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Faces of Tanzania

Trees and Houses in Tanzania

Responsible Tourism in Tanzania

Responsible tourism is an attitude of mind to which we should all aspire. When on a walking safari or camping safari it is a must to keep to the tracks laid out in the parks; in Tanzania it is important to keep to the designated trails. If a driver is caught making a new trail with his vehicle he looses his license and is banned from all National Parks. To keep to the trials exness app download for pc helps protect fauna and prevents soil erosion. Tanzania takes its responsibility towards the environment very seriously. The African in these parks is the heritage of the Tanzanian people.

In the National Parks use authorized land for camping. The official camps sites may be little more than a cleared area of ground to pitch your tent; camping is generally very basic in Tanzania. Camp fires are not allowed because of the danger of a bush fire, the small amounts of wood there is available is not to burn but to return nutrients to the soil or best left for the resident pastoralists. It is preferable therefore to bring you own camp stove.

It is advisable to use bottled water; the local water sources may be heavily used by people and animals so may well be contaminated. If you do use water purify by filtering and boiling and/or the use of purification tablets. Avoid using soap or shampoo directly in the water sources and wash at least seventy meters away from any water source. Use established toilets where possible otherwise dig a shallow hole and burry all evince of you visit; a makeshift toilet should be seventy meters away from any water.

The local people of the area - remember you are their guest - treat them with the regard a visitor should show toward the host. Many of the National Parks are home to people whose economy is based on livestock; respect the local customs and traditions and dress code. Often tourist has little respect for the dress code of other cultures. It exness download for pc is not pretty to see tourism interfere with the native peoples work and private lives use common sense and remember what is acceptable in your culture may not be acceptable in a more traditional culture.

Ask permission before photographing people, try to use designated village to visit within the National Parks and Game Reserves. If you are camping close to a village it is possible to negotiate a visit with the village elders. This will normally involve some payment.

The Tanzanian Government does not encourage roadside deals for photography or giving of gifts at the roadside. This encourages people to harass tourists and has been known to cause the deaths of children who run into the road looking for sweets or money when a vehicle approaches. It is better to visit a village and give through the elders or make a donation to a registered charity.

I would also advise that many of the peoples may be poor in material positions but they are rich in skills. Pay them for their beadwork, carvings basket weaving… when buying a curio it is better to buy from the people who make them so they get the full benefit. If you buy from a curio shop you make the middle men rich. Your driver/guide may well take you to a curio shop or two; driver’s receive commission for this; so it is in his interest to convince you to buy from an established curio shop as this is where the largest commission is paid.

An exception to this rule would be Tanzanite; this beautiful blue stone is better bought from an established gem dealer. Do not be tempted to buy in the street you may get a good deal but it is more probable you won’t. You may even find buying from an established merchant is a better deal than in the street! It is also safer, much more comfortable and stress free.

This should not have to be said but say it I must; remember not to littler. Pack with care leaving all unnecessary packaging in the town. Carry out all you litter, do not be tempted to burry it as animals will invariably dig it up – litter looks unsightly – littler kills.

In conclusion treat the peoples exness download here as you would want to be treated by visitors to your home. Threat the country with the respect it deserves; remembering you are the stranger here arriving with the strange customs. Relax and enjoy this wonderful country, Africa is an amazing place to be, the peoples of Tanzania are friendly and very polite with a keen interest in learning about where you come from and to welcome you.

Uru Village in the Clouds of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

This is not a tourist destination. There are no trials for the tourists, no curios, and no young people wanting to give you a guided tour for a small fee. I take only a very few of our guests here who have a day to spare; who want to see the real Africa and it is especially good for people who want to get out of the vehicle because they are tired of sitting and they want to stretch their legs.

From Moshi town the best way to experience this mountain village is to journey here with the local people on the local transport. Not as daunting as you may think. Otherwise, just drive here but you do loose part of the adventure; and besides this is cheating

A local bus is taken from Moshi and only five minutes from the centre of town the bus begins its assent upwards and onwards towards Uru. As we are on Kilimanjaro it rains a lot and the whole area is so green and fertile – there are lots of banana and coffee trees here. Just before the bus finally gives up, we pass a huge, ancient, Roman Catholic Church, which seems so out of place in this setting.

The bus finally shudders to a halt but the journey is not yet over. From here, there is another fifteen to twenty minute walk. Ever upwards, there is no flat ground here it is either up or down and on this leg of the journey this normally means walking uphill.

There are some spectacular views to be glimpsed through the trees of Moshi Town far far

bellow. It is cooler up here and so very quiet. I love to visit this place no tourists here at all. Everyone is so friendly and you really feel you are experiencing something special; something that not many tourists get to see.

There are still some large traditional houses here, made from dried banana leaves – no windows, one door only and a chimney up through the centre of this traditional house. Usually there will be four rooms inside; it is dark and very smoky.

African mountains are just so very special. Be careful to look where you walk and where you stand. Avoid the lines of large ants you may see scurrying back and forth across a pathway – they travel in straight lines and should you inadvertently stand on one of these lines - the ants will climb up your legs and begin to chew. Just keep an eye out for them.

A few hours spent here, exploring the trails that wind up and down the mountainside is well worth the effort of the walking. It is also an enjoyable experience to have lunch with a local family before returning down the mountain. This is a cultural visit but without being contrived in any way. You experience this cultural without realizing you were ever on a cultural visit.

The only cost incurred is a gift to the family with whom you share a meal. In the west, we give flowers or chocolates – here gifts that are more practical are appreciated. Life is hard so giving something practical will be remembered and cherished.

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