Holidays in Zanzibar (Tanzania) - 2021: my review and prices

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Author: Irina

Travel dates: mid-March
Company: many people

My vacation in Zanzibar was ... atypical. Firstly, Zanzibar itself was not planned - I went to practice Swahili * for a month at the University of Dar es Salaam (and on the spot we decided to celebrate the end of our studies). Secondly, it was the first foreign country in my life. Perhaps today's Irina would have been shocked by this Zanzibar experience, and then I would come back burned and positive.

A friend pushed me to write this article - she just returned from Zanzibar, we exchanged opinions, and I thought, why not create such an assistant guide around the island? Moreover, the place has not yet been promoted at all.

* look for useful Swahili phrases in the text 🙂

You can fly to Zanzibar on a tour both from Moscow and from the regions. For current prices for tours directly from tour operators, see here:

  • Travelata
  • Level.Travel
  • Onlinetours

Entry for Russians to Zanzibar free, without references and tests. You only need a visa upon arrival, more on that below.

Why Choose Zanzibar?

Did you know? The name of the country - Tanzania - is formed from the names of its parts: mainland (Tanganyika) + island (Zanzybar) 🙂

So why exactly Tanzania and Zanzibar Island? The answer is banal - it is the most developed beach resort in Africa.

  • The same tour operators with whom we are used to flying to Turkey organize tours here,
  • the charter program has been debugged - huge Russian Boeings regularly land at the local airport,
  • and, surprisingly, some hotels even have an "all inclusive" option.

Add the status of a real "black" Africa and the difference from hackneyed Asia and the Caribbean, the azure color of the ocean and the opportunity to dilute a beach holiday with a safari in a national park - and now the resort is already filling the list of "I want to go!"

This is the color of the Indian Ocean in Zanzibar - lazu-u-urny!

Consider in advance:

✓ No PCR tests or quarantine are required to enter Zanzibar in 2021. Of the restrictions - mask mode in public places.

✓ BUT: you need a visa to go to Tanzania. They do it either on the spot upon arrival ($ 50 per person), or at the consulate in Moscow in advance (the same $ 50). In the second case, you will not have to stand in a long queue at the airport - not yet applicable, easier to do upon arrival.

✓ Since 2019, the import of plastic bags has been banned in the country. But, apparently, the Zanzibar tourists are more loyal - the suitcases are visible, but the packages are not confiscated. For now, perhaps.

✓ No vaccinations are required to travel to Zanzibar.

✓ Do not forget the adapter, the sockets are three-pin.

Weather in Zanzibar - when is the best time to relax?

When is the best time to go to Zanzibar? On the Internet, they write that the most powerful and frequent showers are distributed by months - this is November, March, April and May.
I don't know, I was in the country all March (5 days on Zanzi and the rest in Dar es Salaam, which is very close), and the rains caught us five times during the day. Abundant, but not more than an hour. And my friend went in November - the weather was excellent, in 2 weeks we got wet only once.

In theory, it is hot here all year round, this is Africa under the equator. But it is not in vain that, starting in May, Tanzanians take out winter jackets (seriously!) - combined with strong winds, outdoor + 28 ° С feels cool.

In short, plan your Tanzania holiday in Zanzibar like Asia:

  • from November to April - good (in the air + 30 ° С ... + 31 °, ocean + 28 ° С ... + 29 ° С),
  • from May to October - not very much (in the air + 27 ° С ... + 28 ° С, ocean + 26 ° С ... + 27 ° С).
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Green - high season, there are many tourists
Yellow - a transitional period, but you can go
Red - low season, by local standards - winter

Best beaches in Zanzibar

Resorts of Tanzania are few - this is only one and only Zanzibar, which, in turn, is subdivided into sub-resorts, beaches.

The main feature of the island is the strong ebb and flow of the ocean every day. The ocean "leaves" a kilometer from the coast! Therefore, applications on the phone, like Nautide - magic wands, they tell you the exact time when to run to swim.

When the ocean "runs away", the locals go out to hunt for seashells and starfish (but don't do that to the stars, they are alive)

The best beaches on the island are northern Nungwi and Kendwa. Because, unlike the southern ones, there are not so pronounced ocean races. And the entire tourist infrastructure, of course, is also concentrated in the north.

