Getting Around Tanzania

Tanzania has one piece of public transport that is genuinely good and several that are genuinely dangerous, and the difference is not obvious from a fare.

The Dar es Salaam bus rapid transit

Dar es Salaam runs a bus rapid transit system on dedicated lanes, known locally as mwendokasi. The lanes are used by BRT buses and by emergency and police vehicles, and by nothing else, which is why it moves while the road beside it does not.

Stations are enclosed, you pay before boarding, and the platform is level with the bus. For a visitor it is the cheapest way to cross a city that is otherwise very slow, and it avoids the two categories below entirely.

Dala dalas, boda bodas and bijajis

Local minibuses (dala dalas), motorbike taxis (boda bodas) and tuk tuks (bijajis) can have poor safety standards. They are often poorly maintained and badly driven, they rarely have proper insurance cover, and there are frequent accidents, some fatal.

Pickpockets and bag snatchers operate on overcrowded buses and at bus stations.

None of that means never use them. It means knowing that the insurance question has already been answered and the answer is no.

Taxis, and the one rule that matters

Do not accept lifts from strangers or from anyone offering to find a taxi for you. Arrange a taxi through your hotel or travel operator, always ask to see the driver's identification, and use reputable services.

This is the same advice as the express kidnap warning in the money guide, arrived at from the other direction. Unlicensed taxis are how people end up at an ATM they did not choose.

Ferries, and a record that should change your plans

In recent years there have been several ferry disasters in Tanzania and hundreds of people have died, on the routes between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, between the islands of Zanzibar, and in the Lake Zone.

The advice is unusually direct: if you think a ferry is overloaded or not seaworthy, do not get on. If you do board, find the life jackets and the emergency exits before you sit down. Beware of aggressive ticket touts at ports.

Flying between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar takes about twenty minutes and removes the question. That is worth saying on a page that would otherwise only describe the boat.

Driving, and the permit Zanzibar wants separately

You can drive on a UK driving license for up to six months. Beyond that you need an international driving permit, kept with you in the car.

To drive in Zanzibar you also need a local Zanzibar driving permit, which you can usually get through the hire car company. Carry several copies of your license, permits and insurance documents.

Road users often drive dangerously and accidents causing death and serious injury are common. There are no roadside rescue or breakdown services, service stations are infrequent and may have no fuel, and road maps are hard to find and out of date. Avoid driving outside major towns and cities at night.

There are frequent police checkpoints. If you are stopped, ask to see identification. If you are fined, the police should give you a government control number for payment and should not ask for an on the spot payment for a traffic violation. If somebody in plain clothes tries to flag you down, it is often safer not to stop.