Lonely Planet Tanzania, Zanzibar & Pemba

I regularly use the Lonely Planet books for preparing for my trips and while traveling. This book covers the most popular hotels and restaurants, and it has pretty good general travel advice for Tanzania and safari. For hiking Kilimanjaro, I like the Cameron Burns book. For wildlife reference, I like the Wildlife of East Africa book. My only complaint is that prices get outdated very quickly, but there's not much you can do about that with a published book. As a tour operator with Adventures Within Reach, this book is used by most of our clients. If you only have one book with you in Tanzania, this is probably the best choice.

I just returned from Tanzania and this book provided all the information I needed on the different safaris, Masai tribe, Zanzibar/Stone Town, places to eat, etc. It was a great guide!

Lonely planet tops the genre. Really only good for if you are going or you want to understand what a friend or family member is likely to encounter there.

Whether you plan on doing a safari, or relaxing in the beaches of Zanzibar, or visiting the less traveled regions of Tanzania, this book provides all the useful information that you need to plan your trip or to have a more complete experience once you are there, whether you are planning to travel with a limited budget or not. The book covers Tanzania's wildlife attractions, historical sites, seldom visited places, culture, political history, food, health, maps, local traditions, etc. I didn't find any flaw worth mentioning with the book. So if you plan on going to Tanzania or are just thinking about it, this book will convince you that it is a place worth visiting, with more possibilities than you can imagine.

The Lonely Planet produces excellent travel guides, and their Tanzania/Zanzibar edition is no exception. I have used this book on four different trips, and found it indispensible. The guide does an admirable job describing the popular tourist stops (the game parks, Zanzibar's Stone Town, etc.), but its real strength lies in giving the details necessary to take the roads less travelled. I have found the hotel prices in the guide to be remarkably accurate, though naturally some things have changed. The "getting there and away" sections provide options for transportation to and from cities and towns; while the range of alternatives generally stays the same, departure times and prices can change drastically. Always plan on things taking longer than you expect.Tanzania and Zanzibar are amazing places to visit, and the Lonely Planet will give you the means to make the most of your trip.