Tanzania Local Customs

  Maasai herder
by toonsarah
 
  • Maasai herder
      Maasai herder
    by toonsarah
  • A beer with the team
      A beer with the team
    by fishandchips
  • Rules by the main gate
      Rules by the main gate
    by fishandchips
  • Team effort to get all 4 to the top!!
      Team effort to get all 4 to the top!!
    by fishandchips
  •   Local Customs
    by Necla_Bitgen
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Some Swahili Greetings

by Acirfa

In Africa one of the things to practise is good manners when meeting anyone, even if you don't know them and are unlikely to meet them again, if you don't greet them they will feel they have offended you in some way. Also before any conversation can begin it is good manners to greet the person first. So, here are a few words :JamboHarbari yako - How are youNzuri - good/fine ( your response to the enquiry)When entering someones home you should call out loudly HODIYou will then be greeted and welcomed into the homeHarbari za Nyumbani - How is everything at homeNa zak - and yours

Listen to "taarab" music

by Necla_Bitgen

We stayed in Stone Town for 4 nights, it was interesting but without our "taarab experience" our stay there wouldn't be so fantastic...Just by asking and by some luck we managed to find Huseyin's house. Huseyin is a "ney" player and a room of his house is allocated for the rehearsals with his group, one of the oldest taarab groups in Zanzibar, Ikhwan Safa. We just met him in front of his house and asked if we could listen during the rehearsal, he was so kind to invite us for the evening rehearsal. That was incredible...The following night we were at Serena Inn, this time listening the "twinkling stars" at the stage by the sea...We found ourselves at Huseyin's house the next night again...

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Village school

by toonsarah

During our drive from Ngorongoro to Tarangire we stopped for petrol in Karatu village, and Reginald suggested that we might like to visit a local primary school. We agreed and so we stopped off at one where he knew the teacher and knew that she would welcome the interruption. Some of the children were naturally shy, but others were keen to try out their English and show us their school books. The teacher asked them to sing us some traditional songs and one of the English ones they had been learning (sadly I forget what that was though I have some recollection that it too was a traditional song). We had a few pencils with us which we gave to the teacher for the children to use, but we wished that we had known in advance that we might be able to visit the school as we would have taken more gifts. An English family was there at the same time, and they had planned their visit in advance. The...

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dress accordingly

by karenvanessa

there is no dress code, but the people are very modest people so the women are mostly covered. there is a % of muslims so they tend to cover their shoulders and arms., no mini skirts or shorts its not forbidden but you are looked down upon for being so scatterly dressed. there are alot of tourists and they tend to wear their shoulders out and shorts and they tend to say its ok for them since they are tourists.....

Visa

by fabriz09

Depending on how patient you are. It doesn't take that long. Don't forget some systems that could speed up some procedures have not been fully implemented in some developing countries,some manual operations are still in use which of course are slow.My clients have been severally issued with visa at border entry points [Namanga & Tarakea]from Kenya to Tanzania.So there is no need of alarm you just need some patience and having all the required documents in order.Remember Dar and Kilimanjaro Airports are major entry points in Tanzania so in most cases some human traffic seeking services.

THE MONEY TRICK

by DAO

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS FOR BUDGET TRAVELLERS, NOT SOMETHING AGAINST LOCAL PEOPLE. You have to haggle EVERY price in Tanzania, except some restaurants. So, you can play the money trick to make sure you always get a good price. Tanzanian Schillings are weak against the U.S. Dollar, which everyone will take. Make sure you take some single $1 notes for emergencies. You get about 1100 to 1200 Schillings to 1 dollar. Agree a price and take in units of 1’s so it sound like you mean dollars. Some people will even say $1 or 1000 Schillings. They would say 10 meaning 10,000 Schillings. Schillings are cheaper for you. Go to any good exchange in Stone Town have some Schillings with you when you haggle. You agree ‘10’, hand over 10,000 Schillings, not $10. Too late, they know you know and they have just given you a 10-20% discount! I did this with a hotel and agreed ‘30’. I saved $10 over a 3 night...

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Clothing for Women

by alminacpants

To feel comfortable as a woman in Tanzania here are some general guidelines for clothes to wear. 1) Pack skirts. Especially if you will be in any type of professional suitation.2) Pants are good, jeans are growing in popularity in the country. However, it's mostly teenage girls wearing jeans. It's is acceptable for female tourist to wear pants. No one will comment if you wear shorts, but it is frowned apon.3) DO NOT WEAR SPAGHETTI STRAP TANK TOPS! These shirts are worn by local prostitues. Although, it is unlikely that you will be confused for one, it will attract loads of attention and not the good kind. Thicks straps will fly. 4) I packed sunglasses, but ended up wearing a hat a lot more. Most locals don't wear sunglasses.

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General Rules For P.D.A.

by alminacpants

General Rules for Personal Displays of AffectionTanzania is very conservative when it comes to affection. Affection between couples on the street is pretty unacceptable. One example is, I saw a white couple kissing good bye at a bus station and it attracted alot of negative attention. Although is seems acceptable to members of the same sex to hold hands, including grown men (although homosexuality is not, infact is punishable by heavy jail time). Holding hands with children (local or your own) is more than alright, especially while walking down the street. Other than holding hands, I strongly suggest that you keep it behind closed doors.

GREETINGS - A GUIDE

by DAO

Basic SwahiliAs you walk down the road, your conversations will go like this:You will hear (shouted at you) – “Jambo!” (Hello)You reply – “Jambo!””Habari?” (what is the news or how are you?)”Nzuri” (I am fine)You usually hear “Karibu” (you are welcome here) sometimes the name of the village is said as well. I often heard “Karibu Jmbiani.” OR “Karibu Zanzibar”!Always reply “Asante Sana!” (Thank You very much)Sometimes after you have spoken to someone a little longer or purchased something from them you will be called “Rafiki” which means friend. This is heart felt and you rarely hear it unless you have become friends – in the village. If the word “Rafiki” is shouted at you as a greeting – they are trying to sell you something, usually in large towns. A Few Basics Words/Phrases:Yes = NdiyoNo = HapanaOkay = SawaMaybe = LabdaHow are you? = Habari Yako?Good = NzuriThank you = AsanteHello =...

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The national language in...

by DanielF

The national language in Tanzania is Kiswahili, but this is only the mother tongue of a part of the population, mainly on Zanzibar and the coastal areas. Each tribe speaks their own language or dialect, and Kiswahili is a kind of lingua franca understood by everybody. Although most of the people you will interact with speak very good English, it is quite easy to learn a few basic things of Kiswahili, whose phonetics are not very different from Spanish and has very simple grammar rules.

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Local traditions and culture in Tanzania

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Local Customs: Cities in Tanzania
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