  • The water in Zanzibar is azure, clear, clean. But this is the ocean, and, of course, there are some blades of grass and leaves.
  • Sometimes seaweed sticks to the beaches. Quite a bit, and not as nasty as in the Dominican Republic. In the hotel areas, they are piled up and taken away on carts drawn by cows.
  • Again, this is the ocean - and therefore big waves happen.
  • The sand is snow-white, soft, does not burn from the sun underfoot.
  • All beaches are visited by hyper-intrusive masseurs, sellers of shirts, towels and bracelets, braids and Masai disguises (approx. local tribe) excursion pushers.
  • Sun beds and umbrellas are rare. As a rule, only in private areas.
  • At low tide, the ocean floor looks back, and whoever is not there - and starfish, and shells (no, not like in our sea or in Turkey, but SHELLS are straight), and sea urchins, and crabs. Better to go and look in the coral. The favorite pastime of the locals is to collect all this for sale.

By the way, for the Zanzibaris, the island is not called Zanzibar, but Unguja.

Nungwi

White sand on Nungwi Beach / Zanzibarians hide under umbrellas because the sun beyond the equator is merciless

Nungwi is the leader among the resorts of the island. Most tourists spend their beach holidays in Zanzibar here.

  • It is one of the ten best beaches in the world according to the rating of some agency.
  • Nungwi has the most hotels.
  • Here - all the fun, movement, some kind of entertainment and tourists. And locals looking to make money on tourists.
  • Low tides are moderate, somewhere you can swim all day.

Moreover, the beach and ocean on Nungwi is better not on the northern "tail" itself, but in the northwestern part. Take a look a little lower on Zanzibar on the map, it will become clear.

Nungwi is a public beach, but divided into many small sections. During a powerful tide, it is inconvenient to walk - you need to bypass cafes standing right on the water, small rocks. You have to either go waist-deep into the water, or go through the roads between hotels, furnished on both sides with shops. But this is only at high tide.

There are a lot of beach-fights on the beach: the Masai (and they already speak fairly tolerably in Russian!), Coconut sellers and banned goods. The first couple of days we exchanged a couple of phrases with them, on the third day they got tired of stereotyped conversations, but the initiative on their part did not stop, and at the end we just said in glorious Swahili to get behind.

3 popular hotels on Nungwi Beach:

- 3 * Amaan Nungwi Beach
- 3 * Langi Langi Beach Bungalows
- 5 * RIU Palace Zanzibar (all inclusive)

Kendwa

Well, beauty!

And our journey began from Kendwa. In fact, this beach is very close to Nungwi. Here, for the first time, I was struck by the beauty of Zanzibar: the bluest ocean, a wide strip of white sand and no one nearby.

All shops and cafes on Kendwa are located far from the water, so you can freely walk along the ocean. He pestered and pestered less. Entry into the water is convenient, the only thing that gets in the way is the fishing boats tied to the shore.

While swimming, especially snorkeling, be careful - the locals drive jet skis and motorboats at high speed.

3 popular hotels on Kendwa Beach:

- 5 * Gold Zanzibar Beach House & Spa
- 5 * Kendwa Beach Resort & Spa
- 4 * Natural Kendwa Villas

Other beaches in Zanzibar

There are a dozen other beaches on the island - and there are also hotels (also all-inclusive) and sufficient infrastructure. But they are not so popular due to the pronounced ebb tide of the ocean.

Plus, these beaches are on the east coast of the island - and this side is sunrise, not sunset. Thousands of shades of evening pink can be seen here slightly above the tops of the palm trees.

  • Kiwengwa Beach is home to mostly luxury luxury hotels (but there are a couple of budget ones). It is good here if the main request is ti-shi-na and unity with the ocean.And "all inclusive", here it is in many places.
  • The beaches of Matemwe and Kigomani are even quieter and simpler. Minimal infrastructure, bungalow-type hotels - both budget-style and luxury.
  • Uroa Beach is a beach village with all inclusive hotels (by the way, quite affordable) and African guest houses for rent, which are proudly called villas.
  • They used to go to the southeastern beaches - Jambiani and Pazhe - for a less touristy atmosphere, but this year Russian tour operators signed contracts with many local hotels, and the Zanzibar residents tightened up the infrastructure, and now a brand new resort is ready. The wind is stronger here, and the bottom is often strewn with starfish and hedgehogs - that's why kitesurfing and diving are popular.

