Arusha help
 

I have a friend going to Arusha on Friday, and she wants to know if there is a Ctitbank there, as she has Citibank Transaction card.
Is there one and are there safe ATM's there?
Thanks
Dot
She's climbing Mt Kili to raise money for St Judes School.

No Citibank.
I do business with Citibank and know that have arrangements with Barclay's Bank which has offices in Tanzania.

I'd suggest she contact Citi, in fact, go into the bank, speak to a manager to ascertain what she can/can't do with this "transaction" card.

If this is an ATM card, find out which network, i.e., Cirrus (or whatever others are out there) then she should be able to use if she finds a working ATM, or if not at a Barclay's Bank.

Be aware though that USD will do just as well in Tanzania; I've never used TSH when visiting. Though it is a good idea to have a small amount of local currency for small purchases.

Tell her to dress warm :)

Like she needs to be told !!!

Oh Percy!
Funnily enough she's a triathlete so running around with clothes on will be a new challenge, if you know what I mean.
Sandi, thanks for the info.

Dot, for a minute there I thought you might be heading off to Arusha!

Haha, I've done my usual groveling, but like your lovely self she says NO.
But I am working on 2 trips in '11.

2 trips is over the top in my opinion. Look forward to hearing more about them! :D

I was expecting to use my ATM card in Moshi (near Kili) this past summer, but once I got there I was told that while my card would work in the Barclay's bank, that it tends to have really long lines, so I didn't even end up trying it. I'm so used to quickly popping in to an ATM at home, that I didn't realize that it is more cumbersome elsewhere, even when it works.

As far as researching if your particular card will work, I usually do this by phone, (simply use the customer service number on the back of the card) since you need to tell the bank what countries you will be visiting so that they do not put a fraud alert on your card due to unusual activty. They should be able to confirm where you can use it (perhaps better than your local bank manager who may not be an expert at that question).