Zanzibar Travel Tips

Are You Planning An Africa Trip To Zanzibar In Tanzania?

An exquisite jewel set in the Indian Ocean, about 23 miles off the east coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar or the Spice Island is a laid-back little settlement where history whispers to you as you wander through its narrow winding streets on your dream vacation in Africa. A treat for the senses, this archipelago delights you with its pristine white sand beaches, turquoise blue ocean waters and the brilliant green of the seaside vegetation that houses diverse species of flora and smaller fauna. Here, the soft ocean breezes caress you as you bathe in the gentle warmth of the tropical sun while the scents of spices and fresh fruits send you back to a bygone era. Beautiful, carved artifacts and delicate jewelry line the petite shops and you can see the exquisite craftsmanship reflected in the lovingly fashioned Swahili doorways in the Stone Town section that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The sounds of ancient muezzin calls, church bells, amused children, pounding spice mallets, chirping birds mingling with the songs of fishermen create a lively ambience around you. Sample the outlandish tastes of the freshly caught fish seasoned with fresh herbs and spices or view their brilliance in their natural setting when you go angling in the deep, blue waters. As you will find, when island hopping off the coast of Tanzania with kim.tours, it is a collection of large and small islands, the Unguja (a.k.a Zanzibar) and Pemba Islands being the larger ones among them. The smaller islands include Chumbe, Mnemba, Tumbatu, Chapwani, Bawe and Changuu or Prison Island. Murogo while Pange and Nyange are some of the sandbank isles. You could also visit the northernmost section of Zanzibar Island where you can watch traditional dhows being fashioned in front of you. The beach fronts are located in the northern, eastern, southern and small parts of the western regions close to Stone Town. But Zanzibar has yet another treat in store for you in the Jozani Forest Reserve. A must visit wilderness while touring for primates in Tanzania, you will be able to view kirk’s red colobus and sykes’ monkeys to name its prime creatures. Visit this little corner of Eden and revel in its incredible beauty. 
 

Overview On The Beaches Of Zanzibar

Arrive at Zanzibar on your beach holiday and you will be enchanted with its idyllic natural beauty where the sun gently caresses the white powdery sands as the turquoise water of the Indian Ocean create a striking contrast. The warm waves, tamed by the coral formations, bring the vital nutrients that support the brilliant rainbow colored fish that dart among the reef vegetation. On shore, lofty coconut palms sway in the breeze, tempting you with their succulent fruit drink and white soft flesh. As you relax on your beachfront lounger or on a hammock strung between the trees, you might spot a weaver bird or green wood hoopoe with their brilliant colors and distinctive calls flitting among the branches. From the eastern to southern seashore expanses, Zanzibar has varied picturesque white beaches, each rivaling the other in tranquility and allure with names that are fascinatingly exotic like Kiwengwa, Pongwe, Uroa Michamvi and Bwejuu On the west in Menai Bay, you will find the Fumba Beach that will surprise you with its golden sands along a backdrop of screw pines and palm trees. 

The finest of the beaches in Zanzibar traverse from Kendwa in the northwest to Matemwe in the northeast. The prime midpoint is the Nungwi peninsula on the northernmost tip. You will be enchanted by the sight of banana palms, mangroves and coconut trees. Nungwi village has a reputation for its traditional dhow building industry. Mnemba Island and its marine reserve atoll are only a short boat ride away from Matemwe Beach. The coral reefs and pristine clear waters of Mnemba Atoll are truly breathtaking. And if you are a dolphin lover, travel to the southwestern Kizimkazi region of the island and be delighted by its sightings including migrating whales too if you are lucky. Kim.tours can also organize visits to the many outlying smaller islands during your exploratory trip to Zanzibar, each with a trace of history to it. For instance, at a short distance from Stone Town is Prison Island or Changuu where the Omani housed their slaves. Later, the area was used by the British to build a jail thus its christened name. A silent testament to the events of the isle, you will still find the aging 180 plus year old Aldabra tortoises, a gift from the former colonial occupiers of Seychelles, lumbering among the greeneries on Changuu. Also visit the islands of Bawe, Chumbe and Chapwani. 

