Getting There

By Plane -- The closest airport is Kilimanjaro International Airport (referred to as KIA locally, but abbreviated JRO when doing Internet research), 60km (35 miles) east of Arusha center.

Unless you are traveling the Southern Circuit (in which case, your international arrival point would be Dar es Salaam), a more efficient way to get to Arusha may be via Nairobi airport (NBO) in Kenya, with a connecting flight to KIA.

Kenya Airways, in partnership with Precision Air (www.precisionairtz.com), operates four to five flights daily from Nairobi to KIA; it is designed as a connector flight, so you should be able to remain in transit and avoid paying for a Kenya visa (for your own peace of mind, double-check this with the airline or your agent before departure; I have heard reports of some visitors being charged by unscrupulous customs officials and paying up simply because they weren't 100% sure). Another option is to utilize AirKenya's daily flight (www.airkenya.com), but this leaves from Nairobi's Wilson general aviation airport. In this case, you will have to go through immigration and purchase a one-way transit visa for $20, as well as a $20 taxi ride to Wilson. Most domestic flights (usually light aircraft arriving from airstrips on the Northern Circuit, as well as Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and the Southern Circuit) arrive at Arusha Airport, 10km (6 1/4 miles) west of Arusha center (20 min.). Recommended domestic airlines are Precision Air (tel. 027/250-2541), Regional Air Services (tel. 027/250-2541), and Northern Air (tel. 027/250 8059).

Note that the yellow fever vaccination ($50) and visas ($50 most nationalities; $100 U.S. and Irish citizens) are available at KIA.

By Bus -- Arusha is well connected by bus with every major city, including Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. The latter is a grueling 10-hour trip, with a single 20-minute stop more or less halfway. I'd recommend you fly from Dar, but if you're not squeamish and wish to experience a bit of local life (not to mention save around $170 per person), the best bus operators are Scandinavia (www.scandinaviagroup.com for regional office numbers and schedules; Arusha office tel. 027/250-0153) and Royal Coach (tel. 022/212-4073 or 0754/88-5778); the latter runs a dedicated Dar-Arusha route.

It's a far easier transfer by road from Nairobi to Arusha -- taking the additional visa costs into account (flying allows you to avoid paying for both Kenya and Tanzania visas, but it will cost you more), you will still save about $100. Several reputable companies operate shuttle bus services daily; the journey takes 4 to 5 hours and costs around $20. Contact Impala Shuttles (tel. 0800/221-9000; www.impalashuttle.com), Riverside (www.riverside-shuttle.com), or Davanu. In Arusha, contact MD Emmanuel (tel. 0715/40-0318; emkessy@yahoo.com); in Nairobi (here Davanu operates as Destination Shuttle), contact Samuel (tel. 0722/72-9100) or Nathan at Nairobi International Airport (tel. 0722/31-0234). Note that you will have to purchase a Kenyan visa, as well as a Tanzanian visa at Namanga, the border crossing ($50-$100, depending on nationality). It's best to book your shuttle well in advance.

Visitor Information

The local Tanzania Tourist Board office is at 47 E. Boma Rd. (tel. 027/250-3842 or 027/250-3843; ttb-info@habari.co.tz; Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm, Sat 8:30am-1pm). You can obtain free maps here, as well as the latest information on the various cultural programs on offer. If you haven't already booked a ground operator (someone to do road and local flight transfers), you can also check the credentials of your prospective safari or trekking company here -- complaints are registered and repeat offenders blacklisted. Also on the Boma Road is the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority office; Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) headquarters are on Dodoma Road diagonally opposite the Cultural Heritage Centre (tel. 027/250-1930 or 027/250-1934; www.tanzaniaparks.com).

When to Go

Being equatorial, the region has no summer and winter season, per se, and seasons are defined instead by rainfall. March and April are wet and constitute the only real low season. The second "short rains" fall during November and December, but prices are seldom reduced during this time.