I will give recommendations on accommodation on these beaches in the section about hotels below.

Must-learn Swahili phrases:

- Jambo (jYambo) - hello, hello.
- Mambo (mАmbo) or Habari gani (habari gani) - how are you?
- Nzuri (nzUri) - well, in response to "how are you?"
- Kwa heri (kuA heri) - goodbye.
- Asante sana - thank you very much.

Cost of tours to Zanzibar - 2021

Already for several years in Zanzibar you can relax on a voucher without bothering. The tour includes a direct flight to the island (9-10 hours), hotel accommodation, transfer, insurance + meals, if selected. The visa is not included, it is paid on the spot at the airport.

After the planetary events of 2020, charters from Moscow flew to Zanzibar since October (approx. last year), from this date tours are also sold. Due to the demand, direct flights were delivered and from regions: that is, you can buy a tour with a departure from St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara, Ufa, Rostov-on-Don.

A year ago I wrote that the only disadvantage of a package vacation is that not all beaches have been developed by tour operators. Now I add that in the wake of demand in 2021, tours are being sold to almost every corner of Zanzibar.

As in any other country, I look at the prices for tours to Zanzibar online on the following services:

  • Travelata
  • Level.Travel
  • Onlinetours

They are convenient in that you do not need to go from site to site to compare prices, or go to travel agencies - aggregators collect all the vouchers in one place, without extra charges. Yes, tours are already online “with one foot” - like flights and hotels - which is great, it saves time and more transparency.

How much does a Zanzibar holiday in 2021 cost?

✓ Minimum voucher for 11 nights for two - from 110,000 rubles.

✓ To a hotel with good reviews - from 130,000 rubles.

✓ Well, all inclusive for the same period - from 150,000 rubles.

✓ Family trip with children (mom, dad, 2 children) for 11 nights - from 200,000 rubles.

These are prices for flights from Moscow. Tours for the regions are not much more expensive, from 120-130 thousand rubles.

Basically, vouchers are sold for 11 nights - this is how the charter flight program is drawn up. There are "packages" for 7-8 nights, but they are not always cheaper than eleven.

In the first twenty of the most budgetary tours there will be hotels on less popular beaches (from the section "Other beaches of Zanzibar"). And I would not shy away from these beaches - at least there you can find a good all-inclusive hotel much cheaper than on Nungwi or Kendwa.

Is it interesting to compare with the cost of an independent trip?

And before the arrival of tour operators, many Russians were vacationing in Zanzibar. True, everything was organized independently - this is how my friend and I visited the island. But if everything is clear with me (I was based in Dar es Salaam), then my friend made the choice “I am a savage food” because of the benefit.

Let's calculate the prices for holidays in Zanzibar, if you go yourself (for two for 11 nights):

- Firstly, air tickets.
Now the only direct regular flight Moscow-Zanzibar is operated by Utair. From 49,000 rubles per person round trip, only hand luggage is included in the price. Luggage + 4000 rubles. You can also buy a ticket for charter flights Azur Air or Royal FLight (separately, not as part of the tour). Look for tickets on Aviasales.

- Secondly, lodging.
RoomGuru suggests that a double room in a 3-star hotel on Nungwi or Kendwa will cost 30,000 rubles. On other beaches, a good "treshka" costs from 25,000.

- Thirdly, transfer.
A reasonable price for a trip from Zanzibar airport to a hotel in the north is $ 30 (2,400 rubles). Here's how you agree.

- Fourthly, insurance.
Cherehapa offers an insurance policy per person for only 800 rubles. Do not neglect!

TOTAL:
from 138,000 rubles.
The choice is yours 🙂

Vacation prices - 2021

So, ways to get considered. Now getting ready - what to expect on the spot?

Oh-oh-oh, you can be surprised at a lot of things here. Starting from the price tags in cafes, which do not go against the idea of ​​poor-poor Africa, ending with the absence of these very price tags in stores. Well, as much as you like, they will take as much!

