Zanzibar Holiday - Travel Tips & Guidelines

Currency & Money Matters

Tanzanian Shillings - Notes

The Bank of Tanzania has issued a new series of TZS 500, TZS 1000, TZS 2000, TZS 5,000 and TZS 10,000. This series constitute a new family of banknotes which will roll out in circulation from 1st January 2011. The current issue will continue to circulate and will remain legal tender circulating side by side with the new issue until such time when the old issue will be completely withdrawn from circulation in the normal course. The public is therefore advised to continue accepting the current issue and that there is no need for asking for new issue in exchange for the old in banks.

The new currency series has considered  normal developments  in the economy  and society.  Changes have been made on the new series by putting portraits of founders of the Nation,  the  late Mwalimu Julius Kamabarage Nyerere on the one thousand and the late Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume on the five hundred denominations. The other three denominations; the two thousand, five thousand and ten thousand  have maintained the  wildlife  heritage  mostly found in  our game reserves and national parks, these are  the Lion, the Rhino and  the Elephant. Since the new banknotes have been slightly reduced in size  than the current banknotes,  only  portraits of heads  of these  animals have  featured  on the notes instead of the  full images as used to be.

Tanzanian Shillings - Coins

In 1966, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 20 and 50 senti and 1 shilingi, with the 5 senti struck in bronze, the 20 senti in nickel-brass and the 50 senti and 1 shilingi in cupro-nickel. Cupro-nickel 5 shilingi coins were introduced in 1972, followed by scalloped, nickel-brass 10 senti in 1977. This First Series coins set, in circulation from 1966 up to 1984, was designed by Christopher Ironside OBE.

In 1987, nickel-clad steel replaced cupro-nickel in the 50 senti and 1 shilingi, and cupro-nickel 5 and 10 shilingi coins were introduced, with the 5 shilingi octagonal in shape. In 1990, nickel-clad-steel 5, 10 and 20 shilingi were introduced, followed by brass coins for 100 shilingi in 1994, 50 shilingi in 1996 and 200 shilingi in 1998.

Coins currently in circulation are the 50, 100 and 200 shilingi.

Exchanging Money

The easiest foreign currency to exchange in Tanzania is the US dollar and Euros, in either cash or travelers checks. While you get better rates at banks and foreign exchange bureaus for the larger bills, keeping a stack of small bills is handy for tips. Most of the high-end hotels accept US dollars. Approximately, the rates are:

• 1 USD (United States Dollar) = 1,600 TZS
• 1 EUR (Euro) = 2,000 TZS
• 1 GBP (Great Britain Pound)= 2,400 TZS

ATM's (Automated Teller Machines) can be found in all the key areas of Zanzibar, mostly in town. Major credit cards (Visa, Master/Maestro, American Express) are also accepted in some areas, especially at exclusive restaurants and hotels.

Immunization

No immunizations are required by law to enter Zanzibar (i.e. United Republic of Tanzania) if you are traveling directly from Europe or the US. If you are traveling from a country where Yellow Fever is present you will need to prove you have had the inoculation. Several vaccinations are highly recommended when traveling to Tanzania, they include:

• Yellow Fever - (slang term "Yellow Jack") is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family.
  
  
• Typhoid Fever - also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi. The bacteria then perforate through the intestinal wall and are phagocytosed by macrophages. The organism is a Gram-negative short bacillus that is motile due to its peritrichous flagella. The bacterium grows best at 37°C / 98.6°F - human body temperature.
  
  
• Hepatitis  - (formerly known as infectious hepatitis and epidemical virus) is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (Hep A), an RNA virus, usually spread the fecal-oral route; transmitted person-to-person by ingestion of contaminated food or water or through direct contact with an infectious person. Tens of millions of individuals worldwide are estimated to become infected with Hep A each year. The time between infection and the appearance of the symptoms (the incubation period) is between two and six weeks and the average incubation period is 28 days.
  
  
• Diptheria - is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane (a pseudomembrane) on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity. A milder form of diphtheria can be restricted to the skin. Less common consequences include myocarditis (about 20% of cases) and peripheral neuropathy (about 10% of cases)

It is also recommended that you stay up to date with your polio and tetanus vaccinations. Rabies is also prevalent and if you're planning to spend a lot of time in Tanzania, it may be worth getting the rabies shots before you come. Contact a travel clinic at least 3 months before you plan to Zanzibar holiday.

Malaria

In the last few years (2005/08), significant reduction of almost all key Roll Back Malaria Core Indicators has been observed. This brings into attention of the Zanzibar Malaria Control Programme implementers and the Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in general on the importance of developing not only sustainable and sound control mechanism based on the achievements made but also an effective surveillance system of stopping disease resurgence. On the other hand, malaria disease in Zanzibar is now beginning to pose several challenges as the Programme moving towards malaria elimination continuum.

Malaria is no longer top on the list of the leading public health problems in Zanzibar. In the last 5 years the malaria declined to a satisfactory level of which provides an opportunity for raising socio economic and educational characteristics such as family income, improved school attendance and performance among school children. By 2008, the malaria parasite prevalence among the general population as well as children under five was less than 1%. There has been a three-fold reduction in deaths attributable to malaria from 2002 to 2008. Recent clinical, parasitological, and entomological data suggest that Plasmodium falciparum transmission has reduced significantly.

However, there's always a risk of catching malaria in Zanzibar. While it's true that areas of high altitude are relatively malaria-free. However, Zanzibar is not exactly on a high altitude. Just make sure your doctor or travel clinic knows you are traveling to Africa so he/she can prescribe the right anti-malarial medication. Just to be on the safe side :)