The short answer
See a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you go. Make sure routine vaccines are up to date; hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended. Malaria is present in most of Tanzania, including Zanzibar, so antimalarial tablets are usually advised. A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you arrive from a risk country.
Key facts
- Malaria
- Present — prevention advised
- Often advised
- Hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus
- Yellow fever
- Only if arriving from a risk country
- See a clinic
- 6–8 weeks before travel
How do I avoid malaria?
Take the antimalarial your doctor prescribes, use a DEET- or icaridin-based repellent, and wear long sleeves and trousers from dusk. Risk is lower in the cool highlands and higher at the coast and in lowland parks. All the lodges we use have nets or fully screened rooms.
Staying well on safari
Drink bottled or filtered water, which is always in the vehicle. Use high-factor sunscreen — the equatorial sun is strong even when it is cool. Contact-lens wearers should bring glasses for dusty days. In some woodland areas tsetse flies are attracted to dark blue and black, so wear khaki and olive instead.
What medical support is available?
Your guide is trained in first aid and carries a full kit. Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover is included while you are on safari, and Arusha and Dar es Salaam have good private clinics. Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation is still essential.
Questions, answered
Is the tap water safe to drink?
No — drink bottled or filtered water, which we supply. Ice, salads and fruit in good lodges are generally fine.
Do I need antimalarials for Zanzibar?
Malaria risk on Zanzibar is generally lower than on the mainland, but most travel clinics advise continuing the same prevention. Follow your doctor’s advice.
Published 15 September 2026 · Updated 1 October 2026