Quiet hour on the market, as you can see, there are no price tags

Food and grocery prices

The shops.
I went to "supermarkets" (in fact, shops made of ... and sticks with a basic assortment) every day, but exclusively for water.

Important! Clean drinking water in Zanzibar is necessary not only for drinking, but also for brushing teeth and washing fruits and hands. Apparently, something indigestible is leaking from the tap. We were also advised to always check the bottles for seals - especially when shopping at a place like Simba's.

The second is important! Be sure to try Tanzanian Coca-Cola. Especially for several African countries, the company produces a special drink - cola with ginger, called tangawizi (tangavizi)... Ehh, I miss you!

Tanzania's currency is shillings. 1000 shillings ≈ 33 rubles.

Prices in Zanzibar stores in 2021:
* most frequent purchases of tourists :)

  • Water, 1.5 L - 1000-2000 shillings
  • Cola / Fanta in glass - 1000 shillings
  • Local Safari Beer - 3000 shillings
  • Bottle of wine (mainly South African) - 20,000 shillings
  • Sunscreen - from 40,000 shillings, bring your own.

Since the prices are not indicated in the shops, they can name any. I have indicated adequate, indicative ones. By the way, everything is always cheaper for Zanzibari than for tourists :)

About fruits. There are a lot of them here, but since they are brought from the mainland, they are more expensive than they could.

  • Pineapple, pcs - 2000-3000 shillings
  • Mini banana, pcs - 100 shillings
  • Mango, pcs - 1000-2000 shillings
  • Passion fruit, 1 kg - 3000 shillings (this is the first time I've tasted this shriveled thing from the cart - and how delicious it is)

Cafes and restaurants.
The peculiarity of Tanzania (and Zanzibar, of course) is VERY here. SLOW. SERVICE. Here's how to express it brighter, we waited for an order in any cafe for 40-60 minutes! An hour, imagine! You can go crazy from hunger :(

The island is rich in seafood, and they are more than acceptable. Octopus, crabs, shrimps, lobsters and that's it. As a side dish, as a rule, there are fries or rice.

In general, the basis of local cuisine is rice (uAli), chicken (kuku) or goat meat (mbuzi) and legumes (maharAge). Tourists are not served this, but if you drop by a Zanzibar eatery, you can taste it. We have been to similar ones a couple of times - it is super cheap and quite edible, however, everything is prepared in advance and is waiting for guests in heated trays.

The most impressive dish I have ever tasted is ... fish soup with bananas. Okay, okay, bananas were fodder and served as potatoes 🙂

Prices in a cafe for tourists:

Grilled large shrimps18 000-20 000590-660 rubles
Paste10 000-15 000330-495 rubles
Salad7 000-10 000230-330 rubles
Pizza12 000-20 000400-660 rubles
Curry with octopus12 000400 rubles
Chicken with fries5 000-8 000165-265 rubles
Burger10 000-13 000330-430 rubles
Tea coffee2 00066 rubles
Soda (cola, fanta)2 00066 rubles
Bottle of beer5 000165 rubles
Smoothie3 000-5 000100-165 rubles

In canteens for Zanzibari you pay pennies:
* but they look awful

  • Soup - 2000-3000 shillings
  • Rice with beans - 4,000 shillings
  • Fried chicken and rice - 5,000 shillings
  • Soda - 1000 shillings

Where to eat in Zanzibar? One of the main sections for which the whole text was started! Just kidding :) But I advise you to take a note:

  • Le Macis Zanzibar (Nungwi) - extensive cuisine, mainly European. There are also rare dishes for Zanzibar like carpaccio. Prices are slightly above average, but reliable. We took pasta (15,000 shillings) and seafood grill plate (50,000 shillings).
  • M&J Café Nungwi (Nungwi) is the most delicious place in Zanzibar for me! Shrimp (18,000 shillings) and grilled octopus (12,000 shillings) + avocado-mango salad (8,000 shillings) = great lunch for two!
  • Mamma mia (Nungwi) - pizza, pizza and again pizza (15,000-20,000 shillings). One of the few places where it is cooked normally.
  • Blue ocean (Nungwi) - also about seafood.I don’t remember how much the dishes cost, but not more expensive than the aforementioned ones. I remember big portions :)
  • Lazuli Café (StoneTown) is a proven place to eat in the capital. Normal for the prices (took 10,000 shillings for a burger), located next to Mercury's house.

