If you have the time, driving is the best way to explore the vast and beautifully diverse country that is Tanzania. Driving in Tanzania can be both liberating and terrifying. There is no idiotic road-rage nonsense because nobody cares about road rules.
There is a degree of freedom that you just don’t get in the Western world. If your vehicle will physically fit somewhere, nobody will bat an eyelid while you try to fit it there. If you have driven in any developing country before, you will be well prepared for driving in Tanzania. You drive on the left-hand side of the road.
Driving here can be a world of extremes: sheer bliss pottering along quiet mountain or savannah roads, or the terror of having to swerve out of the way of an oncoming coach. The inner-city and main inter-city roads are a real pain in the arse. The minor roads and dirt roads are awesome.
Hiring or shipping your own vehicle are both options. For hiring, you can get a budget Toyota RAV4 or go all out and hire a properly kitted-out overland vehicle. We have travelled with both, and both work well. For the budget car hires, make sure you check the tyres all around, including the inside side walls for damage or bad repairs. Check the condition of the spare tyre, and that you have everything you need to change a tyre. Punctures are common.
For the most part, the tar roads are in reasonable condition, you won’t need a 4WD to drive tar roads. National Parks will require 4WD vehicles. Capable off-roaders such as Land Cruisers, Defenders & pick-ups are best. Smaller SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 may have issues gaining entry to some parks, even in the dry season. The rangers don’t want to keep having to rescue stuck vehicles.
Unofficial highway rules:
Generally, the bigger the vehicle, the more priority it has on the highway. Pedestrians & cyclists are at the bottom, and trucks and inter-city coaches are at the top. As far as I can tell, motorcycle taxis (boda-bodas) don’t have to adhere to any highway rules, official or not. They seem to have no regard for their safety – they will undertake, overtake, pull out of side roads without looking and ignore red lights. Police are busy pestering car and truck drivers and don’t even look at motorbikers. If you ever need a taxi, I’d suggest a Tuk-tuk (bajaji) instead of a motorcycle taxi. You’ll live longer.
Dangers to be aware of:
The main arterial roads, such as the Tan-Zam highway (A7 &A104) in particular, are extremely dangerous. The number of overturned trucks in roadside ditches are testament to this.
Coach drivers display some of the worst, most dangerous driving you’ll ever see anywhere. The coaches are large with surprisingly powerful engines, and they seem more than happy to overtake HGV convoys, regardless of any oncoming traffic. Keep your eyes out for them. If they are behind you, its guaranteed they won’t be there for long. They will overtake and pull into gaps that aren’t there. If you see them coming towards you, they will probably be overtaking oncoming traffic and will be on your side of the road. You’ll have to slow down, stop or pull off the road to avoid a head-on collision.
Trucks are generally very slow-moving and mostly seem to be in various states of disrepair. They generally dont pose too many dangers, apart from forming long nose-to-tail convoys that are difficult and dangerous to overtake.
The Kitonga mountain road between Iringa and Morogoro is steep and twisty, and is by far the most dangerous section of the Tan-Zam highway.
Breakdowns:
If you break down or have a puncture on a busy road such as the Tan-Zam highway, your first priority should be to get off the road. If this means driving with a flat tyre for a few hundred metres to find a safe place that is well off the road then do it; it is worth destroying a tyre rather than risking being hit by another vehicle.
If you break down and are stuck in a dangerous position on the highway, the locals have found a great solution to warn other road users, and you may choose to do the same: They drag piles of branches into the middle of the lane behind the vehicle, kind of like traffic cones in European road works. A small camp saw would be a useful addition to your toolkit. When other road users see the piles of branches in the middle of the lane, they know that there is a stranded vehicle up ahead, and may consider slowing down. The traffic rules state that you need enough hi-hiz vests for all occupants and a warning triangle. Deploy these too.
Driving at night:
Don’t do it by choice, it is not worth it. If you do get caught out (as happens sometimes), take extreme care. There is usually no street lighting. Pedestrians and cyclists seem to come out in force at night and are very hard to see. This applies to rural as well as urban areas. People use the roads as footpaths. You will come across 2 main types of vehicles while driving at night: those with no lights, and those with only a very bright main beam. I suspect the main beam is used to illuminate those who don’t have lights. Regardless, both invisible and blinding make for an unpleasant journey.
Goddam police checkpoints:
Between Dar-Es-Salaam and Chalinze (on the A7), there are constant speed traps and police checkpoints. Similarly in the north near Moshe and Arusha. Stick to the speed limit, and don’t overtake when there are solid (faded) white lines in the middle of the road. Watch out for speed limit roundels, they tend not to repeat so it is very easy to get caught out. Inter-city coaches do have their uses if you can stay behind one for long enough. They know where all the police checkpoints are, so will slow down in all the right places. Police checkpoints are everywhere on the main highways, more so on the approaches to built-up areas where there are changes in speed limits. They wear bright white uniforms and are easily spotted from a distance. By the time you spot them, it may be too late as their speed radar guns work extremely well.
You will probably get caught speeding or crossing a white line at some point, and this is where you’ll get to meet some generally friendly Tanzanian traffic police. You will need to pay a fine (30’000 Tsh or £10 GBP). Not really a bank breaker but make sure you insist on getting a receipt or they will pocket it for themselves. If they say their receipt machine isn’t working due to a network error, just say you are happy to wait until it starts working again. The government have been trying to clamp down on corruption but it is still rife. They are cautious about being caught accepting bribes, but will still try to get bribes from people. Always be polite and respectful when interacting with the police. This is sensible advice wherever you are in the world.
Dirt and gravel roads:
These will take you to some stunning places and should be driven at a leisurely pace. Smooth gravel can lull you into picking up speed, then hit you with a large hole, washout or crazy corrugation. Make sure that your vehicle is in good running order. Its a good idea to check underneath the car from front to rear at the end of each day, or whenever you stop for a break. Stop and buy fruit or sugar cane from these remote roadside stalls. Some of the most delicious fresh fruit you’ll ever taste will be from these stalls. The people are friendly, and they need your business. Don’t be a tit and haggle over pennies. The price is plenty cheap enough.
If you dont have a 4WD, many gravel roads are still driveable. However, if you come across a section that is being graded/repaired then youll maybe wish you had a 4WD. In these areas they dump large piles of dirt & aggregate, then use grading machinery to scrape it around. Passage through these muddy & rutted spots can be tricky with only 2WD. The locals will be happy to give you a push.
Driving in the National Parks:
Check your vehicle before entering the park. Inspect the tyres and running gear, oil and water. Kick the spare tyre to make sure there is air in it.
You should stick to the roads and trails. There are plenty of them leading to all the best wildlife-spotting areas. Going off the trail could lead to you getting stuck, damaging the vegetation or getting fined by the rangers. In National Parks you are not allowed to leave the tracks, in Game Reserves you are.
Stay in the vehicle, except at designated picnic sites. You may spend all day looking for Lions, and may think that because you cant seem them that there aren’t any. They are very well camouflaged, and doze in the shade during the heat of the day. If you need to get out of the car for a wee or change a tyre, do it in a wide open area, where there is no cover for predators to hide in. Leave the car door open and stay within 5m of the car. You and everybody with you should be looking around.
