Zanzibar is the ideal beach or honeymoon holiday destination. There are all types of water sports available and cultural delights. Although it is part of Tanzania, we have listed it separately for ease of reference.
Zanzibar is an archipelago; made up of Zanzibar and the islands of Pemba, Mafia, and several other islets. Zanzibar Island (Unguja) is 60 miles long and 20 miles wide; occupying a total area of approximately 650 square miles.
There is an airport (Kisauni Airport); or else you can fly to Dar es Salaam and catch a ferry or short flight to Zanzibar. The currency in Zanzibar is the Tanzanian Shilling. The food is mostly what is locally available so lots of lobsters, prawns, crab, and fish is on offer. Zanzibar time is 3 hours ahead of GMT.
Due to the fact that Zanzibar was the worlds leading producer of cloves in the 19th Century; it is also called ‘The Spice Island’. Other spices include nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, and many others. Spice Tours are conducted around the plantations; which still produce more than 50 different spices and fruits.
It is also famous for being the last place to abolish the slave trade!! Prison Island is just off Zanzibar and was once used as a prison for slaves. It is home to a family of giant tortoises and has a beautiful white beach that offers great snorkeling.
Dress code: Out of respect, in public places; tourists should cover their bodies from shoulders to knees.
Best time for Zanzibar beaches holiday
The climate is equatorial.
From June till September: Very low levels of rainfall and average temperatures around 25°C. From October till December: Generally very humid with short rains and temperatures rising into the 30s. In January and February: The heat soars with average highs of 29°C, humidity remains high.
From March till May: Heavy monsoon season with heavy downpours followed by sunshine.
Zanzibar Attractions
Jozani Forest
Zanzibar is home to the enchanted Jozani Forest. Home to the curious Zanzibari Red Colobus Monkey is endemic to Zanzibar and now classified as endangered. The Jozani Natural Forest Reserve is in the central east region of Zanzibar island. Jozani is also home to other species including Syke’s monkeys, Elephant Shrews, Chameleons, numerous birds and butterflies, and small buck.
Stone Town
Stone Town; a World Heritage Site; is the main ‘town’ on Zanzibar island.
The Arab houses in this city date back to the 19th century; when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centers. These Arab houses usually have brass studded beautifully carved wooden doors. One can spend hours wandering through the narrow streets of Stone Town or take a guided tour.
Visit the Anglican Cathedral built on the former slave market, the house of the famous slave trader (Tip Tip house), Hamamni Bath, Darajani market (fish and fruits market), the Old Portuguese Fort, the House of Wonders (Zanzibar National Museum of History & Culture) and also the home of the world-famous musician, Freddy Mercury. The Forodhani Gardens, and the Sultan’s Palace are also key attractions in Stone Town.
Pemba Island
Pemba Island has been separated from the mainland and Zanzibar for decades. Leaving an untouched and pristine island of great beauty and fertility. The mosaic of forests, swamps, mangroves, hidden beaches, and lagoons is scattered with the ruins of mosques and tombs mostly reclaimed by the forest. Sites that date back to Arab domination in the 17th century. When Pemba Island was seized by the Sultan of Muscat (Oman). He loved the Spice Islands and established his court in Zanzibar and ruled Muscat from there. Pemba is still the world’s major clove producer, with around 70% of all cloves deriving from there. But now plays its more traditional role of being an Island Paradise with small inter-island trade.
Traveling in Pemba is discovering untouched territory. Villagers are eager to talk to anyone that passes by and small children will give you their biggest and whitest smiles as they greet you when you pass by. You will be called over in markets by the stallholders to sit you down to try their fruits, waiting patiently for your reaction.
Pemba is a magical island. Unlike Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba is hilly. Gentle, undulating hills and deep verdant valleys are all covered with a dense cover of clove, coconut, and mango plantations. More fertile land is difficult to imagine.
Zanzibar beaches
The beaches are breathtaking. Interspersed with picturesque fishing villages, where the people live a simple way of life. The majority of good beaches are along the East Coast and Nungwi which is near the northern tip of the island. There is also Mangapwani Beach located on the west coast that is a really beautiful beach. The northeast coast is where you’ll find the unspoiled beaches of Matemwe. Most of the hotels along this beach face Mnemba Island. Another great beach in Zanzibar is the famous Kiwengwa with stretches of outstanding reefs and beautiful white sands.
Take diving booties to the coast as some of the reefs have sea urchins.
Zanzibar Diving
Due to its location; it enjoys warm currents almost year round. This provides the perfect playground to the many species of fish found around the many surrounding coral reefs. This makes it one of the best diving destinations in the world. The Mnemba Atoll is a prime dive site in the northern region, opposite Matemwe. Experienced scuba divers can enjoy exciting wall dives, night dives, and drift dives. In deeper waters, lush coral gardens often stretch as far as the eye can see. And large game fish (barracuda, kingfish, tuna, and wahoo) hunt together with large Napoleonic wrasse, graceful manta rays, and sharks. The untouched coral reef surrounding the entire island also makes Pemba one of the top dive sites in the world.
Zanzibar Accommodation
Mandatory travel insurance for everyone traveling to Zanzibar is now required. It can only be booked directly from Zanzibar Insurance Corporation through this link.
