Planning a trip to Tanzania and curious about what to do in Zanzibar? Look no further, as we’ve compiled the best tips just for you! From the most beautiful beaches adorned with stunning palm trees to a tour through Stone Town, wildlife spotting, and cozy hotels where you’ll want to spend more than just one night: we have everything you need to know about Zanzibar laid out for you! We spent a week on the island and made a one-night excursion to mainland Tanzania for a safari. Curious about how to plan it all out and where to go on Zanzibar? Read on for our Zanzibar tips below!
What to Do in Zanzibar
→ Hotel Tips: Reef & Beach Resort or Zanzibar Bay
→ Ready to plan your Zanzibar vacation? Check out TUI for great offers
1. Beaches in Zanzibar
If there’s one thing you can do well in Zanzibar, it’s lounging on the beach. When you visit this island, you can almost guarantee pristine sandy beaches, gorgeous palm trees, and lovely waters for swimming. At our hotels, Reef & Beach Resort and Zanzibar Bay, we enjoyed a beautiful sandy beach and pool, but there are more stunning beaches to explore on the island. Consider visiting:
- Nungwi Beach: Many travelers consider this to be the most beautiful beach in Zanzibar, and you can also spot the iconic dhow sailboats here.
- Paje: This is the kite-surfing paradise of Zanzibar, giving it a relaxed vibe in this once-sleepy fishing village. There are plenty of fun beach bars and great spots for souvenir shopping here as well!
- Kendwa Beach: Another breathtakingly beautiful beach that is popular with many travelers; from this beach, you can also enjoy a sunset cruise!
2. The Most Famous Restaurant in Zanzibar: The Rock
If you look at photos of Zanzibar, you’ll likely see The Rock. This is the island’s most famous restaurant and is unique because it can only be reached at low tide (during high tide, a boat takes you there). The Rock gets its name from the fact that the restaurant is built on a rock in the sea. We haven’t been there ourselves, but you can enjoy lunch and dinner here! Tip: Do you want to stroll around the island in peace and take beautiful photos? Go in the morning! It’s much quieter, and the weather is still cool. Plus, you can easily reserve a table online, as The Rock is often fully booked.
→ Reservations can be made at: www.therockrestaurantzanzibar.com
3. Kitesurfing in Paje
One of the coolest beach spots in Zanzibar is located in Paje. Once a typical fishing village, it has transformed into a kite-surfing paradise due to the perfect conditions here. Whether you want to learn or simply watch the enthusiastic sports enthusiasts, this is the place to be in Zanzibar! Paje is also filled with fun beach shacks and has a very friendly vibe.
4. Wakeboarding in a Tropical Sea
You can surely go swimming, join a snorkeling tour, or go kitesurfing, but did you know you can also wakeboard in Zanzibar? There is a wakeboarding school in the northeast of the island called Zanzibar Extreme Water Sports.
5. Visit Stone Town, the Capital of Zanzibar
Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar, and you definitely don’t want to miss this during your island visit! Of course, the beaches are wonderful for lounging the day away, but if you want to experience more of the local life and culture, a trip to Stone Town should be included in your travel plans. Expect a labyrinth of narrow streets where cars cannot pass (which is one reason why the historic center is car-free), crowds of people, shops full of colorful goods, and don’t forget to check out the market as Zanzibar is also known for its spice trade. Be sure to visit the Forodhani Gardens, where you’ll find a street food market in the evening. The city’s influences from various countries are prominent, and the fact that the old town is on the UNESCO World Heritage list highlights that there’s much to see as well as learn. The city is not only charming but also has a rather intense history. You can learn about the dark past of Zanzibar and the slave trade at the old slave market and the former fort.
How to Arrange Your Visit to Stone Town
Do you want to visit Stone Town? You can book a tour or day trip, but you can also go to the city on your own. If you book a taxi through your hotel, they often wait for you at a pre-agreed location to take you back. At the hotels where we stayed, Reef & Beach Resort or Zanzibar Bay, we could arrange a tour or taxi right on-site. The advantage of a tour is that you’ll go with a guide and get taken straight to all the highlights while learning more about the city!
6. Prison Island & Giant Tortoises
As mentioned earlier, the slave trade has a significant history in Zanzibar, and you can’t really visit without learning about it. On the uninhabited Prison Island (also known as Changuu Island), you will, just like in Stone Town, be faced with this history. There is a prison here that was built for African slaves. Fortunately, slavery was abolished, so it was never used for that purpose, but the island serves as a reminder of this dreadful past. However, it is not only the intense history of Zanzibar that draws tourists to Prison Island. On the contrary! Most visitors come for another remarkable sight: a significant number of giant tortoises! If you’ve been to the Seychelles, you’ll recognize these impressive creatures, as they also live abundantly on La Digue. There are dozens of tortoises on Prison Island, making it easy to see and photograph these rare animals! The sea is an intense blue here, and the beaches on Prison Island are stunning.
7. Play Padel
Need a break from all the intense historical stories of Zanzibar, or just want to engage in some active fun after hours of beach lounging? Go play a game of padel in Zanzibar! There’s a fun club with multiple padel courts where you can play a game with others or take a lesson with the Italian instructor who runs the place (he is quite enthusiastic, so be prepared for that)! You can arrange this online via Zanzibar Padel: www.zanzibarpadel.com. Despite the tropical temperatures in Zanzibar, it’s great to do this in the morning for an hour or two!
8. Snorkeling and Swimming with Wild Dolphins at Mnemba
Did you know that you can snorkel with wild dolphins around Zanzibar?! How cool! You must book a snorkeling tour, and during such a tour, you are often taken to Mnemba Atoll and Kitchwani, where dolphins are commonly found. Turtles are also frequently spotted while snorkeling in the striking blue water, but definitely don’t forget to enjoy the colorful coral and other fish that you will encounter around Zanzibar! You can do such a snorkeling tour from Nungwi. Zanzibar is also known for its many colorful starfish that adorn the sea in stunning shades of red, orange, and blue!