Overview On Stone Town

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Stone Town is Zanzibar’s capital township with a rich historical and cultural significance. Even after hundreds of years, it has retained all its original ancient charm that time has not been able to erode. Even today, when you visit this buzzing traditional metropolis on your seaside vacation in Tanzania with Kim.tours, you will be transported back to an era where the Omani monarch eloped through the narrow alleyways, lined with coral stone houses, their peeling plaster and lichens only adding to their ancient appeal. You will chance upon clusters of elderly wise men, languidly spending time reminiscing about their past days over cups of kahawa (coffee) bought from the wandering vendors. Children play around, their laughter mingling with the giggles of young girls absorbed behind the conservative latticed windows while bui bui women return home from shopping at the local market. 

Stone Town is also the commercial hub of the island but still set in a yesteryear era. Here, you will find many small dukas (shops) that sell you wonderful entities like colorful textiles, spices, fresh fruit and delectable seafood, carved curios, artwork and pretty trinkets. Subtle modernization is slowly making its presence felt and should you need to contact home while traveling in this part of Eastern Africa, you can find little internet cafes or tiny stalls that sell you postcards and mobile phone top-up cards. You could also sample some of the local Swahili cuisine available at Forodhani Gardens in the evening or at local eateries to the sound of cheering from an excited group of international football fans following a European soccer league on a tiny TV perched on a pile of old cartons. 

Here and there, when touring around Stone Town, you will find colonial style buildings standing shoulder to shoulder with Swahili houses proudly advertising their origins with their intricate carved and varnished doors. Medieval mosques, churches and hindu temple meld perfectly together in harmony as do the Portuguese Fort and their cannons with the Sultan's Palace Museum (Beit-el-Sahel) and House of Wonders (Beit-el-Ajaib). Brightly-colored window panes sparkle in the sunshine while the soothing sounds of Kiswahili chants follow you as you explore this ancient town that overlooks stylish, sleek liners cruising the vast Indian Ocean. This is Zanzibar Stone Town for you, alluring, enchanting, an authentic coastal settlement that you will want to return to, time and again.

Best Time & Weather To Travel To Zanzibar?

Thanks to its location to the south of the equator, Zanzibar has a tropical climate allowing you to plan your seaside vacation in this part of Eastern Africa at any time of the year without any extreme variability in temperatures when compared to Southern Africa. The monsoon breezes blowing in from the Indian Ocean help to maintain its warm temperatures. The average daytime highs remain between 28 C (82 F) to 32 C (90 F) while the night-time lows fluctuate 20 C (68 F) to 25 C (77 F) – variably swings in between seasonal months. These temperatures are ideal for spending long hours on the sun-kissed beaches, taking languorous siestas and natural tanning sessions. The ocean temperatures are perfect for swimming, diving or snorkeling expeditions. Like other parts of Tanzania, Zanzibar Island has two wet seasons, the long rains and the short rains. Even so, since its size is small, the island can sometimes display distinct weather patterns from the mainland due to its location on the ocean. The long rains in Zanzibar begin in the month of March and pick up tempo in April and May, dusting off by June while the short rains fall in the months of November and December. Most of the other months see very little or no rain at all. However, even in the wet season, it does not rain continuously every day and throughout the day, and there are times in the afternoons when the clouds clear to allow the sun to shine through. 

Although, you can plan your beachfront trip in Zanzibar during the wet seasons, these conditions are more suited for the intrepid and frugal traveler who prefers longer stays to save on the discounted accommodation costs during the rainy period. Zanzibar also has two kinds of dry seasons, the cool, dry season that last from June to October and the humidly hot, dry season in January and February. The temperatures in the cool dry season tend to remain moderate to high, and since these fall in between school holiday months in the northern regions of America and Europe, you are likely to see an increased number of visitors in Zanzibar which is also augmented further as it also the best time to go on a wildlife safari in the parks and reserves of Tanzania e.g. Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Selous, Ruaha, Katavi, Gombe etc. Families generally prefer to spend their bonding holidays in Tanzania on seashore locations combined with a safari. 

The second tourist season in Zanzibar begins during the last couple of weeks of December when it is the start of the festive holiday season in the north and goes on until February. This is also because these are the winter months, and western travelers like to spend time in the warmer climate of East Africa. Given these factors, you can plan your travel to Zanzibar to coincide with your safari to the varied wildernesses of Tanzania or even Kenya, South Africa, Botswana etc. For details and assistance with planning your bush and beach itinerary, contact your tour consultant at  Kim.tours 

Are You Planning A Tanzania Beach Vacation In Zanzibar?