Transport prices

The spacious roads of Zanzibar ...

Tourists move around the island either with excursions (more on which later), or by taxi or rented car. To take a minibus or bus (called dola-dola) - oh-oh-very rarely.

  • Taxi from Zanzibar airport to Nungwi - $ 30
  • Nungwi-StoneTown - $ 30
  • StoneTown - Zanzibar Airport - $ 10
  • Ferry Zanzibar-Dar es Salaam or vice versa - $ 20- $ 35
  • Airplane Zanzibar-Dar es Salaam (search on Skyscanner) - from 1800 rubles, fly 10 minutes :)
  • Travel by minibus - 1500 shillings

About car rental.
Traffic in Zanzibar is right-hand drive, the roads are terrible in places. Policemen love "gifts" and stop tourists (and they are not difficult to notice among the general mass) in order to receive these "gifts".

To rent a car, you need an international driver's license and a driver's permit (price $ 10- $ 15). The latter is made out during the rental process.

Usually tourists turn to local offices and ask the Zanzibari for a telephone number. In the auto fund, Suzuki Vitara or Escudos, in short, large cars, are common. The cost is, on average, $ 25- $ 30 per day.

Good hotels in Zanzibar

Some hotels look no better than the ruins behind me :) But it's not so bad, there are many good hotels on Zanzi

Know in advance:

- Typical breakfast in budget hotels is scrambled eggs and pancakes with jam. Well, they'll pour some more coffee.

- If you go to the "three-ruble note" and below and like to make teas in the evenings, take a kettle or a kettle with you. These are not found here.

- Yes, in the rooms, especially in bungalows, animals can live - ants, cockroaches, lizards. Nature!

- There is a canopy over the bed in many places - protection from mosquitoes at night.

- Introduced in Zanzibar tourist tax: It is $ 1 per person for each night at the hotel.

It is logical that hotel prices vary. As elsewhere, you can stay in a luxury villa, or in a budget guesthouse.

I will not even come close to advising our dwelling, because we rejected all the achievements of civilization (that is, sites for booking hotels), arrived in a group to Kendwa (and then Nungwi) and told a passing Masai that we needed cheap accommodation on the beach. So we got it (with fat cockroaches in the corners).

Here is a list of popular tourist hotels (with a normal rating):
* each of them can be booked independently on RoomGuru.

  • Nungwi

    3 * Amaan Nungwi Beach - the main thing is that there is air conditioning, drinking water, and the refrigerator is working. There is no service, the food is modest. But the hotel is popular among Russian tourists. A great advantage is the excellent beach here.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 125,000 rubles (breakfast)

    3 * Langi Langi Beach Bungalows - the advantages of the hotel are 1 line, a good beach, a cafe with an adequate price tag right there and a private area for sunbathing, where obtrusive Maasai will not penetrate. The rooms are clean, everything you need is there (except for the TV). Such a basic hotel in Zanzibar flawlessly.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 135,000 rubles (breakfast)

    3 * RIU Palace Zanzibar - here is "all inclusive", and the heart starts to beat faster ... :) This hotel has a great advantage: it belongs to the world famous hotel chain, which means that at least quality and service are provided. Rio Palace has a good rating, with guests praising the buffet and the beach and less positive about communication with staff.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 265,000 rubles (all inclusive)

    Other all inclusive hotels in Nungwi:

    - 5 * Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort - from 230,000 rubles

    - 4 * DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Zanzibar - from 230,000 rubles, but it is more often taken for "breakfast only"

    Kendwa

    3 * Varadero Zanzibar - the same friend of mine who recently returned from Zanzi stayed here. I quote: “quite a comfortable and budget option. 7-9 minutes to the beach at a leisurely pace. Here we were put on bracelets from the Kendwa Rocks hotel, and we could swim in their pool, use hammocks and sun loungers. "
    Tour for 11 nights: from 115,000 rubles (breakfast)

