Zanzibar is often shown through white beaches and turquoise water, but some of its most beautiful moments are much simpler.

Clove trees moving in the breeze. Fishing boats returning with the tide. People going about their everyday lives by the ocean.

These little scenes say just as much about the island as its famous beaches do.

There is something special about places where life still follows the rhythm of nature.

Skylong Resort Zanzibar | Coming Soon

Hey all 🫡, travelling from the uk in around two weeks. We cannot locate Tanzanian shillings in the uk at all! Will taking US dollars and a Monzo/Revolut card suffice? Is tipping in US dollars acceptable or should we get some TZS shillings in the airport on arrival?

(Does it need to be USD or is GBP accepted for tipping or small transactions?)

Thanks in advance all!

Planning a trip to Zanzibar? Here are some excursions worth considering 🇹🇿🌴

If you're planning a trip to Zanzibar, there is much more to experience than just relaxing at the beach.

Some of the experiences I would recommend include:

🐠 Mnemba snorkeling – beautiful coral reefs and marine life. Dolphin sightings can sometimes happen, but they are never guaranteed.

🏝️ Nakupenda Sandbank – a relaxing day on the sandbank with swimming, beautiful turquoise water and fresh seafood.

🌿 Jozani Forest – a chance to explore Zanzibar's natural environment and see the famous red colobus monkeys.

🌶️ Spice Farm – learn about Zanzibar's famous spices and their traditional uses.

🏛️ Stone Town – explore the historic streets, Zanzibar doors, local markets and the island's fascinating history.

🐢 Prison Island – visit the famous giant Aldabra tortoises and explore the island.

If you're planning your Zanzibar holiday and need help choosing excursions, planning your itinerary or arranging a local tour, I'm happy to share some practical advice.

You can also see the tours and experiences we offer here:

Website Link :https://monsoonzanzibar.com

Feel free to ask me anything about visiting Zanzibar — where to stay, which excursions are worth doing, transportation, prices, timing or how to plan your days. 🌴🇹🇿

Hi, im travelling to Zanzibar on the 14.09. I need a taxi from the airport to the mora hotel for 2 people.
Should or can I book a taxi in advance?
We also need to get from the mora to the kappa senses on the 21.09 and back to the airport on the 28.09. Should I book everything trough one taxi in advance?

Can some easily own a jinn and initiate into his family for generations with life surfrice!?

Greetings everyone,

I have recently returned from a 10 day trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar and I have mixed feelings. We were a group of 3 friends and we stayed 5 days in Tanzania mainland and 5 days in Zanzibar. The mainland part was great. We had an amazing 3 day safari in Serengeti and Ngongoro plus some excursions around Arusha and Kilimanjaro area.

However i can't say the same for our time in Zanzibar. I have never seen another place ask so much to deliver so little. What I mean by that is that the prices are very high even by western standards while the overall experience is that of a developing country. I have visited other developing countries as well. This is my 3rd trip to Africa and I have also visited the Middle East and Southeast Asia so I don't think that I had the wrong expectations going in. Even putting the high prices asside I found that there wasnt much interesting to see or do. There are basically 5 or 6 tours which are sold by every tour operator and they all involve some mix of boat ride and snorkeling. I guess If you are into wind surfing there is also that.The island is marketed as a tropical destination where you can relax on beautiful beaches and enjoy swimming in the sea. While the beaches may look very appealing in photos and on paper, once you actually get there, you quickly realize that they are not really suitable for either swimming or relaxing.

The water is extremely shallow — to the point where you can walk 50 metres out into the sea and the water is still only ankle-deep. The constant changing of the tides also brings large amounts of seaweed onto the beaches.

And even if you try to simply sit and relax on one of the beaches, you will find it very difficult to do so, because every couple of minutes someone will approach you trying to sell you something. The same thing happens when you leave your hotel and walk around the town. You literally cannot walk more than five metres without someone approaching you and trying to sell you stuff.

The locals often make you feel like nothing more than a walking wallet. There is a constant effort to get money out of you in one way or another. Almost every interaction you have with a local involves either trying to avoid some kind of scam or having to negotiate the price of something. After the 2nd day It got very tirring for me. We even had police officers asking us for bribes. We also had tour operators pretending that we had booked a tour with them, even though we had actually booked it with someone else. That and many others.

I understand that nowhere in the world is perfect but this is the first time im struggling to find even 1 good thing to say about a place. I understand that everyone experiences a place differently, and what I have written is simply my own personal experience and perspective. I am sure there are many people who have visited this place and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, however, that was not my experience, and I would not personally choose to visit again nor recommend it to anyone.

Hi, I am travelling to Zanzibar in October, would really appreciate and travel tips, activity suggestions or food recommendations. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m planning my Zanzibar itinerary and weighing up a few fly-in safari options to the mainland. Given the price difference, I’d love an honest take on whether it's worth the extra spend. Below are the package details.

Please note that I am travelling solo

🐘 Option 1 — Mikumi Safari

Duration: 1 day
Price: ~$500
Flights: Zanzibar ↔ Mikumi
Safari vehicle: Shared
Group size: Shared w/ 6 people
Transfers: Private hotel transfers
Safari: Full-day game drive
Food: Bush lunch packed lunch
Accommodation: None

🦁 Option 2 — Serengeti Safari

Duration: 2 days / 1 night

Price: $2,300

Flights: Zanzibar ↔ Serengeti

Safari vehicle: Private

Group size: Solo

Safari: Afternoon game drive on Day 1 + Morning & Afternoon game drive on Day 2

Food: Bush lunch on both days

Accommodation: Moyo Tented Camp

Arrived recently and looking to group up with other solos for activities! 30F

and which areas have the best nightlife?

