As soon as you arrive on the archipelago of Zanzibar, a scent of spices, coral, and old wood envelops you. This island seems to have escaped from ancient times, stretching languidly between the sky and the sea, halfway between the East and Africa. While Zanzibar is synonymous with dazzling beaches, palm trees, and azure lagoons, it is also a place of encounter, history, and discovery. Here are some tips to make your trip to the island unforgettable.
Organize your trip to Zanzibar: from booking to activities
In Zanzibar, there is no need to rush. Book your plane tickets well in advance, as the archipelago is not to be discovered on a whim; it requires anticipation like a promise kept. If you find a direct flight, go for it! Otherwise, let yourself drift to Dar es Salaam and reach Zanzibar by sea: the ferry gradually reveals the island, amid salt and the cries of birds. These details are already the beginning of the journey. Before even leaving, entrust your vacation project to specialists. Only experts in exceptional destinations can indeed organize trips to Zanzibar according to the rules of the art.
Zanzibar unfolds at its own pace, and to understand it, feel free to explore all its faces: first, that of Stone Town, the ancient city, the beating heart of spice exchanges and millennial tales, where every carved door hides a world. Then, that of the white sandy beaches and floating islets on an azure lagoon. Finally, that of the Jozani forests, where red colobus monkeys nest, their fur reminiscent of the rufous leaves of the far-off village.
On the health front, caution is advised: check vaccination recommendations and do not underestimate mosquitoes, those unwelcome companions of the tropics. The visa, on the other hand, is a formality that can be arranged at the airport. Once all these details are taken care of, you are ready for the journey, the real one.
Select accommodations suited to your desires
Zanzibar does not just offer you hotels; it offers you retreats. If you are a dreamer in search of vastness, head north, where Nungwi and Kendwa invite you to sunsets that set the horizon ablaze. In these moments, the world fades away, giving way to the breath of the waves. Here, the nights are made for feeling the sea, with skin still warm from hours of light.
In Stone Town, the spirits of bygone days await you at the turn of the alleys. Choose a riad or a guesthouse, where the stone keeps the memory of past generations. The city is both harsh and welcoming, each wall is ready to whisper the tales of sultans, merchants, and slaves who have forged this unique place.
To the south, Jambiani and Paje border the Jozani forest and offer more discreet lodges, often eco-friendly, for travelers who love to get lost between the sea and nature. Book your accommodation well in advance, as the island is loved, perhaps too much, but it still welcomes those who come humbly, ready to discover it without haste.
Tips to facilitate your travel on the island
Traveling around Zanzibar is akin to accepting to follow ancient and capricious roads. Rent a car to get a true sense of freedom, but note that you’ll need a temporary Zanzibar driving permit along with an international license. And above all, be cautious: the roads here are lined with life. You will see children playing by the roadside, as well as goats and donkeys crossing without hurry.
For short distances, taxis are available. Don’t hesitate to negotiate! And if you want to feel the island up close, take a dala-dala, this minibus with Spartan comfort, but which tells the soul of the island better than any guide. In a dala-dala, you breathe with the pulse of Zanzibar, its colors, its warmth, its dust, its life that rushes and spills.
Enjoy excursions and local activities
You don’t come to Zanzibar without inhaling the open sea, without feeling the call of the great blue. Opt for the classic: the blue safari. During this day of exploration from island to island, you will dive into translucent lagoons, you will land on secret beaches, and you will savor fish and seafood barbecues under the coconut trees, as if time had never existed. Do not live this experience as a tourist, but as an explorer, to honor the places and sense what the island still whispers to ancient navigators.
Go explore the Jozani forest, this sanctuary where red colobus monkeys, endemic and rare, with frank and curious gazes, live. The traveler slips in with respect, attentive to the slightest crackling of the leaves. Zanzibar has no lions or ferocious beasts: the nature here is ancient and peaceful, offering itself in silence and rustling.
Another must-do activity is visiting the spice plantations. Pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, clove… each scent tells a part of the island’s history, a past of scents and trade, and above all, the memory of a world where the essence of plants was exchanged as stories of travel were shared. This moment is a meeting; enjoy it fully.
When evening falls, take a seat on a dhow, this sailboat that floats gently with the wind at sunset. On the water, as the sky blazes, Zanzibar becomes an island out of time, a memory etched deep within yourself.
Choose the best time to visit Zanzibar
Once again, listen to the experts! Zanzibar reveals itself best between June and October, when the days are dry and clear. It’s the time when the sun is gentle and colors stretch out brilliantly, without the shadow of clouds. From March to May, the rains pound the island and transform the paths into torrents. Zanzibar then takes on a rough and secretive character. For those who know how to listen to the earth and sky, each season speaks of the island, but to explore its wonders without constraints, the dry season remains the best.
Note that in July, Stone Town becomes the beating heart of the Zanzibar International Film Festival. Filmmakers from around the world, artists, and adventurers from all walks of life gather there. They move from the heat of dark rooms to sunsets on the terraces of the old town, between films and palm trees. Audiences appreciate this event for the impression it gives them: that the whole world has decided to meet here, between Africa and the ocean.
Zanzibar is not a stopover. It is a land where you lose yourself to better find yourself, a place where you leave a bit of yourself behind, and from which you inevitably depart changed.
