Tanzania - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

solid enough insights so far

My husband and I are planning a safari in Tanzania, so we were very interested in this topic.The drawback, for us, was that there is no publication date in the book. Are these cultural aspects from current time, or from the 1960's.

I purchased this book aobut a month before my recent trip to Tanzania. The information in this book is helpful in understanding the people and their culture. The locals appreciated that we had some knowledge of the customs and history. One of the useful facts in this book, is that Tanzanians find it insulting if you hand them items with your left hand. The respectful way, is with your right hand. This was particularly useful to my husband - a lefty. He was very cognisant of using his right hand to pay, gesture, etc. It also provides a good insight into the politcal history of the region, which you will find useful when traversing the region. I highly recommend this book to anyone traveling to Tanzania or anyone interested in learning more about the country. It is a quick and easy read.

I have found that entire sections of this book match passages from the website of Canada's Centre for Intercultural Learning ([...] I do not know which side committed the crime but I read in the review for Culture Smart - India that there were passages taken verbatim from another book. That is two strikes against the CultureSmart series. The book is well-organized and easy to read so I gave it three stars since it is easier than reading 100 different websites and books, however they should have at least changed the wording!! This is something I would expect out of a lazy college freshman.

I will be traveling to Tanzania soon and really appreciate all the inforation in this book. Besides being informative, it was very interesting and easy to read. All the highlights were covered to help anyone that will be traveling there.

This is a guide that I wish I needed more. It sounds like a perfect guide for those who will be spending months or years in Tanzania; I will be visiting on a safari, so contacts with local people will perforce be a lot more sparse than if I were coming to teach or work in the country. That said, it was a very interesting look at a culture that is not familiar to me. Even though I'll only be in Tanzania for a couple weeks, it should help me to avoid some of the 'ugly American' cliché behavior that can sometimes be seen in tourists.

This nifty little book, available at Amazon, broaches all sorts of small details that make for interesting reading whether one is planning a visit to Tanzania or sadly, not. It's one of a series of many such books on many countries, all inexpensive. My next one will be the one citing U.S. custom....which should be interesting and perhaps eye-opening....and that will be followed, one by one, by most of the series as reading time permits. Anyone with any interest for other cultures would enjoy this, I think.

Good easy-to-read introduction for visitors oon safari to this unique country. You get an introduction to not only the government, religions (Muslim and Christian coexisting peacefully), and business, but more importantly, the people and cultures of Tanzania and Zanzibar. Remember that we are the visitors, and there are culturally correct ways to deal with Tanzanians, and also things not to do (ie public displays of affection). Learning a few words of Swahili will provide fascinating discussions, and humor! Highly recommended inexpensive primer for visitors!