Once a bustling trading center and an important port on the spice route, Zanzibar Island is today a tranquil, coastal location where you can spend long hours on your idyllic Indian Ocean vacation in Africa, strolling along the beaches with soft, delicate white sands sinking below your feet. The gentle waves from crystal clear waters are seemingly subdued by the unending miles of seashore that embraces its marine ecology. Looking out over the vast ocean and the shimmering turquoise waters dotted with white, triangular sails of the picturesque traditional fishing dhows will take your breath away. Enjoy the spectacular sun rises from the east of the island or revel in the golden colors of the stunning sunsets on the west coast. The lush tropical vegetation creates a vibrant, verdant contrast to the purity of the sands even as colorful Zanzibari birds like yellow-collared lovebird create flitting rainbows among them. Zanzibar is not simply a single island, but an archipelago of islands that comprise of Unguja or Zanzibar, Pemba Island on the north and surrounding isles like Mnemba, Chapwani, Chumbe, Bawe, Changuu and more. 

As you will learn on your coastal tour with Kim.tours, there are also a host of smaller islands that lie along the coast, each more scenic than the other. Some of these islands are actually ancient coral beds that nature has covered with dense vegetation while avian and marine life have moved in to make them their home. On the northern tip of Zanzibar, lies the Nungwi Beach that is accessible with a long, winding drive through its charming, laid-back village. On the northwest is Kendwa Beach, a favored hip strip for partygoers on a full moon. Should you beach holiday at one of the resorts in this section of the island in Zanzibar, you are likely to spot monkeys frolicking in the trees. Matemwe Beach lies to the northeast of the island. Explore a little off the coast and you will encounter the tiny atoll island of Mnemba. The marine park at the atoll is a wondrous haven for marine life, visited by snorkelers and scuba divers around the world. Indeed, an Eden on earth, the island also hosts the diminutive suni antelope along with migratory birds, nesting turtles and butterflies. 

Travel along the eastern coast of the island, and you will discover the beaches of Kiwengwa, Michamvi, Chwaka, Pongwe and Uroa. The serenity of these seasides is ideal for taking long naps in hammocks strung between palm trees strolling on the barefoot beach or watching local farmers harvest seaweed from the ocean. You will also enjoy discovering tiny sea creatures left behind by the ebbing tide in little rock pools. Head further south to where the delightful beaches of Bwejuu, Jambiani and Kizimkazi await your exploration. On Bwejuu, you can enjoy the fantastic experience of living like a Sultan. Accommodations like Baraza Resort & Spa give you a glimpse of emperor like-living. As you go island touring around Zanzibar with Kim.tours, you will also come upon a unique beachfront that is distinct from the others, thanks to its natural golden sands which are very unusual for Zanzibar, the Fumba Beach which is located on the west coast in Menai Bay. 

Other seashores in the west are around Mbweni Ruins and Mtoni Marine near Stone Town or in the Bububu and Mangapwani expanses. Should you take a short hop from the Stone Town coast, you could visit the private islands of Chumbe, Chapwani, Bawe and Changuu. Chumbe Island is the first gazetted marine park of Tanzania where you will find some exquisite varieties of flora that have adapted to living on a coral island that has no fresh ground water. They survive on the moisture they harvest from the humid atmosphere or the blessing of rain. Chapwani Island to the north of Stone Town is a narrow strip of land that hosts few varieties of birds including fruit bats, white egrets, fish eagles and black herons. Changuu Island plays host to giant Aldabra tortoises and marine birds while Bawe Island is a mesmerizing dot in the ocean, scarcely the size of a soccer field. Your ocean travel in Tanzania would not be complete without a visit to Pemba Island, which is the northernmost of this archipelago. Also called the Green Island, Pemba's incredible beauty has made it a coveted possession all through the centuries. Although, smaller than Zanzibar in size, it has a much hillier landscape and is covered with thick forests, hence the sanctified name. Cloves and other spices are grown on the island which in their organic form is a pleasing sight to behold. Their fragrance delicately mingles with the ocean breezes and creates a soothing ambience to relax and absorb in, best suited for beach honeymooners and romantic escapaders. The island also hosts a diversity of fauna that you will love viewing as you explore the island and its many enigmas. 