    3 * Kendwa Rocks Beach Hotel - the price tag mainly runs over the paradise beach. In all other respects, the hotel is standard for Zanzibar (but no, there is a kettle and a working air conditioner! :))
    Tour for 11 nights: from 155,000 rubles (breakfast)

    4 * PalumboKendwa - I liked the place. It turned out that this is a popular option among compatriots - it is all inclusive. Beautiful, almost designer. There is a pool, but far from the ocean. But in this part of the beach, the water at low tide leaves not far.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 165,000 rubles (all inclusive)

    5 * Gold Zanzibar Beach House & Spa - luxurious, expensive, all inclusive. It is trite, but a fairy tale in a fairy tale.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 340,000 rubles (all inclusive)

    Kiwengwa

    5 * Melia Zanzibar is probably the best hotel in Zanzibar. He's like from Turkey - a huge territory, a spacious room, there is an all-inclusive option, free sun loungers on a private beach (which means there are no locals pestering). There is only no animation, there is complete relaxation and tranquility.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 340,000 rubles (all inclusive)

    4 * Kiwengwa Beach Resort is one of the few hotels that is full of reviews from our compatriots. Here they speak Russian (if it is important), there is animation - but not the level of Turkey - and the design of the rooms.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 155,000 rubles (breakfast)

    Highly rated all-inclusive hotels on Kiwengwe include:

    - 4 * VOI Kiwengwa Resort - from 200,000 rubles

    - 5 * Blue Bay Beach Resort - from 180,000 rubles

    Matemwe and Kigomani

    3 * Villa Kiva Resort - according to the level of privacy and snow-white sand - Maldives, only in Zanzibar. Decent hotel with amazing views and a location right on the beach. Yes, there is nothing around, but there is a hotel cafe with good reviews.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 150,000 rubles (breakfast)

    4 * Zanzibar Queen is a relatively new hotel (it is 4 years old), someone adds a boutique prefix. Breakfast, lunch and dinner from the chef, which is already interesting, helpful staff and a large pool. The ocean is nearby, as well as a long beach and no element of civilization. Remember that these beaches are prone to high tides.Tour for 11 nights: from 160,000 rubles (breakfast)

    Uroa

    4 * Uroa Bay Beach Resort is a popular hotel among foreigners - and now open to us too - with a very pleasant green area, a cool pool and good food. They know what a service is, and in the evenings there is some kind of animation. On the beach, you will have to put up with strong ebb tides (but the bottom is beautifully exposed).
    Tour for 11 nights: from 140,000 rubles (breakfast)

    3 * Palumbo Reef - neat 3 stars 2 minutes from the beach. There is animation, 3 swimming pools, territory, for "treshki" - everything is fine.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 160,000 rubles (breakfast)

    All inclusive hotels on Uroa Beach - all of the above, plus:

    - 4 * Samaki Lodge - from 160,000 rubles

    - 4 * Zanzibar Bay Resort - from 140,000 rubles

    - 4 * Paradise Beach Resort - from 145,000 rubles

    Jambiani and Paget

    4 * Spice Island Hotel & Resort - just see the pictures. A boardwalk pier extending into the ocean, a snow-white beach, bungalows scattered in tropical greenery, flowers ... it looks like something. Maldives? There are not many reviews about the hotel, and it is worth taking a closer look at. Negative reviews refer to the beach - but it is a known fact that there are powerful ebb tides in the east of Zanzibar.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 200,000 rubles (breakfast)

    3 * Reef & Beach Resort - similar to the previous hotel, but more reviews about it. In short: good for the money, the landscapes are cool, but do not expect delights from the buffet.Tour for 11 nights: from 165,000 rubles (all inclusive)

    5 * Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa - luxury luxury and super-well-trained service are also the place to be in Zanzibar. As pretentious as the name is, so is the quality of the hotel.
    Tour for 11 nights: from 300,000 rubles (breakfast)

What to see in Zanzibar? Entertainment

Stone Town Slave Trade Monument / House of Wonders (read below for why miracles)

The attractions in Zanzibar will not blow you away. Still, the best vacation in Tanzania is the beach one.

