Travel Guide to Zanzibar – Tanzania was the third country in Africa that we had the excellent chance to visit – the first country was gorgeous Seychelles, and the second was amazing South Africa.
Zanzibar was a last-minute, spontaneous trip; hence, we didn’t have anything planned when we got there. We learned a lot from that and would love to share our experience and everything you’ll need to plan your next trip to Zanzibar. Shall we get started?
Things you should know
Where is Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, just 15 miles off the coast of Tanzania, and it is a breathtaking spot to escape from the world.
Travel Guide to Zanzibar – Language:
The official language of Zanzibar is Swahili, but English is also widely spoken.
Hakuna Matata
We bet you’ve heard this famous quote from The Lion King movie, right? You probably don’t know that this word means “no worries” in Swahili, a language spoken in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and also Tanzania, where Zanzibar is located.
On your next trip to Zanzibar, you will realize that everything is Hakuna Matata, meaning Zanzibar has a laid-back and relaxed vibe. They have their own pace, and it’s usually really chill, hence “Hakuna Matata”..”
Another word you will probably use in Zanzibar is Asante Sana, or just Asante, which means thank you so much or thank you. Jambo is another word used a lot and used a lot and means “Hello.” So when you arrive in Zanzibar, the first thing you will hear and say is “Jambo Jambo.”
The warm-hearted people from Zanzibar love to hear tourists speaking at least a little bit of their language. So it’s nice to try using these words mentioned above when visiting this beautiful place.
Travel Guide to Zanzibar – What to wear
As Zanzibar is a conservative, predominantly Muslim society, tourists should try to cover their bodies from shoulders to knees in public places. We recommend that both women and men pack a couple of clothes that cover the shoulders and wear shorts that at least cover the knees.
However, there are no outfit requirements inside your hotel and resort. The staff is used to seeing tourists from different cultured and of course, they are respectful.
What is the currency?
Zanzibar’s currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS) 1€ = 2727,26 TZS
How is the weather?
Weather – Travel Guide to Zanzibar
Zanzibar is blessed with warm weather all year round, with an average temperature of 27°C in the Summer months, from October to May, and a comfortable 25°C between June and September.
However, the best time to visit is from June to October during the cool, dry months of Spring. Another popular time to visit this tropical island is from December to February, when it’s hot and dry.
We don’t recommend visiting Zanzibar during the two rainy seasons, from mid-March to late May; and again in November.
Unfortunately, we went to Zanzibar in May and got rainy primarily days during our stay. As we mentioned before, it was a last-minute trip, so we didn’t plan on going in such a rainy season.
Airport:
Zanzibar International Airport
Time:
GMT +03:00
Electricity:
220/240 volt AC at 50 cycles.
Do I need a VISA to enter?
For most countries, the short answer is yes, but you get a VISA at the airport. The cost of the Single Entry eVisa (Online Ordinary visa – we recommend applying ten days in advance) or a visa upon arrival at a border entry checkpoint is USD 50.00.
We got our VISA at the airport, which it’s when you leave the plane. However, we recommend getting it before 100% as most people call it at the airport, and the line can be extensive and take a long time.
Covid Situation?
Zanzibar was the first place we visited where NO ONE was using masks during COVID – not even officers. The only people we saw wearing masks were the staff from the hotels we stayed at.
However, there are some Covid requirements for tourists to enter the archipelago, and they are as follows:
- A negative PCR test at least 72h before arrival and;
- Fill out the declaration of health form at least 24h before arrival. Find the form by clicking here.
How Long Should I Stay in Zanzibar?
Five days in Zanzibar will be enough to have a good experience and explore the Island.
What to do in Zanzibar?
Zanzibar has a diverse coastline with plenty of different experiences across the main island, vibrant culture in the South, and idyllic barefoot luxury in the North. There is plenty to see beyond stately palm trees and white beaches.
Different areas of Zanzibar, where to go, and what to expect at each:
Stone Town: Zanzibar’s historic capital, a World Heritage Site, and the former capital of the main island. Several places of interest are scattered around town, like Beit el-Ajaib (House of Wonders), a former sultan’s palace.
Zanzibar East Coast: home to the island’s best and most idyllic beaches, the east coast is home to a wide range of lodges and hotels, but the tidal aspect of the Indian Ocean may mean you have to walk to go swimming or snorkeling.
Zanzibar North Coast: as a rule, the further north on Zanzibar you go, the more private and less crowded the beaches are. The north coast is also least affected by the tidal range.
Zanzibar North-east Coast: the island’s prime location, most of Zanzibar’s top-end accommodation is set on the northeast beaches. The diving is excellent here.
Zanzibar South Coast: the further south you go on Zanzibar, the more populated it becomes. And with people comes culture – head south for cultural and spice tours and more opportunities to engage with the locals.
Zanzibar South-East Coast: there are plenty of beaches and resorts in the southeast of Zanzibar, but the tidal range is more marked than in other regions.
