Is Coffee in Tanzania safe to drink
 

Hello. My wife and I leave for our Tanzania safari on Saturday. We’ll be staying in permanent tents and lodges. In hopes to prevent from getting sick, we are thinking about only drinking bottled beverages and not adding ice to our drinks. However, we both really enjoy our coffee in the morning. Is it safe to drink the coffee or should we play it safe and stick with only bottled beverages? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hello Philipsburg,

I’ve never heard of anyone not drinking coffee or tea on safari in Tanzania.

With some of my early starts on Kili and safari coffee was the one thing that kept me human in the mornings. If you are going to Arusha for any reason check out the Jambo Coffee house on Boma Road which is nice. However out in the "bush" your coffee will be most likely instant. But then I was in tents, perhaps in Lodges it'll be better?

Matt

The coffee is made in water that is boiled. In fact, many of the camps/lodges actually use bottled water for this purposed.

Coffee and/or tea would be the last things I wouldn't not drink.

The only possible problem with morning coffee is "morning tummy" and off to the loo. And at night, you may have trouble sleeping.

Otherwise, enjoy your hot (or even iced) beverage.

Hi Matt,
Because of your post about InToAfrica I have been in correspondence with them and will probably do the EA Explorer with them...now I have to thank you also for the info on Jambo Coffee House in Arusha :D.

Have Copied and Pasted to take with. :))

Hi Africnow,

Maybe this reply should have been on your other thread - please email me if you wish - [email protected] and I'll give you everything you need to know.

Speak soon

Matt

A related question about coffee--not trying to hijack the thread--but we must only drink decafe. Is this available at most of the lodges, tented camps, etc.?

Martyn
It would be easier for people to answer if you said to which country you were going and the type of camps/lodges you will be staying in. I am sure every country is not the same.

Hi Phillipsburg - we've just returned from Tanzania.

We drank coffee at all our lodges/camps with no problems at all. In some of the more remote camps, they only supplied creamer/whitener so it may be an idea to buy some small tetrapaks of UHT milk at the supermarket.

Sorry forgot to mention that we'll be in Tanzannia & Kenya & Rwuanda. Staying in tented lodges mostly.

Hi Phillipsburg
Do you think a place charging a tourist $X00 a night, would risk "saving" money on water ?

martync
easy solution: BRING YOUR OWN !!!
i can't imagine now 29 replies saying that in August there was a case when Little Governer's ran out of decaf' because the supply truck got stuck an extra day on the road from Nairobi ...

martync

i meant to say - If It is so crucial...

But u r coming to the main source of Arabica Coffee - won't u taste it ?

...

If you're decaf drinkers, I would suggest you bring your own. Some lodges and/or camps may have decaf... but I wouldn't put money on that.

If you drink decaf in order not to have a problem sleeping at night, you may want to use your decaf packets for your evening meal... but don't deprive yourself of some of the best coffee in the world while in East Africa.

Years before my first safari I had given up drinking coffee after 3pm, however, with my first taste of Kenyan coffee... that "no drinking after 3pm" went out the window. I did have my evening coffee and to this day wonder whether it was the dinner coffee or the Lariam that interrupted my sleep.

On recent trips, I remember not to have dinner coffee... difficult, yes. But a gal has got to do what a gal has to do to get a decent night's sleep.

Bring your own to be assured.

Good suggestions about decafe coffee. I love 'real" coffee, but due to a medical conditon, I can't have cafiene unfortunately. I think bringing some may be a good idea. Thanks.

Just got back from Tanzania. I don't drink coffee, so I can't say from personal experience but I will tell you my husband drinks coffee everyday and loved it.

I'm sure it's been said already but I didn't get a chance to scan the replies, but any water that is boiled is more than safe to drink. I don't recall seeing any decaf anything (coffee or tea), so if that's an issue for you, then you might want to bring your own. However, we received fresh coffee from one of the places that we stayed at and my husband has been oohing and aahing over it since, he says it's absolutely delish!

10 minutes of boiling should kill any nasty residents. I'm a tea drinker myself, but love the smell of am brew and will be glad that DH can get his morning fix of java.

Are we allowed to transport coffee back to the US?
Sherry

At the Jambo Coffee house they sell small sacks of Kilimanjaro coffee to take home. 5 dollars a pop but a nice momento with Maasai beaded clasp or something similar. The coffee is so smooth, creamy and spicy. Not much left now of the few bags I bought back but I only need a small cup and am transported back immediately.

Matt

Sherry,
We brought coffee and tea back to the US...so I guess it's allowed. ;)

You absolutely can bring home the coffee.