Travel information to Dar es Salaam
Airport visa
You can get a visa from Stockholm or from the airport. If you haven't received a visa before leaving Norway, you have to get it on arrival at the airport. There are two forms to fill there, a visa application form and an entry form, the latter you might get on the plane. There is normally a long queue and corresponding waiting time for visa. If you want to be the first in the queue, fill the entry form and the visa application form on the plane. They do not seem to distribute the visa application form. Print it and fill it. Give the visa officer your passport, the two forms and USD50 in cash, and you should get through the bureaucracy reasonably quickly.
Taxi or driver
You need to agree a price for taxis. From airport to UDSM or Dar Centre 20/30 000 Tsh. From centre to UDSM about 12/15000 Tsh.
We recommend using Fred mob. +255 755 940016. He is always on time and he will give you good prices if you tell him that you are working at UiO.
Hotel
1) UDSM Guest House in the campus of the UDSM costs 30 USD per night without AC, and 40 USD per night with AC. Send an email at UDSM to Dr. sylvia Temu dpf@admin.udsm.ac.tz for reservation or ring her at +255 754 481450. The rooms are simple but clean and breakfast is included. Pay one day before, it takes time to get the receipt. You must pay cash either Tanzanian Shillings or USD.
2) BLUE PEARL HOTEL & APARTMENTS
Tel. +255 22 246 1130/31/32
info@bluepearlhoteltz.com
www.bluepearlhoteltz.com
Only 10-15 minutes fra UDSM. 76 USD, and Mirza Asir Younas (night manager) is really helpful.
3) The Slipway Studio Apartmentst. For enquiries and reservations contact them on
+255 22 2600893 (tel/fax), +255 713 888301 (mobile) or bookings@hotelslipway.com. A room costs 110 USD per night, but let them know that you are working at UiO for a 10 % discount.The rooms are very nice, some with view on the ocean and Slipway is a well known place with good restaurants, cafes, bookshop and shoping mall. It takes about 30/50 minutes according to traffic to UDSM by taxi and costs about 15 000 Tanzanian Shilling(15 USD).
4) Harbour View Suite, 95 USD a night. Tel. +255 212 4040. Suggested by UDSM and used by SIU.
Language
If you would like to learn Kiswahili, you can buy a collection of CDs from Faraji Kitonge. They cost 40 USD for 6 CD, and they are really nice. You can send him an email at his cultural center, SWAHILI AND CULTURE, Kiswahili na Utamaduni: kiu@swahilicourses.com or call him +255 22 285 1509 or +255 75 4271263. Tell him that you are from UiO and he will deliver the CDs where ever you stay and can even send them to you by mail to Norway. You will have to pay the postage, but it takes only a week to receive them.
Money
It is usually easy to get money from minibanks (ATM). You have one at Slipway, however you have to remember that here you can not get less than 300 000 Tanzanian Shilling. But at the UDSM minibank, or in town you can choose and get either 100 000/ 200 000 Tanzanian Shilling or less than that. You can also pay by Visa card in some places, but I recommend that you have some USD cash in case you run out of money and do not find a minibank where ever you are.
Telephone card
You can buy a SIM card which costs 500 TSH (5USD) and you will have a local number. It is much cheaper to make local calls and receive them. You will then buy credits according to your calls. Easy to make appointment with your driver and to be reached if he needs to tell you that he might be late or vice versa. You can buy the SIM card at the UDSM shopping mall called Mwilamini Center, but the credits can be bought in a lot of different places as well as at the University shops.
Internet
You can use internet at the Informatics Center at UDSM, it costs 1000TSH for 30 minutes, or in the outside café in Slipway. Check if the hotel have internet connection, but the UDSM Guest House do not have it yet.
Safari
Do you have some extra days in Tanzania, and want to go on safari? Here are some tips about safari closer to Dar es Salaam (pdf) (by Anne-Mette Vibe).
Swimming
If you have a day off and want to swim, go for a trip to Bongoyo Island from Slipway. It is a beautiful protected island and it takes only 20 minutes by boat from Slipway. You can even have lunch there since there is a grill place on the beach. You will have to rent a mat and parasol (kind of a fee). They can also organise a trip to snorkle and provide you the equipment.
Vaccination
You have to check you vaccine center about what you need. A minimum of Yellow fever, Hepatite A and B vaccines and Malaria tablets are recommended.
Mosquito repellent
Don't forget the mosquito repellent for the evenings out.