Busting stereotypes.

I often see this on travel forums and channels: tourists avoid going on safaris, choosing only beach holidays in Zanzibar because they are afraid of catching malaria.

Where did this stereotype that you can catch malaria on a safari even come from?

Today, I stumbled upon a similar comment in a chat yet again. And I decided it's finally time to debunk this myth 👇

I rarely intervene in chat discussions, but this time I couldn't hold back.

The risk of contracting malaria in Tanzania's northern parks is 5 times lower than on Zanzibar. Although even on the island, it's quite rare.

Mosquitoes hate the cold!
Two things are crucial for mosquitoes:

ambient temperature;
the temperature required for the malaria parasite to develop inside the mosquito.

If it gets too cold at night, the mosquito might survive, but the parasite won't be able to develop properly. Therefore, the risk is determined not just by the presence of mosquitoes, but by whether the parasite can complete its life cycle inside them.

Malaria is transmitted only by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Males don't need blood at all—they feed on nectar! Females need blood for their eggs to mature. A female malaria mosquito cannot survive at temperatures below +10 °C.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located at an altitude of about 1,800–2,400 meters above sea level. At night, the temperature there often drops to +5…+10 °C during the dry season, and sometimes even lower on the crater rim.

That is exactly why many lodges on the crater rim don't even use the aggressive anti-mosquito measures you see on the coast.

What about the Serengeti?
Serengeti National Park is huge, and the situation depends on the specific area:

Central Serengeti (Seronera) — low risk.
Western Corridor — some risk exists.
Southern Serengeti and the Ndutu area — the risk is generally lower during the dry season.
Near rivers and swamps — higher risk.

But again, during the peak safari season, it gets quite chilly at night, especially from June to August. Overall, the risk of infection in the Serengeti is considered moderate, but still much lower than on the Indian Ocean coast.

Why are tourists so afraid of northern safaris?
Because many travel websites oversimplify things: "Tanzania = a country with malaria."
As a result, people imagine that lions, elephants, and millions of malaria-carrying mosquitoes are waiting for them right in the savanna.

In reality, the risk varies greatly:

High risk

the Tanzanian coast;
lowlands;
humid areas;
Zanzibar after the rains.

Minimal risk

highlands;
Ngorongoro;
certain areas of the northern safari circuit.

Why are there more cases on Zanzibar?
Biologically, it makes perfect sense. On Zanzibar:

it’s warm year-round;
high humidity;
plenty of stagnant water after the rains;
night temperatures rarely drop low enough to hinder the parasite's development.

It is an almost ideal environment for malaria mosquitoes. Unlike the Ngorongoro Crater, where you can genuinely freeze under a blanket at night.

But even on Zanzibar, cases are isolated and usually occur in Stone Town and its surrounding swampy areas.

In my 11+ years living on the island, we’ve had only 2 cases of tourists contracting malaria, and surprisingly, neither of them had been on a safari excursion.

The funny thing is that many of these worried tourists happily fly to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Asian countries where malaria and dengue fever are also present.

The truth is, the infection risk for an average tourist is quite low. Malaria is not transmitted from person to person; it is carried only by an infected female malaria mosquito. Moreover, far from every mosquito is a carrier of the disease.

Of course, just like in any tropical country, common sense precautions still apply: use repellents, wear long sleeves and pants in the evenings, and pay attention to your health.

But I really want to believe that, over time, there will be fewer stereotypes about Africa. Modern Tanzania is not just about safaris and exotic wildlife; it is an amazingly beautiful, welcoming country visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.

SAFARI AND MALARIA