BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey All
I had heard that companies in Kenya and Tanzania want US cash rather than travellers cheques, as there had been alot of fraud with the travellers cheques.
Also is it possible to cash travellers cheques into US cash out there or is it converted only into the local currency.
Any adive would be greatly appreciated.

Cash is king.

You will have zero luck cashing cheques in remote locations.

Cash cash cash cash cash.

Not only are traveler's checks no good in remote locations, even in cities you'll have trouble using them.

Yes...they are right. You will really have trouble to use your traveler's check in Kenya and Tanzania. I used to think maybe you get get local currencies from ATM and pay with local currencies. But unfortunately, you are usually quoted worse rate if you use local currencies. So...CASH!

Traveler's checks are cashable, at really bad rates, if you are in the right place in the right city. They are not worth the trouble.

Bring cash.

In case the point hasn't already been driven home, the USD is actually the preferred currency in Tanzania. I didn't bring many USD and am suffering because I have to pull money out of my account in TSH and convert back to USD, therefore getting horrible conversion rates. Most of the tour companies and hotels/lodges will price in USD and while you can pay in TSH, the rates are really bad.

also, the bills themselves have to be nice and neat, and only a couple years old (i think 2001 is the cut-off).

To be safe I'd actually make sure your bills are within the last 2-3 years. The cutoff is always changing.

Yup, bring cash. And make sure the bills have the big faces on them. I've heard some banks will take the old bills to exchange for new ones but they will take a hefty fee out of it. Also, I'm pretty sure that visas for Tanzania are only sold in US$ (since everyone in the airport, regardless of where they were from, was carrying) so make sure you have it.

I am really having trouble to grasp the whole no TC thing...how do you feel safe to carry so much money with you? Also, must it be small bills? Thanks.

I kept my cash in different places so that if some got stolen I wouldn't lose it all. Mostly though I used my ATM card and saved my precious USD for when I really needed them. Most big cities will have ATMs (Visa, not nearly as many MC, at least where I was). I just made sure I always took out enought to get me to the next big city where I would have ATM access.

Jillian

try carrying cash in different areas. money belt, front pocket, wallet in bag, etc. i just hid $200 in pack that was locked and kept in my room. i was lazy too though, so i didn't bother stashing my shoe/pocket/bra/etc with cash.. just left everything in my wallet and just paid extra attention to my surroundings.

Hey, has anybody mentioned cash yet? Becasue that's definitely the way to go.

Oh, and, my little trick is to sew a zippered pocket into my pantleg, and keep US cash and my passport and debit card in a ziplock bag in there. Actually, I only figured out the ziplock bag part after drenching my passport...

quote:

Originally posted by Jillian:
I kept my cash in different places so that if some got stolen I wouldn't lose it all. Mostly though I used my ATM card and saved my precious USD for when I really needed them. Most big cities will have ATMs (Visa, not nearly as many MC, at least where I was). I just made sure I always took out enought to get me to the next big city where I would have ATM access.

Jillian

Do you mean you were using a credit-card type Visa to get money, or something kind of bank card? (I'm hoping for more info on the former, since that is what I have...)

credit cards cost a FORTUNE to use as ATMs. Let me repeat a FORTUNE!!

I opened up a credit union checking account that had lower-than-most fees for overseas ATM use.

So keep a credit card for emergencies, but what you want is an ATM. Make a photocopy and keep it separate in case it gets lost. Also keep the 800 number or an overseas number you can call if it gets lost to reduce hassle.

I did carry five $100 traveler's checks (I was gone over two months), but they were almost useless. I managed to use two at a hostel in Jinja, Uganda and mainly I used them simply because they actually took them and I got US dollars back.