We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance is compulsory—your guides will require a copy of your travel insurance and you will also have to carry a hard copy of your insurance certificate.
Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans. If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. For more information on travel recommendations and restrictions in Tanzania, please refer to Tanzania’s foreign travel advice.
Regarding Tanzania’s general entry requirements, here’s a list of what you need:
Passport with validity at least 6 month from arrival date
Tourist visa (issues by an embassy, online, or on arrival) — €100 for US citizens, €50 for the rest)
Return ticket or evidence of onward travel arrangement
The risk of contracting Malaria in Tanzania is decreasing every year. It’s highly unlikely you will contract malaria on your Kilimanjaro biking tour, simply because it is too high and too cold for mosquitoes that pass malaria. However, there are still some areas of higher risk, such as lakes. The most important thing is to protect yourself by sleeping under mosquito nets, using repellants, and wearing long trousers and shirts, especially in the evenings and at nights. If you want to take more precaution there are several medicines for prevention: Malarone, Doxycycline, Lariam and more. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any of these.
Regarding the dress code in Tanzania, it’s best to dress modestly and accordingly. While the cities are a bit more relaxed, it’s important to show respect at all times. Shorts and skirts should cover the top of the kneecaps, tops should cover your shoulders. While tight leggings or yoga pants are fine for the climb, for Zanzibar loose-fitting pants, capris and long skirts are preferred. Also try to avoid tank tops or spaghetti straps there. Bikinis are fine when swimming at beaches in front of resorts, when at local water-holes or other locations where locals are present, it is best to fully cover yourself. However, in tourist places like Hotsprings people are already used to seeing visitors wearing bikinis.