Note: if at the mention of "Tanzania, Zanzibar" you have a thought, "oh, and Kilimanjaro is nearby, let's see!" - no, the volcano is located in another part of the country. You can only get there by plane, and certainly not in one day.

- The main point of the whole island is its capital of Stone Town... Dirty, poor, African. Here are to be seen and admired:

  • Freddie Mercury's house - which is now a hotel.
  • Old Slave Market - Zanzibar's history is deeply rooted in the slave trade, and Slave Market is a tribute to those dark times. Here is a monument, an Anglican cathedral and real chained chambers where slaves were kept. Entrance - $ 5 per person.
  • House of Wanders (House of Wonders) - just a house / mansion, which was the first to have electricity and sewage.
  • Fort-fortress - or rather, what is left of it.
  • Embankment - where a food market is arranged in the late afternoon.
  • Stone streets inland from the embankment are sometimes so narrow that it is difficult for one to squeeze through.

- They also visit the island spice farm - very exciting activity, I recommend! I have never seen how cinnamon, vanilla and a bunch of natural wonders grow.

- Little things - pools with turtles, petting zoo, but honestly, I'm sorry for the animals.

Everywhere you will hear two expressions in the locally incomprehensible:

1) Mzungu! - and at the same time point a finger at you. Hence, "European, white man, foreigner."
2) Hakuna matata is their favorite. And you know the meaning, "dude, don't worry, everything will be ok." Literally, "no problem."

Spice Farm - Shows How ... Cinnamon Grows?

Best excursions

Where to go outside Zanzibar? With this it is already more interesting and more varied!

Tours offer the following:
* I will decipher the incomprehensible names below

  • Complex: StoneTown + Prison Island + Nakupenda Island - from $ 35 to $ 80 per person.
  • Safari in Selous National Park (by plane 1 day), Mikumi (by ferry and car for 2 days) or NgoroNgoro - from $ 350- $ 400 per person to $ 600- $ 900.
  • Jozani Park and Dolphin Walk - $ 60- $ 75.
  • Fishing - $ 70- $ 80.

The cost depends on where you buy the tour and how you bargain. The tour operator's hotel is the most expensive and the price is fixed. At Masai on the beach - the rate is floating, someone will take without looking for 70 dollars, and someone will achieve thirty. You can also take an excursion to Tripster (pictures above) - this is a site with Russian-language excursions around the world. It is very popular in Europe and Asia (we took excursions there 3 times), and now, as we see, it also enters Zanzibar.

So, what are the foreign language names and what is hidden behind them?

Prison Island (or Turtle Island) - this is… an island with turtles :) But not with ordinary ones, but with huge Galapagos ones, which are from 5 months to 190 years old! I really liked it, the turtles can be fed and photographed. Even on the island, the buildings of the former prison, now empty, you can wander around.
Entrance: $ 4. You can get there without an excursion by renting a boat with a captain for $ 25- $ 30 with a waiting time of 2-3 hours.

Nakupenda (Nakupenda or the Vanishing Island) Is a slide of white sand in the middle of the ocean. For just a few hours at low tide, it becomes naked, and then hides under water again. There is nothing to do here, except to take pictures and eat grilled seafood, carefully (and tasty) cooked right there by the guides. They bring tourists in the midst of the sun, grab a protective cream or long-sleeved clothing.

Safari tour in Zanzibar not carried out, you need to fly / sail to the mainland, towards the city of Dar es Salaam. And this is just a delight! Tiring, but cool. We saw antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles, hippos, and well-fed lions! We have to wait for them for a long time (out of 5 hours spent in Mikumi Park, we observed animals for about an hour), plus sore flies bother me, but for me it was worth it.

To Dar es Salaamas far as I know, there are no excursions. But you can take the ferry on your own (the journey takes 2 hours, the ticket costs from $ 20 to $ 35 in economy class one way). Honestly, I would not recommend it, because there is nothing to do there. But, just in case, the places that I looked for a month of residence: the port, the fish market, the embankment with beautiful cathedrals, the gallery of artists, the local “village” of Macambusho, the university complex and the neighboring town of Bagamoyo.

