Visas
All visitors require a passport, valid for the duration of their stay. Preparations are under way for visitors to obtain visas at any entry point, and this timesaving facility is available to visitors arriving at Zanzibar International Airport. Nationals of some countries do not require visas, so it is advisable to check with your nearest Tanzanian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate prior to visiting.

Health
General
Modern medical services are available in Dar es Salaam and other major towns and centres. Chemists (drug stores) are fairly available in most major towns, but visitors are not prevented from bringing in their own medicines for personal consumption.

Nearly all safari lodges will also carry a comprehensive medical aid kit. In the unlikely event of serious accidents while on safari you’re likely to be treated by AMREF (The Flying Doctors Service), East Africa’s largest air ambulance service which has planes fuelled and ready to go 24 hours a day. Each plane is equipped with trauma nurses and life support systems, so treatment can begin as soon as they reach the casualty. Members are evacuated for free and with no need to consult an insurance agent. And if you don’t need their services during your trip to East Africa, your money helps to maintain a vital medical service to millions of local people.

Most of your travel service providers will subscribe to AMREF and the chances are your own travel insurance taken out in your resident country will be linked with AMREF to cover any treatment made – please ensure you are covered in this way.

Other Health Tips
There are obviously many areas of discussion so only brief but relevant points have been listed below:

	It is unlikely you will contract any serious disease while in East Africa
	Until recently, all visitors were required to present an International Yellow Fever Immunisation Card upon arrival. The government has now lifted this requirement according to our sources at the Ministry of Health and Commission for Tourism. As a precaution however, visitors arriving from places where there is cholera (Kenya and Uganda) should bring evidence of recent inoculation. Recommended jabs as general precaution are diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis, polio and meningitis, and typhoid.
	Malaria is endemic year round throughout Zanzibar in all areas below 2 000m (6 500 feet) and visitors should begin to take a recommended prophylactic 2 weeks before their arrival and for 6 weeks after their departure. The malaria form that is common in Kenya is highly resistant to chloroquine and sulfodixine /pyrimethamine so it is important to avoid being bitten. It is inadvisable for pregnant women to visit malaria areas, as malaria infection during pregnancy can result in severe effects to the mother and the foetus. While on safari, precautions should also be taken to avoid being bitten by application of insect repellents and using nets at night. If staying in a bungalow/tent, spray with an insecticide like to kill any mosquitoes, which may have flown into your room, mosquito coils are also effective. Also wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers/slacks in the evenings. Having presented all the above information and cautions, malaria is not a serious problem if people are sensible and take basic precautions.
	Sadly Zanzibar has been highly affected by AIDS and HIV. You are strongly advised to avoid sexual contact, exposure to blood or dirty syringe needles. Request any syringe to be unwrapped in front of you if you should require treatment but again bear in mind that with MARS (see above) and private clinics or hospitals this can almost be guaranteed. All blood donations are screened but obviously there is no absolute guarantee that blood may not be infected.
	Bilharzia is quite common in the freshwater lakes and rivers of Africa so avoid swimming in them where possible. However in the unlikely event of bilharzia being contracted, it is easily diagnosed by a simple blood test and effectively treated with biltracide.
	Tsetse flies are large daytime feeding flies, they prefer shady conditions and are attracted to movement, carbon dioxide and lactic acid secretions. You are advised to wear light coloured lightweight clothing, avoid deep blue and black, as tsetse flies are attracted to these colours. Tsetse flies are only found in some of the lowland areas of the country.
	Be sensible about exposure to the sun and the heat in general as this may cause heat stroke or exhaustion – eat salt on your foods, drink liquids regularly and wear protective sun creams and clothing
	If you suffer from allergies, bring your own prescriptive medicine.
	Other useful medical aid kit items to bring along are: antihistamine (insect bites, itches, allergies), Imodium or equivalent (for diarrhoea), antiseptic cream (for minor injuries), painkillers, a few rolls of crepe bandages and stretch plasters
For more comprehensive advice on travel health, see: World Health Organisation MASTA – Medical Advisory services for Travellers Abroad (UK) US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

What to bring
Clothes
Light clothes are advisable, as it never gets very cold in Zanzibar. Smart medium weight clothes will suffice for the evenings. Women will find cotton dresses cooler and more comfortable than trousers, particularly for daytime wear. Baggy trousers rather than skin-tight jeans are obviously better ventilated. Please remember that this being the coastal area, which is predominantly Muslim, that immodest clothing may offend local tradition. Specialized sports clothes, including swimwear, should also be packed.

“Smart casual” wear requested by some lodges and hotels refers mainly to men - slacks not jeans, no t-shirts, no sandals but rather closed shoes. In most private lodges, dress requirements are fairly relaxed. Light weight walking boots, rafting sandals, sunglasses, hats and caps are suitable all year round & bring at least one high factor sunscreen.