Tanzania : Safety by City
Tanzania, the largest country of East Africa, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is located in eastern Africa within the African Great Lakes region.
It shares borders with a great number of countries: Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south.
A large portion of the country is made up of a central plateau between 900 m and 1800 m.
But, this doesn’t make Tanzania geographically monotonous: what cuts across the country are mountain ranges of the Eastern Arc and the Southern and Northern Highlands forming a part of the Great Rift Valley.
Not only that it’s not monotonous, but it’s also actually geographically extremely diverse, with the world-known highest peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, and the lowest point of the land – which is the lake bed of the, again, world-famous Lake Tanganyika, as well a portion of the largest lake in Africa (Lake Victoria), which makes traveling to this country a unique experience for any tourist.
Warnings & Dangers in Tanzania
OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
If you go and visit Tanzania, chances are you will have no negative experiences or incidents. However, it is a country where you should be vigilant and take all possible precaution measures in order to minimize the risk of something going wrong.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
Public transportation is not the safest or the most convenient option: you are highly advised to call your reliable taxi driver instead of hailing one on the streets, and public transport is where the pickpockets and thieves operate.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
There is an extreme threat to petty crime. Pickpockets are practically an everyday occurrence. You should be extremely careful when handling your valuables and never carry your money in a purse or a pocket. Never carry all your money in the same place, and be aware of your surroundings at all times.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
The most common natural disasters in Tanzania are droughts, floods, and epidemics. Various epidemics are common, but not one natural disaster has hit people harder in Tanzania, than droughts.
MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
There is also a risk of getting mugged and violent crimes aren't really rare in Tanzania. Avoid traveling alone, even within Lomé city limits, especially at night. It’s generally recommended not to resist armed attack.
TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
Tanzania is also targeted for terrorist attacks. Even though there haven't been major terrorist attacks in its recent history, apart from the bombing of the United States embassy in 1998, it suffered many smaller incidents, and most of them are performed against local security forces,
SCAMS RISK: HIGH
When it comes to scams, there is a high risk of getting scammed in Tanzania: children might try and fool you just to steal from you in the end, and others might try to distract you. There are also scammers impersonating officials or authorities and trying to extort money from you. Apart from that, double check your change and negotiate everything in advance.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Tanzania isn't exactly the safest place for a woman to be visiting alone. If you do, be sure to avoid remote streets, both during day and night, and do not flash your belongings or handle money in public. Stay out of the streets at night and be vigilant for any possible dangers at all times.
So... How Safe Is Tanzania Really?
Tanzania is mostly safe to visit, though caution is recommended especially in tourist areas such as Arusha, Stone Town (Zanzibar), and Dar es Salaam.
Apart from petty crime on the streets of Tanzania in the form of pickpocketing, bag snatching and common scammers that operate in crowded areas such as markets, like Kariakoo and bus or train stations, there is also a violent crime, and violent crime against foreigners is not altogether uncommon either, so be very cautious.
When it comes to pickpockets, be especially wary of children running around, since they’re mostly forced into a life of crime and they might try and steal from you.
Another safety issues are taxi drivers and you are highly advised to call a taxi you trust instead of hailing one on the streets.
If you must take a taxi that is unknown to you, take its number and send it to someone you trust so that they can track it, just in case something happens.
Also, bear in mind there are scammers impersonating police and authority, trying to extort money from you while flashing “immigration papers” at you.
Keep in mind that real officers mostly wear uniforms.
How Does Tanzania Compare?
| Country | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Tanzania | 59 |
| Morocco | 54 |
| Finland | 86 |
| Spain | 83 |
| Botswana | 77 |
| New Zealand | 90 |
| Hungary | 83 |
| United Kingdom | 77 |
| Singapore | 90 |
Useful Information
Visas
All visitors to Tanzania require a valid Visa each time they enter the Republic, and the visa you receive is valid for up to 3 months from the date of issue. Still, receiving a visa doesn't mean you're automatically allowed to enter the country: The Immigration Officer reserves the right to grant or deny admission. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need a visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit.
Currency
The Tanzanian shilling is the official currency in Tanzania. You are recommended to collect your money directly from an ATM since that's your safest option.
Weather
Tanzania has a tropical climate and the weather around the coastline is hot and humid, while the highlands are cool and temperate. Tanzania has two rainy seasons; the short rains that last from October to December, and the long rains lasting from March to June.
Airports
Julius Nyerere International Airport is the biggest international airport in Dar es Salaam, which is the largest city in Tanzania. The airport is located about 12 km southwest of the city center.
Travel Insurance
Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Tanzania, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.
