Society & Conduct – East Africa

In general, and it’s hard to classify three big countries, the people of East Africa tend to be very polite, curious, modest and somewhat conservative. It’s not uncommon to greet someone four or five times before beginning the conversation, asking how they are, how their children are, and how is their life. And, quite often people thank each other many times before departing. Please take the time to learn a few of the basic Swahili works, such as “asante (thank you),” “nzuri (good),” and “habari (how are you)” in order to demonstrate some respect and understanding for the culture. As a traveler, you might hear the word “karibu,” (meaning welcome) from various people inviting you to their home for tea or food, even if you don’t know them.

Attire is very important for travelers, depending upon how much respect you want, and if you want to meet and interact with Tanzanians. For men, trousers and button up shirts tend to give you the highest level of respect. For women, modest dresses and shirts that don’t expose a lot of your body do well. Shorts are frowned upon because this is something children wear. Depending upon where you are traveling and your comfort level (i.e. how many people you want staring at you), it’s recommend to dress nice in the city, and out in the bush you can relax a little bit with how you dress.

In Zanzibar and many of the Muslim areas, which tend to be located near the coast, it is extra important to dress conservative, especially for women. It not only make traveling easier, but will allow you to interact with the locals, both men and women, and grant you a level of admiration.

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