but instead find opportunities to take excursions where sometimes there are dolphins and pray that you get to meet them in the wild. Please. Tell your friends to tell their friends.
Prison Island Tour
We were in such an amazing mood after swimming with dolphins and spending the day in the turquoise waters, the Prison Island tour was kinda cool and a fun wind down to the day. However if we had just taken the Prison Island tour by itself it would have felt like a let down.
After Tanzania we went on to country twelve: Vegan Voyage The Holy Land
Stay in Touch with the Vegan Voyage
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For the sake of goodness,
Seyka & Brian
Author
What a cool trip! So interesting about the people following you and then asking for money – that is very good to know. So sad about the tortoises.
Swimming with the dolphins out of their own free will – amazing! So happy you got to do that.
Yes this was a magical place to be!
Hi there! I enjoyed reading your article thanks! I am vegan and looking to travel to Zanzibar. Did you find it easy to find vegan food? Any recommendations please? Thanks a lot!
Hi Kim! When are you going? Zanzibar is awesome and it’s very different from many places you can visit. There is a lot of resort vacation space and a lot of poverty. We stayed at resorts and hotels while in Zanzibar and Tanzania and the hotels and resorts are set up to have a chef cook for you. We had great chefs at our hotels and resorts and they were able to make us vegan meals for every meal! While on safari it was more difficult. We were regularly fed food we were told was vegan but then realized that it wasn’t, so I recommend checking very very carefully if you aren’t interfacing directly with the chef.