Tanzania Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
| Low °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 19 |
| High °F | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 81 | 84 | 88 | 88 | 86 |
| Low °F | 66 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 63 | 59 | 57 | 59 | 61 | 63 | 66 | 66 |
Tanzania - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam | 36 |
Very safe
While there has been a rise in sexual assault, rape, and violence. also dont plan on getting injured cause the nation as a terrible health care so be very safe in your travel. but Tanzania is considered generally safe for tourists in fact i personally think Tanzania is one of the safest places in Africa along with a lot of other people.
Very Safe
Tanzania Is Safe
Poor, friendly and relatively safe
In October 2019 my sister and I rented a landcruiser and made a roadtrip starting in Arusha, leading us straight through the Serengeti to the east coast of lake Victoria. From there we travelled down to a hidden gem in Tanzania, the city of Mwanza (city of rocks).
As we mostly did not follow the regular touristic routes, we did see a lot of poverty, but especially a very social (but poor) community always helping out each other. I realize we may have been just plain lucky, and we took our precautions, but nowhere we felt unsafe or threatened.
I do agree with the previous comment that Tanzania is a poor but very friendly and relatively safe country to travel around.
This is what kind of put me off from my trip. I didn’t like seeing the living conditions of these people. I guess it was not a reality for me. I know they were probably happy with what they had but it still bothered me. The area just feels like it has nothing going for it in terms of uplifting the people. It is beautiful yet dangerous (because of the wildlife).
The most beautiful place on Earth. I went to Zanzibar as a volunteer teaching local community and it changed my life forever. I fell in love with a Masai and 3 and half months later we married. The people, the culture, the lifestyle the weather and everything is perfect.i always felt completely safe, especially with my Masai by my side. Tanzania is my new homeland, I leave my western world behind. Life is so much simpler and beautiful
Si vas a Tanzania, volverás...😍
I have been there twice and always felt safe.
It is true that my son has MOYONI Ong Solidarity Travel and Safaris, there in Arusha.
But I like to walk alone and I never had a safety problem.
The people are friendly and helpful.
Of course there are many poor people and it is normal for them to expect some money.
You cannot be so greedy as not to spend a few coins.
The only crime I knew about was the murder of a girl from Arusha (a good friend of ours) and the murderer was her cousin, a woman from Arusha too. The reason, because she was jealous of her.
Beautiful 20 year old girl. Famous for its dissemination of the culture of Tanzania. She was a magnificent performer of popular dances. She had culture, intelligence and beauty.
Envy and jealousy are human defects. We find them anywhere.
It is true that in some African countries, including Tanzania, the police do not have the necessary means to solve some crimes.
In this case, the murderer was found because she had taken the young woman’s shoes and when the police investigated her surroundings, they found the cousin who was wearing the shoes and a friend of the victim recognized them.
TANZANIA VERY SAFE FOR TOURIST
I am a Tanzania From Arusha yes sometimes shit Happen in the streets but i can reassure you Tanzania People are 90% respecting tourist because they know the consequence of Harassing them. when visiting Arusha or Other parts of Tanzania its recommend to hire certified guide or use travel agent but just short town tour make friend with Any member of staff from where you are staying
Once-in-a-lifetime experience
We finally managed to visit Tanzania in 2018, after having it on our shortlist for years. It’s something else, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As huge wildlife fans we knew we would use our camera every step of the way and we did just that.
Vehicles can sometimes end up being the target of random thieves so exercise caution: have your valuables out of sight, doors locked and windows down, especially in areas where someone might creep onto you. Since we’re on the subject of cars I have to say their car rental services are extremely underwhelmed and poorly performing. The car park is not that appealing and in most cases the state of the car will be enough to put you off. Plus, the roads are messy, wrecked drivers and poor road conditions make for a less than appealing experience, at least for us.
Being extra loud, drunk, aggressive or downright mean is not tolerated anywhere so please don’t.
As a safety measure, I would clearly advise anyone to get a guide if they want to explore the wildlife outside the usual safari. There’s enough wildlife to scare you not to mention maim you, you don’t want to go all in by yourself.
The people are warm and friendly so if you need help finding a bank or just cool stuff to do, you could always check a bar and engage with the locals there.
One huge disadvantage for the LGBT community: homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania. No holding hands, no PDA, no anything or you will find yourself arrested.
Similar to the above, a word of caution for women: dress appropriately. They are known to fine women if they wear short sleeves or shorts outside of the resort area. Our safari operator informed us so I knew to pack some extra long sleeved shirts.
Tanzania
Tanzania is safer than the article says it is.
Safer than the article lets on
I’ve been many times to many different parts of the country, tourist zones and other areas, travelled by bus, taxis, bajajis (tuktuks), boda bodas, dalla dallas, and it was always a safe experience. Tanzania is one of the friendliest places I have ever been and I will gladly return a thousand times over. One place I don’t love going… USA…much greater risk of getting shot there than anything happening to you in TZ.