Pre-Departure Information
Obtaining a Tanzania Visa
Rebecca Aguas will coordinate the visa process for all students traveling on the program and will share information including application forms and visa requirements in early spring. For more information, visit the Tanzanian Embassy website.
Pre-Travel Orientation at Princeton
Please review the University's travel policies on the University Travel website. All students accepted into the program are required to attend mandatory pre-departure orientation meetings hosted by the Princeton in Dar es Salaam program and the Office of International Programs in April 2013.
1. Office of International Programs General Pre-Departure Orientation: Attend one session (dates and locations to be announced).
2. Princeton in Dar es Salaam Pre-Travel Meeting:
12 noon-1 p.m, Friday, April 12, 2013, 216 Aaron Burr Hall.
Cultural adaptation and living in Tanzania. This session will provide an informal forum to meet and discuss with Princeton University students who studied on the program and/or traveled to or lived in Dar es Salaam before. All basics of adapting to a new cultural environment will be explored, including:
- Daily life in Dar and UDSM (food, health, safety, transportation)
- What to pack, dress, electronics/appliances, communicating from Dar
- Travel immunizations and health preparations (Helen Ackley – McCosh Health Center, Travel and Immunization Services)
- Obtaining U.S. passport and Tanzania visa – Mahiri Mwita
- Travel planning and airport pick-up in Dar - Mahiri Mwita
Arrival in Dar es Salaam
Students should arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport at Dar es Salaam on Saturday, June 8, 2013. Professor Mahiri Mwita will meet students at the airport. Orientation at the University of Dar es Salaam and a guided tour of the city will take place on Sunday, June 9, 2013 beginning at 12 noon.
Unofficial Students' Guide to Princeton in Dar es Salaam
Everything you need to know before you go and while you're there--suggestions from past alumni, compiled by Rachel “Amani” Jackson '11 (Princeton in Dar ’09):
A Note on Dress
Both male and female students are encouraged to dress conservatively. Students at UDSM dress as most young people do, but short, revealing attire for young women is inappropriate. Dresses are common apparel for girls and women, although jeans are commonly worn by all. Students are expected to respect local customs by dressing modestly.
Communication
The mobile phone revolution in Africa has transformed the cell phone into the default means of communication in Tanzania and East Africa. Many people have cell phones, and it is very easy for anybody visiting the country to acquire one. Once you arrive in Tanzania, visit the nearest shop, buy a handset plus a SIM card (that has your new telephone number), buy airtime, and, almost instantly, you own a phone line and can communicate to anywhere in the world. The cost of a connected cell phone starts at about $50. You need no credit check to get a line, and you only pay for outgoing calls; incoming calls are free.