9. Spotting Colobus Monkeys in Jozani Chwaka National Park
Are you an animal lover? Then you’ll love spotting Colobus monkeys! These monkeys are unique to Zanzibar and are therefore an endangered species. They have a distinctive black-and-white coat with a characteristic red stripe on their back. You often find them in groups, so don’t expect to see a solitary monkey in a tree but rather lively groups! A great place to see them is in Jozani Chwaka National Park, where you can spot them during a walk. Besides the famous monkeys, you can also see other beautiful animals, such as bush babies and various bird species!
Plan a Full Day with Zanzibar To-Dos
Worried about not having enough time to see everything? There are day tours in Zanzibar where you visit the Jozani Forest first, then go dolphin spotting at sea, and subsequently make a stop at The Rock restaurant. Such tours can usually be easily booked with taxi drivers or at your hotel.
10. Spice it Up During a Spice Tour
If there’s one thing that fertile Zanzibar is known for, it’s spices. This island was historically a hub for spice trade and cultivation. During a spice tour, you can learn all about the spices abundant in Zanzibar as well as the tropical fruits that grow on the island. Often, there’s also a cooking workshop or lunch included in the tour, allowing you to actually taste the spices. It’s fascinating to see where the spices in that jar in your kitchen come from and to learn how they grow! Fun fact: Zanzibar is also known as The Island of Spice!
11. Take a Trip on a Traditional Dhow Boat
Another iconic symbol of Zanzibar is the classic Dhow boats, these traditional Arabic sailing vessels are often featured in Zanzibar photos. You can find them floating in the sea during low tide or nearly washed ashore on the beach. But you can also take a sunset tour on these photogenic boats! From the sea, you can enjoy the breathtaking sunsets that Zanzibar is known for – magical and unforgettable, especially with traditional Tanzanian music playing on board.
12. On Safari in Tanzania
You can’t really say you’ve been to Tanzania if you only go to Zanzibar. You definitely don’t want to miss a safari trip from sunny Zanzibar to the mainland. It’s a totally different world. You’ll trade sandy beaches for lush landscapes teeming with wildlife. We booked a trip through Reef & Beach Resort and Zanzibar Bay, the hotels we stayed at in Zanzibar, to arrange a trip to the mainland. They organized a small plane to make the crossing, allowing us to spend one night in Selous, where we could enjoy a morning and afternoon safari, as well as an evening boat safari. It was absolutely stunning and truly remarkable! During your safari, you can see the Big Five and many other impressive animals such as giraffes and zebras – an incredible experience not to be missed!
13. Enjoy an Ice-Cold Kilimanjaro Beer
One last thing you should promise to do while in Zanzibar: end your evening at least once with an ice-cold Kilimanjaro beer. And a plate full of freshly caught fish because, wow, they know how to prepare it well here! The curries are also delicious! We enjoyed our favorite beer during sunset in Paje at a beachfront terrace, and we savored them during our boat safari in Tanzania too!
Planning Your Trip to Zanzibar
Curious about how to plan your trip to Zanzibar? Below, we explain how we arranged our vacation!
Planning & Route in Zanzibar
We flew on a Thursday with TUI to Zanzibar on a KLM flight. We had an 8-day vacation, during which we spent the first three nights at Reef & Beach Resort, then we traveled to Tanzania for one night in Selous, followed by the last three nights at Zanzibar Bay Resort. The nice thing about this itinerary is that you get to experience different parts of Zanzibar and more of Tanzania during your safari trip. We felt this was a perfect combination. It was also great that we stayed on an all-inclusive basis at all hotels, so we didn’t have to think about where to eat in the evenings and mornings, although we did make a few trips to Paje since there were so many fun spots there!
Great Hotels to Stay in Zanzibar
We stayed at two different locations in Zanzibar and definitely recommend both:
Useful Tips to Keep in Mind When Visiting Zanzibar
- You need a visa for Zanzibar, which you can apply for online beforehand.
- Check to see if you have the required vaccinations for Zanzibar, as several are strongly recommended.
- Don’t forget malaria pills!
- Don’t leave your universal travel adapter behind; you’ll certainly need it on the island to charge your camera and phone. You can order a universal travel adapter on Bol.com. In Tanzania, you’ll need a plug with flat pins, which is included in this universal adapter.
- You can pay with dollars and the local Tanzanian Shilling, so make sure you have cash on hand when exploring since ATMs can sometimes be hard to find in Zanzibar.
- The people of Zanzibar are predominantly Muslim, so keep this in mind when choosing your clothing (avoid overly summer and revealing outfits, especially outside the popular beaches).
- It’s approximately an 8.5-hour flight to Zanzibar from the Netherlands.
- There is a significant difference between low and high tide in Zanzibar, so keep this in mind when planning swim times and activities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- What is the best time to visit Zanzibar?
The best time to visit Zanzibar is during the dry season, from June to October, when the weather is pleasant and ideal for beach activities.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Zanzibar?
Yes, a visa is required for most nationalities and can be obtained online before your trip.
- What currency is used in Zanzibar?
The local currency is the Tanzanian Shilling. US dollars are also widely accepted.
- What activities can I do in Zanzibar?
You can enjoy plenty of activities including visiting beautiful beaches, snorkeling, diving, kitesurfing, and exploring Stone Town.
- Are there any health precautions I should take before going to Zanzibar?
It is advisable to consult your doctor about vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis before traveling to Zanzibar.