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. After a wonderful stay in UAE, we head towards our next stop of this life-changing trip. Welcome to Vegan Voyage Tanzania, and thank you for joining us!
Vegan Voyage Tanzania Overview
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). This contradicts with most online videos but I think I’m going to stick with the locals on this one.
It’s pretty difficult to plan a safari to Tanzania, online, ahead of time, and on a budget. Many transactions in Tanzania happen in person. Make arrangements carefully and try to stay flexible. (Details on planning a safari below).
Cost
Compared to other developing countries, Tanzania is expensive. Lodging, food, excursions, all expensive. And we were constantly being told that we needed a paid guide, even for local hikes through the hills. I’m not sure that we actually needed one, but we didn’t want to hike ourselves into a complicated situation so we chose to pay for guides.
Some of our hotels didn’t meet my expectations. Hotels that say they are 4 or 5 stars were not the same quality of 4 or 5 star hotels in other countries – but the cost would make you think you are booking a pretty nice place.
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. Especially with tips, don’t skip out. It may seem like an unnecessary addition to cost but it’s important to tip people for their services. (However, some people will ask for a tip when they give you a tour you didn’t even ask for, so be cautious. See the next section.)
Even though I’ve been talking about how expensive everything is, paying into the community does feel good. Tanzania needs tourism and paying locals (as opposed to large tour companies that may be located in other countries) means you are giving money directly to the people working in that community.
People on the Street
It can be very confusing to interact with people on the street. They seem to be friendly but they actually have an ulterior motive.
It is very common for people to approach you and say, “Hello friend, where are you from?” or “Where are you going?” If you answer them, 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. 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. This is just not the situation you want to be in when you want to be having a great time exploring a new place. Don’t fall into the trap.
To keep yourself out of this pickle, you need to practice saying “No thank you. We are busy.” It feels uncomfortable and rude, once you say it a few times, you get used to it – 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 is that if you need someone to guide you around, there is someone around every corner. Figure out what you are willing to give, offer them that initially, but be prepared that they will likely ask for more at the end.
Planning a Safari
If you happen to have unlimited funds, you can purchase a safari before you get to Tanzania through a large organization. They arrange food, lodging, safari drives, and transport to and from town, but those can easily cost $2000 per person for 3 days on the low end. And that’s a big yikes for me.
We happened to get a very good deal, but did a lot of work to get it. Our safari, in high season, with food and non-tent-lodging included, cost $650 per person plus tip. We went through Big 5 Voyage Safaris that we found on foot while 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
- 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!
- Good Reviews
- Keep yourself safe by using a well-reviewed and well-known safari company.
What to Pack for a Safari
Safaris can be both very hot and very cold. And you know what we do when such a range of temperatures is expected, bring layers! You gotta be able to strip down and bundle up.
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.
Don’t forget your camera!
Can you believe I was this close to these beautiful zebras?!
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 you should remind them a lot.)
- Do not ask your driver to get close to the animals. Your driver will be staying on the driving path. If you encourage them, however, they may drive closer to the animals which can disturb the animals’ safety.
Interacting with Animals
In Zanzibar, we went on a paid tour to Prison Island to see the wild giant tortoises. We verified that they were free and roaming the island.
However, 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 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. This takes more thought when it’s hot. Men should wear 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 should wear loose fitting clothing that covers cleavage, breasts, shoulders, upper arms, midriffs, and 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.
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 than ones 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, but our return trip was on 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 knew exactly what we meant when we said we were vegan and truly creates delicious dishes!
Ziwadi House Lodge
This is a nice lodge with breakfast included. They have a large wall and gate with added security. Other great components: well-decorated rooms, friendly staff, an awesome guide named Edwin who will take you on hikes and tours, and a chef who can make vegan options!
Breakfast at Zawadi House 
Our room 
Brian with our new friend Edwin
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.
Food
There are veg-option restaurants in Arusha. However, we had most of our meals at the hotels. 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.
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
Zanzibar is an island off of Tanzania that was actually populated and turned into a strong community before Arusha and mainland Tanzania was!
Slave Museum
Very powerful and difficult museum. Great education about slavery through time. It’s worth the stop. Took us about 2 hours to look through.
Resort Vacation on the White Zanzibar Beaches
Excursions for Scuba Diving or Snorkeling or Island Tours
Get in contact with Tamim who I mentioned above.
Snorkeling
We had a magical time snorkeling near Mnemba. When we reached the turquoise waters on our boat, 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’re social. They 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. 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. But thank goodness for this day!
Finding these dolphins in the wild and them allowing us to swim with them was a dream come true.
Please do not pay to choose to swim with dolphins in captivity. 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 cool and a fun way to wind down. However, if we had just taken the Prison Island tour by itself, it would have been a letdown.
After Tanzania we went on to country twelve: Vegan Voyage The Holy Land.
I can’t stop thinking about those dolphins. 🙂 Talk to you soon.
Stay in Touch with the Vegan Voyage.
What’s next?
Thank you for coming along on this Vegan Voyage Tanzania with us! We loved our time here and hope our advice will help you out in your own journey. If you want to come along with us, make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube! And for the aspiring travelers following us, check out our previous posts and advice on how to make the best out of your own Vegan Voyage:
- Our travel packing guide
- Our advice on travel clothes
- Wellness while traveling
- Learn more about our Vegan Voyage adventure
For the sake of goodness,
Seyka & Brian
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