Holidays in Zanzibar with children

In case you didn't know, Tanzania is a Muslim and quite strict, especially in Zanzibar

Yes, Chukovsky did not advise children to go for a walk in Africa, but in the 21st century it has become quite safe, at least in Zanzibar.

Safe, but not very convenient. There are nuances on children's leave:

  • Medicine on the island is bad, so prepare an impressive first aid kit. Save the addresses of all 3 hospitals and remember the places where taxis hang out. In an emergency, catch the car, because an ambulance does not exist there.
  • In Zanzibar, there are strong ebb tides, exposing the bottom, where no, no, yes, a sea urchin will come across. Carefully!
  • You cannot drink from the tap.
  • The sun beyond the equator is just merciless. Protection is a must.
  • We haven't heard of children's animation in hotels here in Zanzibar :)

Although no, a couple of "children's" hotels with animation or at least a playroom are available:

- 5 * Karafuu Beach Resort (Uroa Beach)

- 4 * Kiwengwa Beach Resort (Kiwengwa)

If these points are not scared, then there are no obstacles to spending a vacation in Zanzibar with children. Families with children love to visit the Nungwi Turtle Sanctuary, where you can swim with them ($ 10), Turtle Island and Jozani Park, and view monkeys.

Reviews about holidays in Zanzibar

Well, when I was writing this text, I had no idea that Zanzibar would remain the only warm winter destination for us ... Well, the island is very good!

Reviews about holidays in Zanzibar, of course, are beautiful and overwhelmed with admiration - but there is little specifics in them. Here I will share what I can glean from the feedback from others, and add some little things that did not fit "to the point" in the previous sections. Go:

- What are they bringing from Zanzibar? Buy souvenirs in advance because there are no shops at the airport.

  • Spices, coffee, plates with African paintings, ebony souvenirs (massive one-piece bracelets, figures of Masai, elephants).
  • Local wide dashiki shirts, tingatinga-style paintings, rhino-printed handbags, rag backpacks in bright fabrics.
  • From alcohol they take the local Cognagi - a bottle of 0.5 costs 10,000 shillings.

- Bargaining is necessary always and everywhere. Feel free to cut the price in half, you will be called a sa-a-amy overpriced, because you, sorry, are white-skinned.

- Islam is practiced in Zanzibar, and there is still a dress code. We were not allowed out of the hotel with bare knees and cutouts on our chests. The exception is the beaches, there are no bans.

- Local children are a different story ... They probably won't stand in front of you to get something. Preferably dollars. Tourists spoiled them. Moreover, it seems like two people beg, and as soon as they smell a "gift", a whole crowd comes running.

- Change shillings immediately at the airport. A good rate is 2250-2300 shillings per dollar. Euros can also be exchanged, but dollars are more readily available. Note: banknotes issued before 2006 are not accepted. For dollars before 2013, the exchange rate is less profitable, as well as for tens and twenty of any year. In short, carry bills of 50 and 100.

And in conclusion - a mini-report from a friend who accompanied me throughout the text:

“We had 14 days, and we really wanted to take a break from Moscow somewhere on the sea or by the ocean. Torn between the Dominican Republic and Vietnam, but were afraid to see a bunch of tourists on the beach.
Accidentally found tickets to Zanzibar with a transfer in Oman. Googled the pictures - what you need! And they bought it for 60,000 rubles for two. It was November (approx. Wet season), but the raincoats and repellents were still in the suitcase.

We shared our rest in Zanzibar and spent in two resorts - Kendwa and Nungwi. After reading that the second one is all so beautiful, we devoted most of the time to him. And in vain ... Kendwa seemed better. We went on an excursion 3 in 1, rode ATVs.

The whole trip cost us 165,000 rubles for two. The vacation price included flight, visa to Tanzania, accommodation, food, souvenirs and excursions. At first we saved on dinners, and then we remembered that we only live once, and we used lobsters, octopuses and other seafood. It was cool, but I won't go again. "

So I liked the country, but the trip to Zanzibar became "one-time". Well, that is, it does not pull back.Although it is definitely worth a visit there! Tanzania and Zanzik are one of the most affordable true African destinations, so go for karibu Zanzibar (welcome to Zanzibar)! 🙂

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