I will be in the following Tanzanian towns, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Stone Town and would like to know where I am best to replenish my stock of USD?
Is it possible to withdraw USD from ATMs in Tanzania or will I need to withdraw local currency and use a currency exchange?
I have never come over any ATMs with dollars in Tanzania. I have lived in Arusha for a year (2004/2006) and have been there off and on since. I seriously doubt you will find any such ATMs. The country is however flooded with ATMs, though the one at Kilimanjaro airport was in disrepair around two months ago, last time I passed through that airport. ATMs with Tanzanian shillings (TSH) are available in most towns and along major roads.
You can usually get prices in Tanzanian shillings instead of dollars. Nobody are obliged to pay in dollars in Tanzania, although hotel owners and others may ask for dollars for many reasons.
It used to be like that, but I am sure not any more. Just checked with a friend of mine (tour operator) and they were quite sure.
The TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks) and many others also facilitate for payments using hand held VISA terminals.
There is an ATM at the airport in Kilimanjaro; I can't remember exactly if it gave me USD or local currency. I actually think it was USD as I had to pay for my visa in USD only on arrival. It as $100 at the time and did not have enough USD to cover it.
The best thing to do is to contact the Tanzania Tourist Board or the Airport Authorities in Tanzania.
and still it's not possible to withdraw USD. Not even at the branch. Only TZS and also very limited amount of 400k per transaction. It's roughly 175$.
You can of course use TZS everywhere fine. But have in mind that for safari, etc you will pay ~1500$ or more per person. It means you will need at least 10 withdrawals during your trip. And for card payment there is usually a fee of 5%.
I can, unfortunately, reassure that it's time consuming and the cash is hard to store. I advice to bring USD cash with you, covering your expensive trips and (if anything) only withdraw some portion for food and small shopping.
I haven't been to Arusha like @Kerwin, but I have been to quite a few places in Tanzania and have yet to find an ATM in the country that gives out USD. So, don't count on it, though there might be one or two tucked away somewhere.
