Flying Ethiopian Airlines to Tanzania (Part 1, Pre-Departure)

Last updated: June 20, 2023

In October I took the leap to fly to Tanzania  (Kilimanjaro International Airport) from Toronto (YYZ to JRO). This was one of the best decisions I've made, so in this post I'm going to share with you my flight journey to Tanzania from Toronto and outline some tips on preparing for your flight.

This is a 3 part blog series:

Part 1: Pre-departure (this article)

Part 2: In transit (coming soon)

Part 3: Arrival (coming soon)

Please note that all the information in this article is for informational purposes only. I've mentioned some vaccines I got before the trip and medicine I'm taking and avoiding but again this is for informational purposes - please speak with your doctor to figure out what you need. Also, ensure that you do your own thorough research before travelling.

Booking the Flight

Booking the flight is probably the easiest part of this process, but one that requires the biggest decision (whether you actually want to go or not) - if you are hesitant please feel free to send us an email and we can answer any questions that you may have ([email protected]).

We found it easiest to book our flight through Google Flights, however after selecting the flight it still directed us to the Ethiopian Airlines website for payment. Everything is secure through the site so I'd recommend booking through there.

You could go directly to the Ethiopian Airlines website to book. However, I did find there was a discrepancy in the price - so I found it simpler going through Google.

Lastly, make sure to book a flight out of the country (I.e. a return ticket) as you may have an issue getting a visa on arrival if you do not.

Before the Flight

The first leg of the trip is about 12 hours of flight time to Adis Ababa from Toronto. It's important to get some things ready for the flight so that you can have an enjoyable flight. Here's a list of things to ensure:

• Make sure to pack everything you need for Tanzania. Check the weather in advance and ensure you have the correct clothing. If you're looking to climb Kilimanjaro, we have an additional list you could check for gear.
• Go to a Travel Clinic prior to your trip to ensure you have the correct vaccines and medication needed - do this well in advance.
• Get the contact information of the person or company that you will be staying with on ground. We recommend storing this information in your phone, and to print out physical copies in case you can't access your phone.
• If you've received a yellow fever vaccine, make sure that you have the certificate showing that you have received the shot. If you're travelling between countries that have yellow fever, you'll need to show proof of the shot (I.e. if you travel to Kenya and then to Tanzania you'll need to show proof of vaccination). If you're travelling direct from a country without yellow fever you'll need to prove that you're travelling from that country directly. For a list on the countries where the yellow fever vaccine is recommended, refer to this site https://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/maps/africa.html.
• As always with every trip, it's important to get travel insurance in the case that something happens. Personally, I used World Nomads for my travel insurance https://www.worldnomads.com/
• In addition to travel insurance, you may need to get emergency evacuation insurance. Speak with CloudSafari if you need recommendations on this.
• Before leaving, withdraw some USD and Tanzanian Shillings. USD can be used while in the Adis Ababa airport and can be used on arrival in Tanzania for your visa. Tanzanian Shillings are what you will use on the trip to pay for local items. Speak with our team at CloudSafari to get a better understanding at how much you'll need to withdraw (tipping will vary from trip to trip and is usually in USD).

These are some general tips I used to prepare for the pre-departure to Tanzania. For more information, just reach out to our team!

Stay tuned for Part 2 (In transit) and Part 3 (Arrival) for more information on the trip!

Thanks for Reading!

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