Zanzibar West Coast: there are fewer lodges on Zanzibar’s west coast, and it feels a little more remote, but it is, of course, home to Stone Town, located on the island’s central-west coast.
Getting Around
It isn’t an easy task to get around in Zanzibar by yourself. The traffic is different; many people walk in the middle of the streets, most of the roads are unpaved, and last but not least, they drive on the left side.
We strongly recommend arranging a transfer before you get to the airport, and we’ll explain why. People in Zanzibar start approaching tourists already at the airport; they take your luggage and ask for tips in return. They did that with us inside the airport; it was the first time we saw it. We didn’t have money with us, and they were weird about that. So long story short, try to have a local “escorting” you from the airport.
Also, ALWAYS negotiate the fare. ALWAYS. Having cash in hands is also an excellent idea in Zanzibar. It’s easier to deal with when you have money.
BONUS TIP: We got around a few times with a taxi company that we felt pretty safe, and they had fair prices – still needed to negotiate before closing the deal – The name is ZAN Island Taxi (They have excellent Tripadvisor reviews), and their contact is: +255-777-577-207
Where to Stay
Zanzibar White Sand Villas & Spa
This Travel Guide to Zanzibar also gives you an idea of where to stay.
This is your hotel if you want luxury, exclusivity, and even your private butler.
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa is a luxury boutique hotel, family owned, located on the pristine sands of Paje beach, on the East coast of Zanzibar.
A super exclusive boutique hotel with private luxury villas, each one with a dining lounge, recreational area, sun deck and swimming pool, guest rooms, and a space of 1500 sqm per villa.
This place was one of the best hotels we’ve ever stayed at, and we can’t recommend it enough. We are sure you will have a fantastic time, and they will take excellent care of you there.
At White Sand Villas, you will find the highest standard of service: fantastic spa treatments and facilities, two restaurants, a rooftop champagne bar, a beach bar, a lounge, and a high-end kitesurfing and watersports center. The large resort (4 hectares) hosts only 11 luxury villas and 3 Cinnamon rooms to ensure maximum space and privacy for each guest.
You can also find lots of activities such as a beach cruiser that’s free for all guests, main pool, sun-beds, children’s playground, game room, fitness center, pool table, ping pong table, beach bar, lounge bar, beach restaurant, boutique and for clears nights, stargazing. They truly have it all!
Our Villa
We got a gorgeous beachfront one-bedroom villa, and just so you can picture this awesomeness, here are some features of it:
The dining lounge, recreational area, rooftop terrace, expansive sun deck, swimming pool, a guest room, and an external bathroom with an outdoor shower and bathtub are surrounded by lush gardens on a secluded space right on the beachfront of Page. On top of that, the villa is serviced by a butler for your utmost comfort. I know!!
Experiences
Water Sports
Page is well-known as one of the top kitesurfing spots in the world. Zanzibar White Sand Villas opened their own high-end Kitesurf club: Zanzibar Kite Paradise.
Among the services offered, you will find:
• Kitesurfing lessons
• Equipment rental (kitesurf and windsurf)
• Snorkeling equipment
• Stand-Up-Paddles and kayaks (including transparent kayak) rentals
SPA
At White Sand Villas, you can also find a wide range of treatments in their spa. The therapists use locally sourced products based on seaweed, coconut, and spices in Zanzibar.
Dinning
Besides all beauty of this place, and trust us when we say that this place is gorgeous, the food was a highlight. From breakfast to dinner, we had excellent meals.
Doors to Zanzibar Restaurant – This is their main restaurant with an upscale atmosphere and a la carte menu. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had most of our meals here, and each one was fantastic. At night you have a set menu that is divine!
They also have a beach restaurant, but as we were in the rainy season, we didn’t have the chance to try it. Next time!
The hotel gave us a surprise on our last night and prepared a romantic dinner inside our Villa. They made a beautiful set up by the pool, and we had a full dinner service with delicious fresh local seafood under the stars – the rain also gave us some rest that night. You can also have this beautiful and romantic setup made for you; just let them know at least 24 hours in advance (setup charge applies).
VIP Airport Assistance
We recommend purchasing the VIP airport assistance at arrival and departure (skip queues and get luggage assistance).
Ps: This was one of our biggest mistakes. As we mentioned, we didn’t get this assistance, and we had the most stressful arrival in the country. If you don’t have the proper service or don’t know what to expect, Zanzibar can be overwhelming. It took us forever at immigration, and at the luggage pickup, they tried to charge us for taking our luggage out of the carousel (yes, no kidding). Also, the taxi we got at the airport drove like crazy on a wet and unpaved road. It was stressful.
Again, we can’t stress this enough, the VIP assistance offered by White Sand Villas is beyond recommended.
The Residence Zanzibar
Travel Guide to Zanzibar – Hotel
The Residence Zanzibar lies within a lush, forested 32-hectare estate right by the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Monkeys will be your new best friends at The Residence Zanzibar. They are all over the place, and they are super adorable. However, keep an eye out for them because they will steal your food.
