Most of us still see Africa through the lenses of poverty, Hunger, and wars, but is this the only side of Africa? What do we know about its bright sides and charming beauty?
In this blog, we’re going to discover together one of the best areas in Africa with its fun-loving people who like singing everywhere, its sparkling beaches, and its blue-sky waters. In addition, I will provide you with information on booking the flight ticket, arriving and moving around the Island. Most importantly, I’ll give you an insight about food, hotels, tour programs, safari and all the needed equipment.
Zanzibar is an insular autonomous region of Tanzania, and it is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean in west east of Africa. Its name comes from an Arabic word Zanjibar, which means the land of the blacks.
Most of the people in Zanzibar are farmers due to the land’s fertility and its moderate tropical Climate around the year since it’s situated near the equator.
It’s nearly impossible to find a person in Zanzibar who doesn’t own a fishing boat because fishing is viewed as part of their traditions and customs, and it’s their primary source of income considering the Indian Ocean fisheries.
The main islands of Zanzibar Archipelago are the following: Unguja, Pemba, and Tumbatu islands.
Now, we’ll discover together this charming heaven and its hidden beauty, and we’ll start by learning how to get the visa, booking the tickets, and getting around the island.
First, I started searching for affordable flight tickets, and I usually use the following websites:
Skyscanner.com
Kiwi.com
Booking.com
Kayak.com
Expedia.ca fligh
This time, I chose Skyscanner because I found a lot of options there. I booked my ticket from FlyDubai when I was in Turkey, and I took a transit flight through Dubai for 7 hours, then I resumed my flight.
There are only a few direct flights to Zanzibar, so it is possible that the plane will land in Dar es Salaam, or in Kenia, then you carry on the trip to Zanzibar.
Concerning the visa, it’s VoA (Visa on Arrival) which means you can get your visa once you’re in the airport, but it’s better to get it online for 50 $ to avoid wasting time on the long procedures on arrival.
When I arrived to the airport, I felt that there was a lack of an organized transportation system, so I decided to rent a car to move around easily while discovering the island. One of the people there helped me to call the car owner and after some negotiation with him, we had a deal of 25$/day for a week. However, I had a problem with my driving license because it was in Arabic, so I head to the region’s municipality and they issued me a driving permit for 10 $ that allowed me to drive in Zanzibar. You can find this service in other offices for 20$ or in some hotels that include the driving permit within the reservation price.
What pushed me more to rent a car is the expensive transportation inside the island . Sometimes, a round trip to the northern region can cost you more than 100$!
Concerning the sim card, you can get it for 15 $ and it has 12 GB internet for a week.
As for the currency exchange, you can convert your money in the exchange offices, which are available everywhere. Due to the inflation, you can get 230 000 shilling for a 100$, which can get you a lot of stuff.
Hotel food in Zanzibar is fine, yet if you want to eat outside the hotel, then you have only a few options. Most places sell street food like barbecue, chicken, and fish. However, you can visit some waterfront restaurants that serve delicious food and good service for good prices. For example, you can have a 5 $ pasta dish or a nice octopus’ dish for only 7$.
