ELECTRONICS, BATTERIES & COMMUNICATION

PRO TIP: Label your charging cords to easily find yours at charging stations.

WHERE CAN I CHARGE MY DEVICES?

Shared charging stations and electrical outlets are available in:

  • Most Nyumba lounge and individual guest tents

  • All Thomson safari vehicles

Charging stations are equipped with multi-standard outlets, including U.S.-style sockets and USB ports, making it easy to charge phones, cameras, tablets, battery packs, and other small electronic devices.


IMPORTANT: Do not plug hair dryers, curling or straightening irons, CPAP machines, or other high-power electrical devices into these outlets. They are not designed to support high-wattage appliances and doing so can overload the electrical system, resulting in a power outage that affects the entire camp.

Buying a Universal Adapter: At hotels, lodges and some permanent tented camps, you will likely find 220- volts AC, 50-cycle current. Most modern electronic appliances can operate on this current – check your devices for the voltage requirements printed on them. If you would like to charge batteries at lodges, you will need outlet adapters, and we recommend a universal travel adapter that will cover you for all outlets you run into (and, you can use it for your future travels!).

Travelers extending their trip to Zanzibar, Ruaha, the Selous, Mahale, Rwanda or other destinations may need to charge batteries at lodges which have varying outlets – European or U.K.-style adapters.

CPAPs: If you require use of a CPAP machine, please review the information about CPAP machines on safari.

Pack Extra Batteries and Memory Cards: Bring at least two battery packs — three if you are an avid photographer. Extra memory cards are also a good idea. Extra lithium batteries must be packed in your carry-on bag for international flights.

Please note, we do not recommend bringing a laptop computer, as it is heavy (considering your limited luggage weight), cumbersome, and must always be kept on your person and protected on bumpy and dusty drives.


Evaluate Communication/phone Needs

Option 1: Take some time to disconnect and answer messages every few days.

Do you have a smartphone? If so, there is Wi-Fi available at your lodges, but remember that you will not have connection to Wi-Fi at the Nyumba camps.

Option 2: I would like to send a few texts or make a few calls to my family.

Text messages are a relatively inexpensive way of communicating with work, and can often be transmitted when the signal is too weak to support a voice call.

If you have a smartphone you may also need to adjust the settings to ensure you don’t incur hefty charges. A limited number of U.S. cell phone carriers offer coverage in Tanzania, and only a limited number of U.S. phones work with East Africa’s satellite system. Contact your cell phone provider for more details and rates.

Option 3: I need to be in contact with work or home 24/7 throughout my safari.

The most reliable form of communication in Tanzania is renting a satellite phone. We recommend All Road Communication. There are many kinds of satellite phones; depending on what features you select, they can be expensive. You will need to rent in the US before you depart.