Travel southwards from Zanzibar Island when holidaying in Tanzania and you will come to Mafia Island. Although not officially part of Zanzibar, the very fascinating aspect of this island is that the local communities are very content with their traditional living styles and seem to resist all efforts at modernization. When compared to Zanzibar, the presence of only a few accommodations on Mafia is a testament to that. The island is also scented with the aromas of the fruit, spice and nut plantations. Sip sweet coconut water right out of the kernels or bite into succulent pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws. The island farmers also grow beans, cashew nuts, pigeon peas, cassava and rice. Do take the time to visit Chole Bay and enjoy diving and snorkeling forays in the shallow reefs. Contact our tour specialist at Kim.tours and we will work with you to plan a dream itinerary for your seaside trip Zanzibar. We will guarantee you will savor the islands of Zanzibar with all your senses, sight, sound, scents, sensations and tastes! 

Want A Day Tour In Zanzibar?

Despite its diminutive size, Zanzibar Island has something to offer every kind of traveler in Africa, from the history enthusiast to the underwater realm explorer, coastal habitat wanderer, the spice flavored cuisine aficionado or active-water buff and many more. All of these touristy places of interest are alluring interwoven with the casual, laid-back Swahili ambience of the island where time seems to progress at a snail's pace. 

Arrive at Zanzibar and you will be instantly engulfed in its bygone era charm. Explore its old metropolis capital center, Stone Town, and you will see a fascinating mishmash of old buildings with the exquisite Zanzibari architecture of carved doors and delicate, lattice windows. Wander with an expert Kim.tours guide through its narrow streets and shop for beautiful handmade craft, delicious seafood cooked with the fresh catch of the day, striking painting and exquisite jewelry, spices to take back home, fresh, luscious fruit and colorful fabrics. Looking for knick-knacks and mementos of your dream vacation in Zanzibar for your family and friends back home, you will find them all here. Music lovers can visit the Dhow Countries Music Academy on Mizingani Road in Stone Town. Every year, Sauti za Busara hosts a music festival annually in February at the Old Fort and Forodhani Gardens. Zanzibar has long been well-known as the Spice capital, not just because it was an important historic stopover trading port but because of its many.

Spice farm:Tour the plantations as it is one of the top ten things to do in Zanzibar. Here, you can see the zings in their raw form and learn about their remarkable properties Spices do more than imparting that special flavor to your food, they are used to create effective medications and even color traditional wedding garb and as a lipstick too. 

Jozani Forest: Comes almost as a sightseeing surprise because it is hard to imagine that the tropical island of Zanzibar can even host a terrestrial national reserve as one of the natural attractions. Established in the 1960s, this conservation area is a good place to visit as it serves to protect the rare red colobus monkey and also many diverse species of flora and smaller fauna from sykes’ monkeys to Ader’s antelope. Another delightful facet of this reserve is that it is located on Chwaka Bay and includes a marine forest of mangrove trees that you absolutely must explore when on your wondrous trip in East Africa. While your discovery of the treasures of Zanzibar's marine world inaugurates with the mangrove forest of Jozani, you must.

Snorkel or Scuba dive at the distinct reefs that lie all around Zanzibar

The coral reefs along the coast are breathtakingly beautiful, and some of them are a part of protected reserves e.g. Chumbe and Mnemba Atoll. There are almost unending walls of living coral and an unbelievable variety of wondrous sea creatures. Should you ocean tour off the coast of Tanzania during the migratory season, you may also spot humpback whales and whale sharks too. Anglers will enjoy raising and snagging a fascinating range of sailfish, marlins, wahoo, barracudas, trevally, and yellowfin tuna to name a scarce few. Though fishing in Zanzibar is mostly permitted in deeper waters to ensure delicately protected corals are not damaged nor its resident reef fish wiped out. In an attempt to protect the billfish numbers and allow them to propagate, you might be asked to tag and release them. But Zanzibar has even more. Go on a horse riding excursion on the pure white sand beaches of Kiwengwa Beach. Or try your hand at quad biking in Kiwengwa also. Take lessons in fitness with yoga sessions on the beach in Matemwe or at Mbweni Ruins while water sports lovers can try kite surfing or windsurfing on the east coast. Round of your sustainable holiday on Paje Beach with a tour of the Seaweed Center for an understanding of their efforts to improve the livelihoods of the female seaweed farmers. Other day excursion options with Kim.tours are dolphin swimming, island yachting, parasailing, jet skiing, wake boarding, fly boarding, village biking and much more.