Tanzanian shillings for small things, US dollars for the big ones, and cash for almost everything outside the cities. How money works on safari and how much to carry.
Money on safari is simpler than people fear and less card-friendly than they hope. Your trip is paid before you arrive. On the ground you spend on tips, drinks, souvenirs and the occasional extra activity, and almost all of it is cash. Knowing that in advance is most of the preparation.
This page covers the two currencies, where cash comes from, what cards do and do not do, and how to carry what you need through a week in the parks.
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The Tanzanian shilling is the national currency, and everyone uses it for everyday life. Prices in markets, small shops, local restaurants and taxis are in shillings, and paying in shillings is always welcome.
US dollars run alongside it in the tourism world. Park fees, hotel bills, activity fees and tips are quoted and paid in dollars, and most lodges and camps accept them. You can pay in shillings at the day's rate, but dollars are simpler for the large amounts.
Euros and pounds can be changed in the cities, at a worse rate. Bring dollars.
One rule matters more than any other: US dollar notes must be recent and in good condition. Banks and businesses refuse older series and anything torn, marked or heavily creased. Ask your bank for new notes, and check them before you fly.
Cash machines exist in Arusha, Moshi, Dar es Salaam and Stone Town, and they dispense shillings. Most accept international cards, some charge a fee, and daily limits are modest. Use one in town before you head into the parks.
There are no cash machines in the parks, at the camps, or in the villages between. Whatever you carry in has to last the week.
Bureaux de change in the towns change dollars to shillings at a fair rate. Your hotel can usually do it too, at a worse one. Change a moderate amount for the small things and keep the dollars for tips and lodge bills.
Credit and debit cards work in the cities, at the airport, and at larger lodges and hotels, usually with a surcharge of a few per cent for the transaction. Visa is more widely accepted than Mastercard. American Express is rarely accepted.
Cards do not work in the parks, at most camps, at villages, or for tips. A camp may have a card machine that depends on a mobile signal that is not there that day. Never rely on a card for anything you need to pay for on the road.
Tell your bank you are travelling, so that a Tanzanian transaction is not blocked as suspicious. And carry a second card, kept separately, in case one is lost or swallowed.
For a week on safari, the cash you need is for tips, drinks that are not included, souvenirs, and any activity or fee not in your quote. Your operator's tipping guideline is the largest item and the one to plan first.
Beyond that, a moderate float of dollars in small notes for the unexpected, and some shillings for markets and small purchases. Small notes matter: breaking a large bill in the bush is difficult, and a lodge may not have change for a large dollar note.
Carry the cash in a money belt or a zipped inside pocket, split between two places, with the bulk locked in your main bag at camp. Camps are safe places. The risk is losing a wallet on the road, not theft.
Prices in shops, hotels and restaurants are fixed. Prices in markets and at roadside curio stalls are not, and bargaining is expected. Start well below the first figure, keep it good-natured, and stop when the price feels fair to you. The seller will not sell at a loss.
Carvings, fabrics and beadwork are cheaper at village cooperatives and markets than in lodge shops, and more of the money reaches the maker.
Cultural visits have set fees agreed in advance through your operator. Ask before the day what is paid and to whom, so that no negotiation happens in front of the community.
Order new US dollar notes from your bank, in a mix of small denominations, and check every note for damage.
Sort the tipping cash into envelopes at home, using your operator's guideline.
Tell your bank you are travelling. Carry two cards, separately.
Withdraw or change some shillings in Arusha or Moshi before the parks.
And keep a note of what you have spent from the tipping envelopes, so the last day does not arrive with the cash gone.
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