Self-drive Safari Tanzania: Entering a National Park
When you are doing a self-drive safari in Tanzania, your first hurdle to an unforgettable game drive is the Tanzanians inexplicable love of procedures, handwritten notes, and unexplained queue systems. Seeing as 99% of people going in are joining an organized tour, the system is tailored to professional guides who know their way around. For people traveling with a guide/tour company, you do not have to know/worry about any of the below. Your company will take care of you. As an independent traveler, it can all seem quite confusing. There is definitely a method to it all. Just don’t expect any signage leading the way.
Plastic, plastic, plastic!
The one thing you can’t do without during a self-drive safari in Tanzania is a Master or Visa card. You cannot pay in cash at the gate. And no: it is not possible to ‘arrange’ something. Only credit cards are accepted. Both international Visa and MasterCard work. In case of emergency, if you hang around the gate long enough you might find someone who is willing- for a fee – of course, to help. You have to be lucky though, and it will not come free. Further, there are no ATMs at any of the gates so you will have to have the cash on hand. In October 2018, a system was implemented where all park entrees for companies are done via a digital portal by the head offices and they are all digitally paid. The guides are not carrying around their own payment cards anymore, which will decrease the number of people who could be able to help you if you arrive without a visa or MasterCard.
Entrance Fee structure
At most parks, you will find a huge board with all kinds of fees and classifications with some prices in TZS and some in USD. As a tourist, you are classified as a ‘non-EA citizen’ basically meaning the highest USD rate is applicable to you. For ex-pat residents there is a 50% discount, Tanzanians pay in shillings and for safari crews, there are further reduced rates. Please keep in mind that all these prices are excluding VAT – so expect to pay 18% on top of the listed prices. More on that below.
The entrance fee is based on a 24-hour cycle. So if you enter the park at 07.30 in the morning – and you only want to pay entrance one time – you have to be checked out at 07.29 the next morning. Keep in mind that this system is automated. If by unexpected circumstances you are late – the gate crew will not be able to do much except charge you again. Even if you are late only a few minutes. It is not possible to only pay for 1 hour or part of the day – you will be charged again the full price.
Car Fee Structure
The next thing you need to pay for is your car. There are separate prices for cars with Tanzanian license plates (local) and higher prices for foreign cars. There are several weight categories based on the tare weight of the car. Although a Landcruiser officially falls in the second category – I find that private cars usually get charged the 20,000 TZS – this again is per 24 hours. For ease of payment, this usually gets converted to $9 USD.
Overnighting while on a self-drive safari in Tanzania
If you are staying overnight inside the park there are more fees to pay, depending on where you spend the night. There are 3 options:
- Public Campsite
All parks have public campsites, no pre-booking is required. These sites have basic facilities: flushing toilets, showers (cold water only), and usually a fenced area where you can prepare your food. These sites are usually located in quite nice places in the park. In the high season and in the more popular parks it is likely you will have to share the site. But with a bit of luck and outside the high-season you might have one of these lovely locations all to yourself.
Cost: $30 p.p.p.n
- Special Campsite
In all parks there are some ‘special campsites’, these are especially scenic places in the park – often off the beaten track. They do not offer any facilities. So you will have to bring in your own toilet/shower facilities. The biggest catch on these is that they can only be booked via the TANAPA head office in Arusha. You will need to show your booking voucher at the gate. You are also obliged to leave the place as you found it – with the lack of toilet facilities I would not recommend this option for people on a self-drive safari in Tanzania.
Cost $50 p.p.p.n
- Hotels/Semi Permanent Campsite
If you stay overnight at a lodge or semi-permanent campsite you are obliged to pay “ concession fees” in addition to your entrance fees. Until last year these rates were paid by the hotels themselves to TANAPA. Each hotel had negotiated their own fees. The difference in fees per hotel was quite big at times. In an effort to increase transparency TANAPA has established a fee structure based per park, so all lodges/camps inside a park pay the same. For the most popular parks like the Serengeti, the fee is $59 pp per night. While for the lesser-visited ones like Mkomazi the fee is $25 pppn. For 2 people staying in the Serengeti for 3 nights it ends up being $354, so it can be quite significant.
For optional activities like walking safaris and night game drives there are additional charges.
Don’t’ forget about the VAT
All the fees mentioned above and advertised on the signs near the entrance are WITHOUT VAT. In July 2017 the Tanzanian Government revoked the VAT exemption for all National Parks. So you will have to add 18% on top of all the mentioned fees. So for a couple spending 3 nights in the Serengeti, with a Landrover (tare weight under 2000 kg) and staying on a public campsite, the total sum looks like this:
Entrance fee 2 non EA citizens for 3 days ( $60 pppd) = $360 total
1 car tare weight under 2K for 3 days ($9 per day) = $27 total
Camping fee 2 adults for 3 nights )$30 pppn) = $180 total
= $567
Inc. VAT = $669,06
And don’t forget that is there is no real feasible way to reach the Serengeti without crossing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Which has its own fees.
Step by Step by Step…
When arriving at a gate – there are several steps you will need to follow.
- Visitors Book
All the parks have several visitors’ books that require you to fill in some basic information: Name, Age, Gender, and Nationality of everyone in your vehicle and the license plate of your car. At the column for tour companies, when you are an independent traveler you can fill in ‘ private’. These books are allegedly for statistics and are manned by the staff really eager for you to fill this in. So best is to just fill this in, regardless of how pointless this seems.
- Registration Form
After you fill in this book – you will have to find the registration paper to fill in. List the number of residents, Tanzanians, and non-EAC citizens + your car’s tare weight + license plate number. Also, you will list how long you plan to stay in the park. If you stay overnight you will list your accommodation. Take this piece of paper to the actual entrance gate. Please note that if you are a resident you will need to have to show your original passport with your resident permit to be eligible for the reduced rate.
- Payment/Permit
After you hand in thee filled-in information sheet – the TANAPA staff will prepare your permit and you can pay via card. Once the payment is completed you will receive a permit. The latest ones have a QR code to quicken up the sign-in process with the rangers. You will also get a separate receipt that lists the TIN (Tax Identification Number) and acts as a receipt. This will usually get stapled to your permit, you will have to show this to the rangers – so if it does not get stapled make sure you keep a hold of it.
- Sign in at the ranger post
The last step is to register yourself with the rangers. Near the payment point, you will find the gate. At the gate you will need to register yourself with the rangers. At some parks they want you to walk to the ranger post and take your car up later, some parks prefer you to drive up with the car. Just follow what the rest of the cars are doing and you will be fine. The latest permits have a QR code that the rangers just scan – at some parks you are asked to fill in yet another book with details – and leave your phone number. Which is a little bit of reassurance when you are doing a self-drive safari in Tanzania – at least the ranger will know you are missing when you don’t make it back to the gate :).
Go enjoy your self-drive safari in Tanzania!
And that is it! One of the wildest and most beautiful areas in the world is now wide open for exploration!
The last note is to keep a hold of your paperwork. You will need it to sign-out & you could be asked in the park to present it to passing rangers.
Please note that these fees were accurate at the time of posting. If you want to check the lastest please visit the TANAPA website.
A great park to dip-your toes into a self-drive safari in Tanzania is Arusha National Park. Read more about why this is an excellent park to start your self-drive journey!