TRAVEL ADVICE FOR ZANZIBAR

DAR ES SALAAM, 22nd September, 2015 - Zanzibar is an autonomous part of the Tanzania mainland. It consists of two major islands - Pemba and Unguja on the coast of East Africa. In stone town, you can easily move around in a narrow street without getting bored.

Travelling in Zanzibar is not only about spending some cash for luxury and recreation but also about exploring some of the UNESCO-designated heritage sites which would allow travelers gain insight on the history and culture of Swahili people. Here are some important travel advices before you take a tour in Zanzibar.

Transport

Travelling in Zanzibar Island can be done by either boat or flight. It’s only 12 km from the Julius Kambarage Nyerere international airport; the comfortable available boats are Azam Marine, Sea Star and Sea Express which take 30min – 45min to reach the Zanzibar ferry terminal.

Taking a flight is also quite simple by using flights offered by Ethiopian Air, Qatar Airways, and Fly Dubai. There are several local flights like Precision Air. Zanzibar maintains its own immigration service although it is a part of United Republic of Tanzania, therefore it is advised to carry a national identity for Tanzanians or a passport for foreigners.

Spending some cash

Make sure you have cash in your pocket, most of the places have few ATM machines, and money-conversion shops, so for a stress-free transition, bring dollars which is straightforward to change or use Tanzanian shillings.

Travelers’ cheques are not the best option in Zanzibar, as few areas have access to the service. Applications like Tigo Pesa, Mpesa are also great alternatives in Zanzibar.

Things to do in Zanzibar

Places to visit vary according to travellers. There are beautiful destinations to visit like Nungwi, Kendwa, Zanzibar butterfly centre, Stone-town, Menai Bay, Kizimkazi

and Makunduchi. These places would allow the enjoyment of fishing activities, local music (taarabu) swimming, diving, and kite surfing amongst others.

Food and accommodation

Getting food in Zanzibar is quite easy, most of the people choose to buy different kinds of local food at a cheap price in the Forodhani (food market), but also there is the option of dining at restaurants.  Beautiful hotels abound in Stone town, Kendwa, and Nugwi for accommodation. To find great services, you can visit Jovago.com  for easy bookings through the mobile phone and pay directly with mobile money.

Traditions and customs

Most of the people in Zanzibar are Muslims, try to dress properly especially during the Ramadan period but don’t be scared, dress code is due to the local people.

Best time to visit in Zanzibar

June to October is the best time to visit Zanzibar, when it’s cool, December to February is also a high season when it’s hot and dry; it is not recommended to travel during the rainy season of March, May and November.

About Jovago

Jovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices in Nairobi (Kenya), Lagos (Nigeria), Dakar (Senegal), Doula (Cameroon) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast). The company is founded by Africa Internet Holding and has MTN as one of the investors. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.com has over 25,000 local hotel listings across Africa and over 200,000 hotels around the world.