Getting Around

It is worth prearranging your airport transfer with your lodgings. Arusha center has plenty of taxis; some of them cruise the streets, mostly concentrated outside The Arusha Hotel, at the top of Boma and India roads, along Sokoine Road, along the eastern stretch of Makongoro Road, and along Joel Maeda Street. Fares are not expensive (Tsh1,000-Tsh2,500) and can, if you prefer, be paid in dollars (at an exchange rate of Tsh1,000 to $1).

Fast Facts

Currency Exchange -- There are dozens of bureaux de change in Arusha -- take a walk along Joel Maeda Street to compare rates. Exchange rates are bettered by banks, but commission charges are high, and most do not offer exchange services to foreigners. Standard Chartered Bank on Goliondoi Road does, as does the NBC, at the corner of Soikone Road and School Street -- the latter is said to offer the best traveler's check rates. I have found that the rates offered by the Imperial Hotel (in the center of town) are difficult to beat; it is also open daily, whereas banks and foreign exchange bureaus usually operate Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm, and Saturday 8am to 1pm. The most popular ATM for visitors is at Barclays, on Serengeti Road.

Emergency -- Police tel. 112. Crimestopper tel. 111. For medical emergencies, contact Flying Doctors (in Nairobi; tel. 020/31-5454 or 0733/62-8422). Directory enquiries tel. 991.

Hospital -- Tanzania is not a country you want to seek serious medical or dental advice in; make sure you're in good health before departure. If you urgently need help in Arusha, contact Trinity Medical Diagnostic Clinic, Engira Road (tel. 027/254-4392). Alternatively, arrange for an emergency transfer to Nairobi, where services are better.

Internet Access -- Most lodgings offer Internet access, but if you want to save money, head for The Pattiserie, on Sokoine Road.

Pharmacy -- Moona's Pharmacy Ltd., Sokoine Road (tel. 0744/33-4567 or after hours 074/430-9052; moonas_pharmacy@cybernet.co.tz).

Police -- Dial tel. 112 or the Arusha police station (tel. 027/250-3541).

Post Office -- The main post office is on Boma Road, near the central Clock Tower; there is an Internet cafe on the first floor. To mail cards or letters, ask staff at your lodging reception. Do not send items of value through the post. For courier services, head to DHL, Sokoine Road, next to NBC Bank (tel. 027/250-6749).

Not-So-Pearly Whites -- While potable, the waters that tumble from Mount Meru are extremely high in fluoride. With most of the villages surrounding the mountain reliant on its streams and springs, years of exposure has resulted in the majority of the Arusha population suffering from porous bones, prone to breaking, and brown, stained teeth. A few local NGOs are working hard on finding easily administered solutions to neutralize the high fluoride content for villagers; until such time, a new generation of smiles is in the process of being blighted.

The Tsetse Fly: Guardian of the Wilderness -- Aside from mosquitoes (and these only in certain locations or times of the year), the biggest pest you will encounter on safari is the tsetse fly (pronounced tset-see), which delivers a very painful bite. They are almost everywhere on the Northern Circuit, particularly in woodland areas; stop to have a picnic in the shade, and within minutes you will have to flee to open savannah. Thankfully, the tsetse is easy to identify. Similar in shape but slightly larger than your common housefly, the wings fold one on top of the other over the abdomen when resting, and you'll notice the long proboscis that sticks out from a distinct bulb at the bottom of the head. Unlike mosquitoes (and rather like horseflies), they have relatively large "scalpels" to make their incision, so you feel the bite before it actually happens and can flick or kill the offending insect before it can render any further damage. Travel with insect repellent and (I kid you not) a fly swatter. Do not wear dark clothes (they're attracted to dark colors), try to keep the vehicle moving through woodland areas, and have fun swatting them. While they are an irritant, it's worth bearing in mind that it is thanks to the tsetse fly that huge tracts of wilderness have been left in their pristine state. Its ability to decimate domestic animals as well as cause sleeping sickness in humans ensured that areas such as the Serengeti and Tarangire were spared the type of European encroachment that happened around other riverine areas (aside from the Maasai, who seem immune to them).

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