by Katie Birtles    12 Dec 2020   
https://www.trafalgar.com/real-word/cultural-traditions-tanzanian-culture/ 
​Tanzania is full of welcoming and friendly locals, so it’s best to return the favour and brush up on Tanzanian culture and traditions before you go. Not only will you show respect to the locals, but you’ll get a much more authentic insight into the culture of this wonderful country. From greetings and public affection to dining and clothing etiquette, here are some common Tanzanian traditions, customs and handy tips to remember on your trip to Tanzania.
1. Ask before you snap
Tanzania is a beautiful country and you’ll often find yourself reaching for your camera to snap photos. However, you must always ask before taking a  photo of someone, as it is very rude not to in Tanzanian culture. Some ethnic groups also believe that a piece of their soul is stolen when a photo is taken of them. It’s important to be respectful and always ask permission. If you’re not sure, just put the camera away and enjoy the moment. You should also be aware that some locals and Masaai people expect a small tip in exchange for photos and this is normal practice.

2. Mind your left hand
In Tanzanian culture, the right hand is considered clean and therefore used for eating, greeting people and giving and receiving objects. The left hand is considered dirty and is used for bathroom activities. When you are greeting a local in Tanzania, make sure you only extend your right hand for a handshake. And if the handshake seems to continue for longer than usual – don’t worry. Tanzanians have long handshakes to indicate friendship, although it can be more like holding hands for the entire conservation!

It is also disrespectful to rush a greeting in Tanzania. Greetings are very important and take time. Even if you enter a room with 20 people, you should greet each person individually, starting with the elderly first. If you are receiving a gift, you should use both of your hands, or just your right hand while touching your left hand to your right elbow, as this is a great sign of respect.

3. Don’t sniff your food
While you may be used to taking in the delicious aroma of a meal before digging in, this is a big cultural faux pas in Tanzania. One of the most interesting Tanzania culture facts is that sniffing food is a sign of suspicion and distaste. Food is only sniffed at if there is something wrong with it and it’s very insulting to the cook. It’s also considered rude to turn down food that is being passed around. You should try a little bit of every dish, if possible.

There are a few other dining traditions in Tanzanian culture to be aware of. You must always wash your hands before a meal, and there are some dishes that are best eaten with your fingers. If you are reaching for food at a communal table, always use your right hand. If you are lucky enough to be invited into a home for a meal in Tanzania, you’ll likely find big platters of food like biryani and pilau, served on low tables. You’ll probably sit on mats on the floor around the table, and it’s always a big family affair.

4. Avoid public affection
If you’re travelling to Tanzania with your partner, remember that public displays of affection are deeply frowned upon. While you may spot locals holding hands in the street, this is just a sign of friendship, and it is still disapproved of for people of different genders. Hugging, kissing and holding hands is something that should be done only in private in Tanzania, and especially the island of Zanzibar, which is home to a largely conservative Muslim population. So even if you’re on a romantic honeymoon, leave the PDA for your hotel room!

5. Respect your elders
Most Tanzanians believe their elders to be much wiser with a wealth of knowledge, due to their many years on earth. Elders are treated with extremely high levels of respect and it’s a huge cultural offence to question their opinions or be discourteous in their presence. You should always say “shikamo” to anyone older than you, meaning “I hold your feet”. In response, you’ll likely hear “marhaba”, which means “You are welcome to do so” or “I accept your respect”. 

If you are shaking hands with an elder, you can also give a slight bow and hold your right elbow with your hand, as a gesture of deep respect in Tanzanian culture. If you are an older traveller, you can also expect a large amount of respect and courtesy to come your way from the locals. You’ll find almost everyone from tour guides to shopkeepers being extra gracious in your presence, all thanks to your age!

6. Wear modest clothing
Tanzania, including the island of Zanzibar, is a deeply conservative country. Wearing revealing clothing is disrespectful and it’s always best to dress modestly. Traditionally, women wear long skirts, but it’s fine for visitors to wear trousers or jeans that aren’t too form-fitting. Always keep your chest, midriff and thighs covered. When in Zanzibar, you should never wear swimwear or skimpy clothing away from the beach. As soon as you leave the beach, both men and women must cover up in modest clothing. 

Now that you've got your airline reservations for the Grand African Safari it's time to start the Tanzania Visa process. This may seem daunting at first, but we are here to answer questions and help with the process. 

A.. Online location:  Tanzania eVisa - Welcome (immigration.go.tz)
 You can only apply for one eVisa per person. This means that if you are preparing a trip with your family or in a group you have to make sure that everyone has theirs.

