Zanzibar is an island located 35 km off the coast of east Africa and it is definitely a destination of contrasts. Despite being economically challenged and development lacking in certain areas, Zanzibar is home to both budget and luxury accommodation; and provides a unique experience for any traveller. Here are 5 important things you should know before your trip to Zanzibar.
1. You can get there either with a ferry or a flight
Ferries depart from Dar Es Salaam and take around two hours. They operate 3-4 times a day and a return ticket will cost between $35 and $60 USD depending on the class of seat you purchase. You can find the timetable and purchase tickets online HERE or HERE.
Flights leave from a number of airports including Dodoma (capital city), Dar Es Salaam and Arusha (if you are coming from Kilimanjaro). You can also fly to Zanzibar from Nairobi (Kenya). Check out your different options on Skyscanner.
2. Spices are a big thing here
Even though I loved strolling through little market boutique stores and picked myself up a few interesting clothing items in Stonetown, I regret not doing a spice tour. Apparently they are a big thing and pretty exotic here. Looks like I’ll just have to plan another trip back, something I definitely wouldn’t complain about.
3. Get out of Stonetown
Spending 1-2 days maximum in Stonetown would be sufficient. When you travel to Zanzibar make sure you spend some time on the beach and on the water…that is the major part of the appeal here. I recommend the North coast. We spent a few days in a little bungalow on the north-west side of the island and loved the beaches, water activities available and, of course, peace and quiet.
4. Zanzibar Island is part of Tanzania, which is a muslim country
Just keep this in mind and I would wear swimmers with a more conservative (and less cheeky) cut. I didn’t really find the place to be overly restricting and I still wore my bikini, but it had a regular cut on the bottom. I also noticed that the boys in our group were able to walk around and swim without a shirt without any hassle, but remember we spent all of our beach/swimming time away from the main town.
5. Corrupt police can target tourists and expect you to pay bribes
I was actually quite shocked to discover that the police here were not the most honest and trustworthy of individuals, something we all expect from law enforcement…no matter where you are in the world. However, the world is by no means perfect, and there are bound to be hiccups along the way when you travel. Zanzibar was exactly that…a few hiccups. Even though we filled out paperwork in Stonetown and had our Australian licences (I even had my international driving permit) this did not seem to be acceptable for the police that stopped us at ‘roadblocks’ on our way up the North coast. They stopped our group and told us that there was something ‘wrong’ with our paperwork (keep in mind we had all rented scooters NOT a car!). And, I can assure you everything (including insurance) was done by the book. In order to let us go and be on our merry way they expected us to pay some sort of fee (BRIBE) and only communicated with the men in our group. I tried to ask a polite question and I was flat out ignored (like they wouldn’t even look at me, let alone speak to me). I guess this can be put down to the cultural/religious nature of the country but nonetheless I was furious and had to place my trust in the boys to navigate this unpleasant situation.
We ended up negotiating and leaving but we figured out that police at each ‘roadblock’ will contact other officers that are situated further along the road, to notify them that tourists are coming their way. I thought ‘what…then they’ll expect us to pay again…what a joke’!
Once we had ‘cottoned on’ to this strategy we ended up just driving straight around the road blocks as fast as we could, seeing as they didn’t have vehicles to chase us with and I certainly was not giving up my hard earned money (and I was still a poor university student on this trip). One time I even snuck through using a truck as my shield so they couldn’t see me. It was the most badass thing I have ever done and I have to admit I found it a little exciting and kinda liked it! (disclaimer: I don’t condone going against/disrespecting law enforcement, but I think if they are corrupt, then it is completely justified). So moral of that particular story…just be weary of ‘police’ especially when they pull you over and don’t doubt yourself. In these situations it is easy to panic and feel like you have messed up by not having the right licence or documents, but be firm. Of course there is a fine line here with that language barrier and you don’t want the situation to escalate. You may have to pay a bribe the first time, but you can get around the others like we did.
Overall, Zanzibar makes a nice stop on your African adventure and can be a welcome slice of relaxation, and (small) comfort when you have been camping in tents on safari. If you are looking for an island escape with pure luxury and no fuss, then it might not be the place for you. But, if you want a beach break and like interacting with culture and history along the way (and don’t mind staying in accommodation that is mid range) then look no further.
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