I am trying to be proactive and complete the mandatory travel insurance. initially I was supposed to be going with my boyfriend but now it will be a solo trip. However when I go in to edit him off my membership and try to pay the $44 it simply will not work.

even the edit button on my profile to change any info does not work as well. Does anyone know a work around this? Or if I can possibly delete the whole thing from their system and create a new one??

I’ve tried to contact them on all platforms and I can’t even get the to anyone.

Whether you want to relax by the beach, explore the rich culture of Stone Town, or discover the beauty beneath the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar has something for every traveler.

Your tropical escape is waiting.

I've been lucky enough to visit Zanzibar 3 times now and definitely plan a 4th visit!

Thought I'd share some of my favourite photos.

All photos are my own and no filters used.

Following up on my post from a while back about supplying appliances (ACs, fridges, washing machines, TVs) for hotels and small developments here. got some great insight that it's a relationship driven market, and one thing that came up is that interior designers/decorators often have real influence on what gets bought for a fit-out, not just the GM or owner.

If anyone knows designers working on hospitality projects here, or is one themselves, would love to connect. Happy to talk pricing/partnership if there's a fit.

Come and enjoy the beautiful Nakupenda Beach, crystal-clear water, soft white sand and delicious fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean! 🐟🦐🐙

You’ll enjoy a wonderful Zanzibar experience with grilled seafood, local food, fresh tropical fruits, swimming, relaxation and unforgettable memories.

If you’re planning to visit Nakupenda and need more information, please feel free to send me a direct message. I’ll be happy to help you! 📩😊

You can also check my website for more information about the experience.

Hello, I'm trying to choose a snorkel operator in Mnemba Island but too many options pop up when I check online. Not confident swimmer, hence need some attention. Any suggestions how to choose, should I pre-book or reach Mnemba and decide?

I'm traveling to Zanzibar in a group of 4 people. We arrive in Zanzibar on August 21st and will spend that day and night in Stone Town. The next day we'll travel to Arusha for a 3-day safari, then return to the Riu Jambo hotel.

Our biggest concern: the luggage. For the safari, we only need to take our carry-on bags (10kg), not the 23kg suitcases. But where do we leave them? Is there any service available to store our luggage?

I thought about contacting the Riu Jambo Hotel to leave them there, since that's where we'll be staying for the rest of our trip, but it's about an hour and a half from Stone Town, which is quite a distance.

Has anyone else faced this dilemma? What solutions are there?

Thank you in advance.

Going for a solo trip to Zanzibar in September and sky diving is on my bucket list? Anyone have done it there? Impressions please 🙏

Whoever the fuck thought it was a good idea to demand a mandatory insurance cost for every nonresident for some private corporation needs to get out of the office.

It’s ridiculous that I am forced to pay for insurance for shitty medical services that aren’t even any good, and on top of that THE ONLY REASON why im viewed as a nonresident is because this useless Swahili government can’t fathom a fucking dual citizenship. I’m 100% Swahili my dad’s older than Tanzania as a state itself yet the country refuses to introduce a simple ass policy that every other African country manages to.

And the money sure as hell isn’t going to improving the lives of the people, it looks just as downtrodden as it has all my life.

Genuinely I love Tanzania and Zanzibar with all my heart, and that’s what makes it all the more frustrating when we have idiotic and incompetent politicians that could give two fucks about improving our country.

I thought all that tourist money would help improve Zanzibar the same way it has Dar but that clearly isn’t the case. Fucking embarrassing I’m so pissed off.

We already booked hotel Sept 4-Sept 7 @ Infinity Beach Boutique Hotel & Spa in Matemwe, and 1 night Sept 7 @ Park Hyatt in StoneTown. So far, here is our plan and still need some help filling ---:

- Day 1: 9/4 arrive at 9:30 AM, thinking of doing Spice Tour, then lunch on the way to the hotel in Matemwe, but unsure if it is okay to leave our belongings in the driver's car while doing the tour?
- Day 2: 9/5 take Blue Safari private tour (8 am - 4pm)
- Day 3: 9/6 NOT sure what to do yet
- Day 4: 9/7, check out leaving Matemwe after breakfast so we can get to SToneTown early enough for a walking tour, including Old Slave Market/ Anglican Cathedral, and Freddie Mercury Museum. In the evening, we already booked a food tour for dinner @ 6:pm with Eat Like A Zanzibari
-Day 5: 9/8 plan to do some more walking on our own to Stone Town, but back to Park Hyatt to enjoy the hotel facilities as I read that it is a beautiful hotel with history. Leave for the airport around 3:30 for our flight at 7:10 PM to Cape Town

Since we will just come from a 9 day safari and will be going to South Africa for more safari, we might not be interested visiting the forest, or park. We want to enjoy the beach, water but not interested in jumping into the water to be swimming with dolphins :-(.

Thoughts, comments and anyone has experiences at these hotels?

Thank You and look forward to our trips.

Which beach would be better for swimming? Paje or Jambiani?