Best Way to Bring Back Souvenirs from Tanzania
 

What is the best way to bring home souvenirs from Tanzania, especially larger carvings and stuff. Ship it from the place it is bought or try to get it back on the plane?<BR><BR>

I wouldn't trust shipping in that region. I haven't shipped anything from Tanzania, but I have from neighbouring countries and the arrival rate was about 40%. I would vote for getting it on the plane, paying the excess if need be - or if you must send it separately, find an internationally recognised freight service.

When I was in Africa in April, flying out of Cape Town we saw people with long hand-carved canes and fairly tall giraffes carrying them on the plane. Was very surprised they were allowed. I'd much rather carry it (for safety) if I were bringing back something like that. Although one friend of ours got his cane the whole way home in one piece and then dropped it and broke it in half!

When we came home from Victoria Falls two years ago our 5' giraffe traveled just fine. They wrapped it up for us with padding where we bought it for a slight charge and it traveled as a "fragile" item in the luggage area but with other fragile items. When it arrived in the States it came out on a special cart with the other items where we retrieved it.

Poignant story #47: <BR><BR>In Kenya last year, my wife and I had the privilege to see a baby giraffe being born. She set her mind on bringing home a large carving with a larget mama and smaller baby giraffe. A few days later, in the huge carving showroom, we saw them but the price was exhorbitant. I talked her into a tall mother giraffe only for about a quarter of the price. I sent her outside for a cigarette (yeah, I know...) while I supervised the packing.<BR><BR>We took Mama on the plane with us all the way home. There, my wife did the unwrapping and was totally overwhelmed when she found a 1 foot high Baby snuggled between the legs of Mama.<BR><BR>Two morals: (1) don't even think of shipping anything home from Tanzania, and, (2) you get lots of points, guys, for thinking "outside the box."

Thanks for the information. It looks like my souvenirs will be travelling home with me on the plane.

My thanks to for this post. When we take our trip next year I am hoping to get one of those giraffes. I was wondering how in the world I would get it home.<BR>One question though just how expensive are they?