The
majority of the lodges and camps in Tanzania have a telephone on the premises
that can be used if you need to communicate with someone from home. Additionally,
many of the lodges have email access including the Serena, Sopa, Wildlife
and the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge properties. You may also access email
at one of the high-speed Internet cafes in the small town of Kiratu, which
is between the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara or in the city of Arusha.
The Internet cafe in Karatu has four high-speed computers and is conveniently
located on the main road (feel free to ask your driver-guide to stop there
for a break from driving, a cold drink and a chance to access your yahoo,
hotmail, etc. email account). A good idea is to create a free yahoo or
hotmail account before you leave so you can keep in touch with family
and friends via email while on your safari.
You will be provided with emergency contact information to give to your family and friends on how to contact you in the bush. In case of an emergency, a family member can contact our emergency mobile phone, which is carried by a member in Los Angeles 24 hours a day. We will then immediately relay the message to our Arusha office and they will contact your driver guide by long distance radio. We will also try telephoning the lodge or camp where you will be staying. Whether you are out game driving in the bush or residing at a lodge, we will be able to contact you in case of an emergency.
Every vehicle is equipped with a long distance radio. These radios are used for communication between other driver-guides for game reports and with our main operational office in Arusha. If there is any problem on safari, your driver-guide can immediately handle the situation as he is trained and has the experience to handle any problem. He also can use his long distance radio to communicate with our operational office in Arusha.
You will also be provided with our in-country emergency contact listing before your departure. This listing includes our office numbers in Arusha as well as several emergency mobile numbers that our senior staff in Arusha carry on them 24 hours a day. If you encounter a problem while in Africa when your driver-guide is not with you (i.e. on Zanzibar or in transit), the quickest solution would be to call one of these local numbers and you will be immediately assisted.
Satellite and Cell Phones
For those individuals that require the regular use of a phone while in Africa for business or other purposes, you may wish to either rent a satellite phone in the U.S. before departure or purchase a cell phone in Tanzania. An iridium satellite phone can be rented in the U.S. before your departure and you can use anywhere in Africa as long as you have a direct line of sight to the sky. A recommended satellite phone rental company is http://www.mobalrental.com. Mobal Rental will mail you the satellite phone and all equipment (charger, batteries, plug adapter, instruction book, etc.) a few days prior to your departure and will include a return envelope for use when you return. Alternatively, you can purchase a Tanzania cell phone while in Arusha but please make sure you have at least a half-day in Arusha before your safari to purchase. A cell phone (i.e. Nokia or similar) costs about $60 and you can buy prepaid minutes on ‘Celtel’ cards ranging from $5 to $50. You can then make and receive international calls instantly at very reasonable rates, which will be deducted from your prepaid Celtel card. Celtel is the major cell and mobile carrier in Tanzania and reception is good throughout Tanzania including Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Zanzibar and the central and southern regions of the Serengeti. There is no reception in the northern and western regions of the Serengeti.
You will be provided with emergency contact information to give to your family and friends on how to contact you in the bush. In case of an emergency, a family member can contact our emergency mobile phone, which is carried by a member in Los Angeles 24 hours a day. We will then immediately relay the message to our Arusha office and they will contact your driver guide by long distance radio. We will also try telephoning the lodge or camp where you will be staying. Whether you are out game driving in the bush or residing at a lodge, we will be able to contact you in case of an emergency.
Every vehicle is equipped with a long distance radio. These radios are used for communication between other driver-guides for game reports and with our main operational office in Arusha. If there is any problem on safari, your driver-guide can immediately handle the situation as he is trained and has the experience to handle any problem. He also can use his long distance radio to communicate with our operational office in Arusha.
You will also be provided with our in-country emergency contact listing before your departure. This listing includes our office numbers in Arusha as well as several emergency mobile numbers that our senior staff in Arusha carry on them 24 hours a day. If you encounter a problem while in Africa when your driver-guide is not with you (i.e. on Zanzibar or in transit), the quickest solution would be to call one of these local numbers and you will be immediately assisted.
Satellite and Cell Phones
For those individuals that require the regular use of a phone while in Africa for business or other purposes, you may wish to either rent a satellite phone in the U.S. before departure or purchase a cell phone in Tanzania. An iridium satellite phone can be rented in the U.S. before your departure and you can use anywhere in Africa as long as you have a direct line of sight to the sky. A recommended satellite phone rental company is http://www.mobalrental.com. Mobal Rental will mail you the satellite phone and all equipment (charger, batteries, plug adapter, instruction book, etc.) a few days prior to your departure and will include a return envelope for use when you return. Alternatively, you can purchase a Tanzania cell phone while in Arusha but please make sure you have at least a half-day in Arusha before your safari to purchase. A cell phone (i.e. Nokia or similar) costs about $60 and you can buy prepaid minutes on ‘Celtel’ cards ranging from $5 to $50. You can then make and receive international calls instantly at very reasonable rates, which will be deducted from your prepaid Celtel card. Celtel is the major cell and mobile carrier in Tanzania and reception is good throughout Tanzania including Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Zanzibar and the central and southern regions of the Serengeti. There is no reception in the northern and western regions of the Serengeti.