ValCanada

I have a long list of trip expenses, it seems, that require payment in US cash - visas, especially. I would like to tip my safari guides, etc. in US cash, too. I don't love the idea of carrying $1000 or more in cash. Do you suggest I do so anyway (in a money belt) or is it possible to get US cash once I'm there? I'm traveling alone, so I can't share the risk amongst fellow travelers.

Thanks, Val.

sandi

I only use USD when in Tanzania. Some suggest you have some local Tanzanian Shillings (TSh), which are good at local vendors/souvenir stands... so this would be up to you and can be obtained at an ATM (at the airport on arrival, or) prior to heading out on Safari.

However, why do you need $1,000? For how long is your safari? Besides guide/staff tips, your other expense would be a bar bill. You can use your credit card at Heritage Centers (souvenirs), even at lodges/camps to pay a bar bill. But do be aware some establishments assess a surcharge for cc use (about 5%), so ask before handing over the plastic.

I figure $25/day towards tips - guide/driver, staff, misc other. So for a 10/day trip don't need more than $250. If longer, easy enough to figure out any additional. Then there's your Visa fee. Alcoholic and non-alcohol prices are reasonable and less than what you'd pay at home... so only you know what your "elbow bending" habit might be.

You can use a money belt, of course, but I just keep my fund with me in my day pack alway close at hand always.

ValCanada

Thank you. I am definitely going to need $1000. I am going on an 8 day safari and a 4 day trek on Meru and plan on tipping about $30 per day. Also, my trip includes 3 different countries that require visas and one that requires a departure tax. I'd also like to have a little extra. My question was more about how to travel with that amount of money and whether it's possible to get US funds in TZ rather than on whether I need it. Sorry for the confusion.

sandi

I'm sure you can get USD in Tanzania, but this wouldn't be very favorable. You'd have to go to a bank or an exchange bureau, wait on line and then get a lousy exchange rate. If you want, you can consider travelers checks. But this instrument also offers a lousy exchange rate and has to be done at a bank.

Gather the departure fee is from Zanzibar? It's $10/person to JRO or DAR and $30 if to NBO.

spassvogel

Val
we always travel with cash and it's always around 1000 US$ (small bills: 1,5,10 and 20 and 50$ bills. Don't take bigger than 50 as these might be refused. They should have large heads!) plus a couple of hundred EUROS also in smaller denominations.
If there are no safes in our tents (which are not too difficult to carry away - anyway ;-) ) we close it into one of our suitcases or give it to the camp manager together with our passports of which we have copies in another place: purse, travel purse etc) . Another alternative for you to keep it on the body (belt, purse etc).

You might call it "luck" - never ever happened something to our belongings. We never lost something nor had we something stolen.

I am sure when you do your trip in the aftermaths you will be wondering about your pre-trip-worries.

Happy travels!

SV

LyndaS

Val,

There isn't a 'reasonable' way to get US money while in KY or TZ, so yes, bring it with you - or use the ATM for local currency. USD TC are the #1 most useless items to bring - if you try to cash them for USD they will first convert to Ksh or Tsh, charging a % of course, and then convert back to USD, charging another % of course. And to add insult to injury, most exchange bureaus will only do this during daylight hours so they can call a bank or something. Cashing them at banks doesn't work either (I tried that too) they said they wouldn't do it at all, and told me to cash them at the lodge or camp that I was staying at. For about 5% commission of course.

You can certainly pay tips though in the local currency if you don't want to carry that much cash. That's what I ended up doing, I put my TC at the very bottom of my purse not to be seen again until home (where I promptly put them back in my USD acct), and then I used the ATM for the tips I needed.

I used the ATM 7 times while on vacation in May, my bank gave me a very reasonable exchange rates (beleive me I checked when I got back) and then charged me a total of $15.00 for all of the 7 foreign transactions at the end of the month on my statement. (not $15 each - $15 for all together). That to me is very reasonable and well worth the non-hassle. None of the guides will mind if you pay them in local currency.

On my first safari in 2006 I was one of those unlucky (my fault - careless) people who did lose money - only 100 GP (which at the time was about 200 CDN) and it was my own fault, but still it makes you think. My carry on zipper broke the day we leaving to go to Africa so I threw in some cable ties to 'lock' it closed. I faithfully put my important doc & money portfolio in the safe at the front desk each night - except at the Serengeti Sopa - I had it 'locked' in my bag. There was KSH in there too, but that wasn't taken - all that was gone was 100 GPB (they left me with 5 GPB) and I didn't even notice until I got to the the next camp. The cable tie did not look as though it had been touched, but either they had another one the same, or they somehow managed to slip it & make sure I didn't notice. As I said though, my own silly fault, always use the front desk safe if there is none in the room.

