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Travel advice for Tanzania & Zanzibar
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Tanzania & Zanzibar
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written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 11.10.2022
Kiswahili is the glue that binds Tanzania together. It’s essentially a Bantu tongue, enriched by thousands of loan words, primarily Persian and Arabic, but also Hindi, Portuguese, German and English.
Kiswahili is pronounced exactly as it’s written, with the stress nearly always on the penultimate syllable. Where an apostrophe precedes a vowel (eg ng’ombe; cattle), the vowel is accentuated, something like a gulp.
The ability to pepper conversation with appropriate proverbs (methali) is also much admired in Tanzania – as elsewhere in Africa. The pithier sayings even find their way onto kangas worn by women, to express sentiments that might be taboo if spoken aloud.
Here are a few of our favourites, taken from the new Rough Guide to Tanzania. For more inspiration, read our run-down of the best things to do in Tanzania.
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Explore more of Tanzania with the Rough Guide to Tanzania. Compare flights, find tours, book hostels and hotels for your trip, and don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 11.10.2022
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Tanzania & Zanzibar
Plan your tailor-made trip with a local expert
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