White beaches, amazing marine wildlife, luxurious tropical trip on a budget? That, my people, is Zanzibar. Let me introduce you to the ultimate travel guide to Zanzibar: Where to stay, what to do, what to be aware of – and what I wish I knew before I first went.
Zanzibar is an island in Tanzania, East Africa and it’s also called the Maldives of Africa. It’s a tropical paradise with incredible wildlife and some of the best beaches in the world. This guide will serve to give an overview of all the things you need to know about traveling here!
How to get to Zanzibar
Zanzibar island is well connected by international flights around the world. We took a flight from Frankfurt to Mombasa and then onwards to Zanzibar airport. Most people go in winter, in Zanzibar summer time, but we actually went in June and the flights were only a fraction of the cost. Zanzibar is located around the equatorial region and gets warm sunny weather most of the time year round.
We went in June, which is technically winter in Zanzibar. I tell you, the heat and humidity was definitely enough for us! June through October is dry season and one of the best seasons to go, especially for maritime wildlife and snorkeling.
Where to stay in Zanzibar
Before we get into hotels, choosing the area of where to stay in Zanzibar is pretty crucial, as there are pros and cons to pretty much any area and depend on what experience you are looking for. Apart from checking out a beach immediately next to where you are staying, it is really hard to go anywhere in Zanzibar in under an hour. So choose your base wisely.
- Nungwi / Kendwa: if you are looking for an all inclusive resort-style vacation and seeing the sunset. While there is a lot going on and to do and see, I found this overcrowded and overhyped.
- Matemwe: more quiet / luxurious area with beautiful beach and close to Mnemba island for snorkeling. You’ll get a partial sunset here.
- Paje: Budget area with lots of hostels, restaurants and things to do.
- Stone Town: If you are looking for a city-vacation, close to the airport and historical attractions.
We stayed in Matemwe as our main goal was to relax and enjoy the beach. We had some excursions planned but overall this was a slow trip to enjoy the island life. We went to all other parts and I absolutely liked Matemwe the best and 100% would stay here again. (see below for the exact resort we stayed in). It wasn’t as crowded as Nungwi (honestly reminded me a bit of Mallorca in July), had a white sandy beach for many kilometres, amazing food and friendly locals.
About the beaches
One thing you need to be aware of is the tide that affects the Zanzibar beaches. If the tide is low, you won’t be able to swim at all. I recommend to check the tide times for the period that you want to go beforehand. For us, high tide was in the late afternoon which was perfect for us as we could go enjoy the beach when the sun wasn’t roasting us anymore.
Speaking of the sun: Since you’re closer to the equator, the sun is definitely more intense than you might be used to (if you’re from Europe or North America for example). Make sure to pack enough sunscreen, LSF 50+ and reapply it regularly. I do not recommend to buy sunscreen locally for various reasons: It could be hard to find depending where you are and it could have been diluted (which is a common scam around the world in hot, touristy places, not particular to Zanzibar. Since this is very dangerous I always make sure to bring way more than I’ll likely need).
I also recommend to wear long, flowy and breathable clothing instead of shorts and tanktops. It’s not also respectful to the local culture but you’re also less likely to inflict serious burns on your skin.
Where we stayed
We stayed at Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas in Matemwe, which was an absolutely incredible choice! If your main goal is to relax and enjoy the Indian Ocean, this boutique luxury eco-hotel is the right place.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. You have your own little hut with not only your own private plunge pool, but also direct beach access and proximity to Mnemba Atoll’s breathtaking reefs. The food from the hotel was absolutely incredible – we ate here way more often than we planned on initially! It was just that good.
About 2 times per week they offer live music and many locals from around the village partake in it. It was great fun, listening to Zanzibari tunes and dancing the night away. We would definitely stay here again! The only downside is that it’s relatively far to some of the main sightseeing spots.
What to do in Zanzibar
Apart from enjoying island life to the fullest, taking it slow and swimming in crystal clear water, Zanzibar island has some great activities to offer. Here are some of my favorite things that we did:
Traditional boat tour with Safari Blue
I did a lot of research to find the best price-value for a boat tour around Zanzibar and Safari Blue was definitely delivering on that promise. This was probably the best money we spent (apart from food which is always a great investment). We booked their original experience which was a full day on a traditional wooden dhow boat including a stop at a gorgeous sandbank, snorkeling, a beach-front BBQ and (if lucky) dolphin watching. We did not see any dolphins as they are not chasing them. This is an ehtical boat tour so they never promise you that you’ll see them. We did not get lucky but it was still an absolute incredible tour.
The guide was fantastic and taught us a lot of traditional Zanzibar customs, they made sure everyone was safe and happy, assisting with snorkeling, offering fresh coconuts and teaching us to sing their native songs. I have done many boat tours in many destinations but I am truly happy to say that we had a fantastic time. We were never rushed and there was ample time to enjoy everything.
We also paid extra to get picked up from our hotel and back and it all worked perfectly. You will find many other tours being offered at a cheaper price but this is the real deal. I think the value you get is truly amazing. If you easily get seasick, this tour might not be for you. My friend got quite sick while we were anchoring in the middle of the Indian Ocean for snorkeling – if you easily get sick, at least take medicine with you.
Snorkeling
Zanzibar is not called the Maldives of Africa for nothing and we were truly blown away by the incredible marine wildlife that you can find here. The best part of the island for snorkeling is Mnemba, where most tours are going to. We did a lot of tours while on Zanzibar and they were all incredible! Locals were super friendly and did their best to ensure we had a great time. Snorkeling was included in our tour with Safari Blue and the guides checked out different spots and lured some rarer wildlife out with food.
Nungwi Beach, where the reef is narrow and open to the sea, is undoubtedly one of the best shore access snorkeling spots on the island. Its sandy drop-off, punctuated by coral patches, allows for nice explorations. Along the east coast you can snorkel from the shore in Pingwe Beach, at Paje Beach, or at Jambiani Beach. The Blue Lagoon can be snorkeled by shore or by boat.
Visiting the rainforests
I was surprised to learn that this rather small island has several rainforests, the most popular being Jozani Rainforest. Jozani Forest is located in the southern part of Zanzibar and easily reachable from Stone Town. this place was turned into a national park to protect its precious wildlife. The island is very active on sustainability and conservation efforts which is something I really loved while we visited!
Nowadays, the whole park area covers 50 square kilometers, which is, compared to many other national parks worldwide, relatively small. Still, Jozani Forest can boast of itself as home to the largest remaining stand of near-natural forest in the island of Zanzibar. The park is open 7:30 am to 5:00 pm every day and entry costs 25000 TSH which is roughly $11. While you can get to Jozani Forest on your own, you will only be able to enter it with a tour guide. For that reason, the easiest way to get to the national park is as part of an organized tour. Most hotels all around the island also offer guided tours including transfer.
In short, there are so many cool acitivities you can do in Zanzibar, from beautiful diving spots, enjoying the local culture, see unique wildlife or a breathtaking sunset from a boat: Zanzibar truly does have it all.
Are you planning to visit Zanzibar anytime soon?
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
Sam
