Anybody have any luck using their iPhone or other cell phone while on Safari?

I'd like to be able to have e-mail service or otherwise keep in touch and was wondering if you have suggestions.

Data charges will be quite high for checking your e-mail, if you can even find coverage do that. You will find, however, cell phone voice services in most areas, even the Serengeti. Still, those charges will be high (mine were about $5 a minute.) Text messages are a lot cheaper (mine were about 50 cents a message.)

There is 3G service in many areas of tanzania but, as stated above, the data roaming charges are ridiculously expensive. I did not use my iphone for data, only for text messaging. I got an international text package through my provider (in canada) and used my laptop for email

doc

I had no problem using my iphone in Kenya recently but turned off the data roaming. Only sent text messages and used the phone.

We were recently in <u>Southern</u> Tanzania -- Ruaha and Selous. A "sacred sight" our guide pointed out on one of our game drives was a hilltop tree in which, after climbing to the top, one could get "three bars" on their cell phone and make calls. We thought this quite the good joke, but when we passed the same tree later in the day, indeed a park ranger sat perched in the branches talking on his cell. LOL! Good luck.

Hey TC, atleast there wasn't a Lion sitting there on the tree awaiting the tourists.

I know someone who didn't turn off their data roaming and came home after 10 days with a $2000 bill. Make sure you turn off the roam!!

I'm leaning towards turning my phone to airline only mode while in Africa and using my guide's phone and giving him scratch cards. I'm hearing that's my best bet for phone service.

I was planning on buying a data plan like I did in Europe which for $200 which gives me 200 MB Data for one month. When I get home, I cancel and they prorate the cost based on how many days I use it even if I use all the MB up. When I went to Europe, I paid $50 for one week and got 200 MB of data. I figured 2 weeks in Africa was worth $100 for the data plan. I was just trying to figure out if there was 3G there so I could use all my apps or not. It'd be nice to have my GPS, e-mail etc. if available.

I think you'll find that 3G is mostly limited to major towns and cities so not as useful on safari. Elsewhere, data will be 2G if you can get it. Not sure if it's worth buying the data plan for.

Good to know the cost can be prorated even if you use up all the MB though. I didn't realize that. I'm currently on an unlimited intl data plan that requires a 12 month commitment but if I start traveling abroad less, I might drop that and just sign up on a per trip basis.