Zanzibar
Getting there
See also Getting to
mainland Tanzania
There are very few direct flights into Zanzibar – just a few
charter carriers from Italy and the UK – which tend
not to sell seat-only. So you’ll probably fly via Kenya or
mainland Tanzania, which is no bad thing, especially if
you’re intending to do a safari there as well.
FROM THE UK
KLM
and Kenya Airways, who
code-share with each other, fly from Heathrow via Amsterdam and
Nairobi (Kenya) or Dar to Zanzibar. (min 10-15 hours’ journey
time including stopover).
British Airways flies to
Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania (going out on an overnight flight
Thursday, Saturday and Monday and returning on a day time flight
Friday, Sunday and Tuesday), with connecting flights on Air
Tanzania to Zanzibar (11-15 hours’ journey time). Or you can
catch a ferry, hydrofoil or light aircraft from Dar to
Zanzibar.
Ethiopian Airlines fly from
London via Addis Ababa and Dar to Zanzibar but slow connections
mean a minimum 18-hour journey.
FROM THE REST OF EUROPE
KLM
fly from Amsterdam to Dar and Nairobi and, using Kenya Airways, on
to Zanzibar.
Emirates flies from various
European cities via Dubai to Dar, where you can book separate
connecting flights to Zanzibar.
FROM THE USA
There are no direct flights, so you are best off flying via London
or Amsterdam.
back to topGetting Around
See also Getting around
mainland Tanzania
INTERNAL FLIGHTS
There are 3 carriers flying between Zanzibar and Pemba,
Dar-es-Salaam, Mafia, Arusha, Selous, Tanga, Ruaha and other
Tanzanian game parks. The short but exhilarating flight in a
tiny, twin-engined Cessna is part of the holiday fun.
We flew with Coastal Air, who
were reliable, organised and friendly (see our report). They fly
daily from Zanzibar to Pemba, Tanga (via Pemba), Dar and Mafia (via
Dar); and from Zanzibar to Ruaha and Selous (all airstrips), as
well as other game parks using connecting flights. Their
website and
e-mail seem to work well.
Precision Air, who have
now teamed up with Kenya Airways, have a similar network, with
flights from Zanzibar to Arusha and Mombasa as well as Pemba, Dar
and Mafia (via Dar).
Zan Air flies daily to Dar,
Selous and Arusha and near-daily to Pemba.
BOAT AND HYDROFIL
There are 8-10 crossings daily between Stone Town (Zanzibar) and
Dar, taking 1 ½ - 2 hours depending on the vessel. No
need to pre-book, just turn up at the city docks – and watch
out for pickpockets and papaasi (self-appointed guides and
hasslers).
There is a slow ferry from Stone Town (Zanzibar) to Mkoani
(Pemba) departing four times per week and taking about 3
hours.
The services from Zanzibar to Mombasa and Tanga no longer
operate.
Hotels situated on private islands or road-free coastline, such as
Chapwani, Chole, Chumbe, and
Fundu Lagoon, all have their own private
speedboat or dhow to collect you from the road-head or
your previous hotel. Bear in mind that you may need to get your
feet and legs wet, and low tides may mean walking a short way over
the tidal flats.
ROAD TRANSPORT
Most visitors use taxis to get around the island. On Unguja
(Zanzibar island) there are lots of vehicles in Stone Town and the
more popular resorts, mostly Japanese minibuses seating up to
7.
All our hotels can arrange transfers, or you can make
independent arrangements - this may work out cheaper, especially if
there are several journeys involved. Typical fares are USD$10
(airport to Stone Town) and $40 (Stone Town to most coastal
resorts) (in 2009). We can recommend, of the many ground
agents, the well-run Sama Tours. You can also brave a dala
dala (crowded bus or lorry) which follow set routes and cost a
fraction of the price of a taxi.
Hire cars are less popular, because of the bumpy roads, bad
signposting and short distances involved, but work out well if you
are a group of four or want complete independence. Sama Tours rent out Suzuki 4WD and Toyota
Landcruisers.
Bicycles are the most common form of transport for the
Zanzibari, and the sight of someone cycling along a white beach,
often carrying palm-leaves or a crate of sodas on the back, is an
enduring and endearing image of Zanzibar. You can rent mountain
bikes from most hotels for USD$3-5 for half a day, depending on its
state of repair. Do watch out for sunburn and sunstroke.
When To Go
See also When to go to
mainland Tanzania
Mid Jan – end Feb: dry, very hot and fairly
quiet
March: cooler, occasional rain, quiet - considered best for
diving
April – May: very wet, cool, many hotels are
closed
June: progressively drier, hotels start opening
July – Oct: dry, warm, lovely - but busy, especially
in August
Nov – mid Dec: unpredictable, with rain progressively
likely
Mid Dec – mid Jan: usually dry, warm, very busy
Bear in mind that ‘cool’ and ‘dry’ are
relative terms – it rarely drops below 25 Celsius and 50%
humidity!
If you have a free choice of when to travel, our advice is to go in
late June-July, in September-October, or, if you don’t mind
the extra heat, in January-February.
Public holidays:
1 Jan: New Year's Day
12 Jan: Zanzibar Revolution Day - commemorates overthrow of Sultan
in 1963
5 Feb: CCM Day - foundation of major political party in 1977
Easter: Good Friday to Easter Monday is a holiday for the Christian
population
26 April: Union Day - commemorates union with Tanganyika in
1964
1 May: Labour Day
Variable: Maulidi (Mohammad's birthday)
7 July: Saba Saba (Peasants' Day)
8 August: Nane Nane (Farmers' Day)
9 Dec: Independence Day - from the British in 1963
25-26 Dec: Christmas & Boxing Day - low-key celebrations, but a
busy period for the tourism industry
Festivals:
Festival of the Dhow Countries (late June - mid July)
3-week-long cultural festival (music, film, dance, poetry and
theatre) in various Stone Town venues. 50 different musicians, from
trad taarab and ngoma artists to reggae and
electronic, including guitarist Mahfudh Ali Mahfudh from the
Palm Beach Inn. 100 different films plus film and
video workshops.
Mwaka Kogwa (Shirazi New Year, 23 or 24 July)
Lots of singing, dancing, drumming and general merriment
(especially at Mukunduchi), including a playfight with banana
stems, a ritual hut-burning by a witch-doctor, and a huge
feast.
Pemba bullfights (December-February)
Unarmed matadors are chased by trained bulls to the wailing of a
clarinet
Ramadan (Dates vary - see below)
The key event of the Moslem year, when everyone abstains from
eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours. Not an ideal
time to be travelling around, but can provide great evenings of
hospitality, improvised music and dance.
The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the four-day festivites of
Eid al-Fitr, the most important Moslem festival, starting
when the new moon is sighted after a month’s daylight
fasting.
Click for dates of Ramadan
See
www.ing.org
for more Islamic holidays and dates.