Safety in Tanzania

Street crime: In Dar es Salaam do not flash expensive phones or cameras in crowds. Pickpockets here are highly skilled, especially in markets. Carry bags in front of you and keep nothing in a back pocket.

After dark: Take a taxi in the cities once the sun goes down, even for short distances. Side streets can be unsafe and street lighting is poor across the country.

Health: Malaria is a serious threat, so use repellent and sleep under a net. At the first sign of fever, get a test at the nearest hospital, because early diagnosis makes all the difference.

Wildlife: On safari never leave the vehicle without your guide's say-so. This is not a theme park, and even herbivores can turn aggressive. Follow the driver's instructions and never feed monkeys.

The sea: On Zanzibar's beaches watch for sea urchins, which are everywhere at low tide. Buy reef shoes for swimming, and take the strong currents on the east coast seriously.

Water: Drink sealed bottled water only, and brush your teeth with it too. Avoid ice in dubious bars, since it may well be tap water. Read your own government's travel advisory before booking.

Tanzania is welcoming, but it has two zones where tourists lose large sums: safari operators in Arusha and beach boys on Zanzibar.

Fake safari operators in Arusha. The country's main financial trap. The scheme is well practised: a firm with an office and a website takes a deposit for a Serengeti safari or a Kilimanjaro climb and disappears. Check the licence with the Tanzania Tourist Board, insist on a written contract, do not pay the full amount in advance, and never transfer money to a personal account.

Climbing Kilimanjaro. A cheap operator saves on oxygen, guides, food and porter insurance. This is a question of safety rather than comfort: people die on the mountain. Check whether the price includes an oxygen cylinder, a pulse oximeter and evacuation.

Beach boys on Zanzibar. In Nungwi and Kendwa they strike up conversation and offer excursions, friendship, goods. Some work honestly; some run a long game about money. Book excursions through your hotel.

Spice tours and "swimming with dolphins". Sold on every corner, with widely varying quality and treatment of animals.

Currency exchange. Change at banks. Dollar notes issued before 2009 are often refused in Tanzania.

Plastic bags are banned, as in Kenya. They are confiscated at the airport and fines are substantial. The clear liquids bag in hand luggage is permitted, but you must take it away with you.

Same-sex relations are criminalised with severe penalties, Zanzibar included. This is among the harshest jurisdictions in that respect.

Drones. These require Civil Aviation Authority permission and a fee, and the procedure is long and expensive for a tourist. Bringing one in without paperwork means confiscation.

Wildlife. Exporting ivory, turtle shell and coral products is prohibited and the offence is serious.

Zanzibar has its own rules. The island is Muslim and conservative: beyond the beaches and hotel grounds, shoulders and knees are covered and swimwear stays on the beach. Shorts and vest tops are not the custom in Stone Town, and during Ramadan nobody eats in the street during daylight.

Drugs. The law is severe, sentences are long, and there is no bail.

Photography. Military installations, police officers and government buildings are off limits, as are people without permission.

Yellow fever. A certificate is required from arrivals out of an endemic country, including transits over 12 hours. Checks are strict in practice and people without one are turned back.

Malaria is high risk nationwide, Zanzibar included. This is not a trip where prophylaxis can be skipped. A doctor selects the regimen in advance and it starts before departure. Add DEET repellent, long sleeves in the evening and a net over the bed.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies are advised.

Kilimanjaro. 5,895 metres, and altitude sickness kills here. The key point: do not choose the shortest route to save money — the six-day Machame is safer than the five-day Marangu precisely because of acclimatisation. Headache, vomiting and breathlessness at rest mean descending, not "pushing to the summit".

Water. Bottled only.

Schistosomiasis. Do not swim in fresh water, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika included.

Healthcare. Weak. Dar es Salaam and Arusha have private clinics; Zanzibar's are limited. Anything serious means evacuation to Nairobi or South Africa. Insurance with evacuation cover is essential, and for Kilimanjaro it must name the altitude.

Emergency numbers: 112 and 999.

Tanzania ranks low on the Corruption Perceptions Index, and low-level extortion occurs.

Traffic police. Checkpoints are numerous, especially on the Arusha–Moshi road and en route to the parks. A hire car can attract attention. Calmly ask for an official report and a receipt.

Tourist police. Operating in Stone Town on Zanzibar and in Arusha.

Reporting theft. A report for your insurer is issued, though the process is slow.

Zanzibar at night. Robberies occur on the beaches at Nungwi and Paje after dark, and moving between hotels is better done by car. Stone Town's narrow streets empty in the evening.

Safaris. Security in the parks is high and rangers work professionally. Most incidents come from tourists breaking the rules.

What actually matters. The main losses in Tanzania come not from street robbers but from dishonest operators and from underestimating Kilimanjaro. Both are settled at the point of choosing a company.

Emergency numbers: 112 and 999.