The beautiful Residence Zanzibar has a great location just 55 minutes from the airport and the capital Stone Town. Also, the village of Kizimkazi, famous for its dolphin safaris, is just 20 minutes away.
One of the main attractions of the resort is the beachfront infinity pool. Nothing less than a 45mx15m infinity pool featuring glass walls. It’s the perfect pool to relax and capture that fantastic picture!
Some of the services offered by the resorts are: Airport transfers – Babysitting service – Bicycles or buggy with driver to explore the property – Weekly yoga classes (complimentary) – Pressing service on arrival (up to two pieces per person complimentary) – Multilingual concierge – Ice cream and fruit skewers are served on the beach and poolside (positive)
Activities & Experiences
Our Travel Guide to Zanzibar also includes fantastic activities. Whether you love diving to the ocean depths or prefer to stay on the shimmering surface, The Residence Zanzibar offers a wide variety of water-based activities. Depending on the tides, complimentary non-motorized water sports are available from their Boat House.
Watersports
• Kayaking
• Pedal Boat
• Hobie Cat
Other Activities
• Kite surfing
• Deep sea fishing
• Dolphin safari
• Dhow cruise (traditional boat)
• Scuba diving: there are five dive sites between 30 mins and 1 hour away
• Cultural and nature excursions
Accommodation
The resort has 66 luxurious villas. Most of them are beachfront villas with a great pool where you can enjoy the sun going down over the Indian Ocean. Bicycles are provided for each of Zanzibar’s luxury villas so that you can have a great time riding around this beautiful place. This is something that we loved to do there. Just take the bikes and go for a ride through the resort.
Our Room
We got a One Bedroom Prestige Ocean Front Pool Villa.
Just steps from the beach, our beautiful villa was the perfect spot to enjoy the private pool while looking at the ocean. Perfect to include on this Travel Guide to Zanzibar.
The bedroom was beautiful and with a living room separated from the bedroom. Simply gorgeous!
We loved that we could go from our room to the pool, then to the beach, and back to our private collection. That does sound amazing, huh?
Also, the bathroom has a bathtub and indoor and outdoor showers. Nothing else to ask for here!
Travel Guide to Zanzibar- Dinning
We got the half board package – breakfast and dinner included. No alcoholic drinks included. For further dining info at The Residence Zanzibar, click here.
This meal plan works nicely for us as we often have a good breakfast to start the day and don’t usually get hungry until late in the afternoon. Plus, if you think about doing some activities during the day, you wouldn’t have time to have lunch anyway, right?
Both breakfast and dinner were at the same restaurant- The Dining Room – the main restaurant just beside the infinity pool and facing the ocean. They also have another restaurant called The Pavilion, but it was closed when we were there because it was the low rainy season.
Start the day by having breakfast with a gorgeous ocean view is something that you can’t get enough of it. The a La Carte breakfast was good, with a great selection of bread, cheese, eggs, pastries, and much more.
You can also have a great variety at dinner and find international cuisine, meat, pasta, pizza, and so on on the menu.
Remember that they don’t change the menu daily, meaning you will have the same options every night. That can be good and bad at the same time. Good because when you have a great variety of dishes, sometimes you want to try out different things from the same menu, and here, you will have the option. Looking on the wrong side, if you stay here for over a week, the chances are that you will be tired of seeing the same choices every day.
Last night, we had a special private dinner at the beach. If you guys are like us, you know that nothing can’t beat a romantic dinner on the beach. The food was excellent and paired with champagne. It was a truly wonderful evening.
No Travel Guide to Zanzibar is complete without a SPA day
The hotel’s star attraction. It features six spacious treatment pavilions and a relaxation area with a whirlpool, sauna, and steam room nestled amongst two hectares of tropical gardens.
Before we left The Residence and Zanzibar, on our ‘last day’, our flight back to Portugal was canceled. You can imagine how stressful and expensive that was. We had to get a new PCR test, rebook our transfer the other day, stay one more day at the resort, and so on…
BUT everything happens for a reason, right? In the end, we looked at everything on the bright side.
We got to stay one more beautiful sunny day at the resort (yes, it was sunny on the last day we were there) and got THE BEST massage ever. Seriously. The resort gave us this treat, and after the massage, all our problems were gone—the ultimate Zanzibar spa experience in 90 minutes.
Last but not least, the staff at The Residence Zanzibar deserves special thanks! They were all genuinely unique to us. We felt at home.
Final Thoughts on our Travel Guide to Zanzibar
Zanzibar is genuinely fantastic, and they need more tourists than many places we’ve been to.
It’s a beautiful place with crystal clear water and wonderful sea life. You can dive with turtles, see dolphins, and much more! Just remember that they don’t have the infrastructure you might have seen in other places. So do your research before and ensure you won’t be negatively surprised.
Has anyone here ever been to Zanzibar? Please share with us your thoughts about this beautiful place.