LyndaS

Val, I should have added that I did indeed make sure to keep enough USD for the Visas, as they probably would not take local currency.

ann_nyc

I realize that this wasn't your question, but please note that the exchange rate in Tanzania differs depending on the size of the bills -- large US bills get a better rate than small bills.

ValCanada

Thanks, Ann - I've heard that - but I've also heard that $100 bills aren't accepted in some places because they're the easiest to counterfeit or the most commonly counterfeited. Travelling with $100 bills will at least take up less space!

Amber5

Hey Val,

Take bills that have been issued after 2000 and you will have no problems. Your right about older $100 bills not being accepted and this has happened to me a few times. There are several ATM's in Tz including Barclay's and Stanbic that you can use for local currency. Make sure you use your debit card though ! Here's wishing you a pleasant trip.

sandi

Bills should be no older than 5/years, so no earlier than 2004 for travel balance of 2009; 2005 dates for travel in 2010.

As to the larger notes:
- In Tanzania, $100 and $50s notes tend to get a better rate of exchange (vs. $10s, $20s)
- In Kenya, the $100 notes are often frowned upon as possibile counterfeits.

live42day

Hi Val, I will assume you are also from Canada.
My husband and I went on safari in Tanzania in November and we took $1000 USD in one dollar bills. We divided it up in our money belts and found we were very glad we did. You could probably also take some 5s and 10s too. We had to order it ahead of time from our bank and they dont keep that many $1 bills on hand and I went though it with the teller to make sure they werent too old or too torn.
We found that our bank cards, HSBC and CIBC were not widely accepted at ATMS, we would have to resort to credit cards which we did not like to use. We only were able to use our HSBC at Barclays bank which we found on Zanzibar,(Stone Town).
When you use the ATM however, you usually get bigger bills, so not good for tips or smaller purchases.
I would say that $1000 is a reasonable amount and would recommend it.

gpotvin

When we travel we always carry a substantial amount of cash. We divide it up and keep most on our bodies. When we stash we use numerous places (toes of shoes, wrapped in dirty clothes, under suitcase linings etc.), so if we were to lose some we may not lose it all - we have never lost any, but perhaps we are lucky.

We are going to TZ in December and I intend to take $1,000, so I think you are planning correctly. We usually also take travelers checks, but have not used them for years and always re-deposit upon return.

ValCanada

live42day, were your HSBC and CIBC cards not on the Cirrus or Interac networks? I have an Alberta Treasury Branch ATM card that worked in Europe. I was going to open up a CIBC account just in case but maybe now I won't bother. Were you able to withdraw cash from ATMs using your credit cards?

Thanks to everyone else for their suggestions - I feel better about the cash!

live42day

For some reason it is a problem in Tanzania. Both cards are on Interac, and I have never had a problem in any other country. As I say, Barclays Bank was fine, just when you are on safari you are not seeing any banks anyhow. We passed through a small town and found one, but even going in to see the teller they could not help.
I did not have any problem withdrawing cash from my Royal Bank Visa and my husband from his Mastercard.
I guess one way to avoid being charged the daily interest is to have a credit on your credit card before you leave otherwise they charge you interst from the day you use the ATM.

Patty

In general, I've found the Plus network more prevalent in East Africa than Cirrus but as mentioned Barclays Bank is on the Cirrus network. Plus and Cirrus are the two major international networks so if you're going to open a second account, I'd get one from a bank that issues a card on whichever of those two networks you don't currently have.

I believe Interac is just a domestic Canadian network.

live42day

HSBC is on the Cirrus network.

LyndaS

Val, BMO is on the Cirrus network and I didn't have any problem using it in either Kenya or TZ. The only time I wasn't able to use it was at a National Bank in Karatu, it wouldn't work. So then I thought of looking at the network signs above me & Cirrus wasn't listed, so I smacked my head, said 'silly me' and went two blocks down to a bank that had a Cirrus sign - I think it was a Barclays.

ValCanada

Thank you, everyone - I feel much better. I'll have $1000 cash in both large and small denominations (for tipping, visas, departure tax and places where I can't seem to get money from ATMs). I've found there to be at least 4 Barclay's ATMs in Arusha and even 3 in Stone Town so if I have any difficulties with other machines I'll try those. Most of my expenses have already been taken care of during my 18 days in Tanzania so (other than tips) I'll only have to pay for around 6 days worth of meals and bottled water and a few taxis - and I'll have some extra for buying souvenirs, art work, traditional clothing, etc. to take back home with me!

(Hi live42day!)

Val.

live42day

have a great time. I am envious. Definately one of my top three trips!!