• GUIDELINES: Tanzania eVisa - Guidelines (immigration.go.tz)
• TERMS & CONDITIONS: Tanzania eVisa - Terms And Conditions (immigration.go.tz)

B. ALL UNITED STATE PASSPORT HOLDERS MUST APPLY FOR: 
 MULTIPLE ENTRY VISA (USA NATIONALS VISITING FOR HOLIDAY/TOURISM)
        *  A recent passport size photo of the applicant;
        *  Copy of the applicant’s valid passport (biographic data page);
        *  Return Ticket of the flight;
        *  100 USD Visa fee;
Again, getting visas online will immensely save time at Kilimanjaro International Airport arrival!   If things are too difficult online, this still an option.

C. Our first customer to begin this visa process last month faced some difficult questions and now we have the answers to make the process easier for the rest of the group:  Here are the key questions Greg asked and the answers from Lion Safari you will need to have:

1.  Greg: "The first question I needed help with asked for “Host". The choices were "Tanzanian citizen, Company/Organization, Self, Resident with pass, and Resident with permit.”  As a placeholder, I chose "self" but didn't know whether it should instead be "company/organization" with a name provided by you. 
Answer: Company/organization             
   A) Full Name - Lions Safari Intl., Ltd., 
   B)  Mobile No: +255 684 488 424
   C)  Email: info@lions-safari-intl.com
   D) Relationship: Tourist
   E)  Physical Address:  No. 246, Sakina, Arusha, TZ
   F)  Company name/ Organization registration No: Lions Safi Intl. LTD/ 9783 

​2) Greg: There was a question asking for “Accommodation" type, and the choices were “Hotel, Motel, Apartment". Again as a placeholder, I chose "hotel" but it also asked for a "physical address".
Answer: Use Momella Wildlife Lodge, c/o Lions Safari Intl., Ltd., Box 999, No. 246, Sakina, Arusha, TZ   Mobile: +255 684 488 424  Email: info@lions-safari-intl.com

3) Greg: Another question was “Traveling with group or organization?". I tentatively answered "yes" and put in "Bucket List Cruises and Tours". Is that correct or should there be a different local group or organization name?
Answer:  Yes, it is correct to indicate your organization, Bucket List Cruises & Tours.

4) Greg: My final question needing your input asked whether or not we would be “Accompanied by minors". I am not certain whether that was intended to mean in our immediate party, or in the entire group. 
Answer:  Each visa application is unique/specific to the person – not entire group.  No one is bringing a minor with  this group.
​
Note: special thanks to Greg Brown who submitted these timely questions - you can thank him when you meet him in Africa! ;-D

JANUARY 4, 2023
NOTE from Mark
I just completed and paid for my visa. Here are some tips:
1. The information above is perfect. Easy to enter.
2. The tougher page is the picture page. 
3. Once you have completed all of the information requested (and it really doesn't take long to enter the information), save your work. It uses a blue bar on the lower right that says Save and Continue. Hit that and it's saved.
4. On the photo page, here are the 3 photos and recommendations:
     1) Headshot picture. Just shoot a headshot picture of you against a whiteish background.
Save it so it is smaller than 300 kilobytes. If you have trouble doing that, send the picture to me and we'll size it for you.  Save it to an easy file where you'll place the rest of the pictures listed below.
      2) Passport picture. This is a photo you can take with your phone of JUST the page with your picture, not the signature page on the page next to it. Again, save it so it is less than 300 kilobytes (KB).
      3) Proof of departure portion of your airline ticket. If you can find a single sheet with just your flight leaving JRO (Mt. Kilimanjaro airport), either make a screen shot of it or make a PDF of it.  It appears that you can print a pdf by entering your 6 digit flight confirmation number into the Delta website (delta.com) and clicking the pdf icon at the top right hand side of the page. The only flight really needed is from JRO to AMS but you'll probably get the entire package. 

Once you've attached all 3 pictures, hit the Save and Continue. If it does not exit out of this to the final payment pages within a minute, check each of the 3 picture requests to see if they've left you a note that something is wrong. With mine, it was the pictures were too large. If you need help resizing them, send them to me. The other problem might be that where it asked for JPEG (jpg), you gave them PDF or vice versa. Just submit what they ask for -- I didn't and thought they were the problem. I was, and I fixed it quickly and all was well.

If you have trouble, call me (Mark) at 801-669-1776.