Zanzibar is an island where less is more. When the water is so turquoise that it looks photoshopped, or you just can’t wipe that smile off your face every time you share a ‘Jambo!’ with a local, then you know you are closer to understanding the meaning of life.

[Jambo = ‘Hello’ in Swahili, the language spoken on Zanzibar island]

Here are some important tips for traveling to Zanzibar:

1. You can get your visa at a Tanzanian consulate prior to arriving, or receive it at any of the following border points:

• Dar es Salaam International Airport
• Zanzibar International Airport
• Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA)
• Namanga Entry Point (Tanzania-Kenya boarder point)

You can find detailed visa information here. The visa fee depends on your nationality. 

Zanzibar | © 203Challenges.com

2. Consider the seasons before you plan your trip to Zanzibar:

• The dry season or ‘winter’ in Zanzibar is from June to October – the weather is sunny and dry, and the temperature hovers around 25ºC (77ºF)
• The peak rainy season (with long rain storms) – from March to May
• The lesser rainy season (with shorter rain storms) – from November to December or the beginning of January
• The short dry season or ‘summer’ in Zanzibar – January to March

3. What clothes to take to Zanzibar: Take light clothes, but remember to pack long sleeves and trousers/skirts. These are a good idea because Zanzibar is a Muslim state, and you should take care to dress modestly. Another option is to get a large shawl (or kanga as it’s called Zanzibar) to cover your shoulders or wrap around your waist.

4. Every hotel on the island offers more or less the same tours to the best attractions in Zanzibar. If you’re traveling in a group of more than three people (or if you can make friends with other people in your hotel), feel free to negotiate with your tour operator to get a cheaper price.

Zanzibar | © 203Challenges.com

5. Take the Safari Blue tour if you are into boats, snorkeling, swimming in lagoons, hugging huuuge baobabs, feasting on seafood on the beach or basking on a sand dune in the middle of the ocean. We haggled the price of this tour down to $60 per person, but later we heard that we could have got it for as little as 50$.

6. Visit the house where Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar City. Be warned though, that this is a place for true worshipers, as there is not much to see. The house has been turned into a hotel and there’s only a small sign and a few posters for decoration. After you’ve payed homage to the Queen vocalist, continue to the old part of Zanzibar’s capital, known as Stone Town. Sit down for a cup of coffee on a terrace with an ocean view and you’ll be rewarded with a memorable sunset.

Here’s the address of Freddie Mercury’s House in Zanzibar City:

7. The fish market in Zanzibar City is one of the main attractions on the island, but this is no place for the fainthearted. The stench is horrible and some of the sights are hard to swallow (we only recommend swallowing them after they’ve been cooked). If these lines make you cringe, you’d better head to the spice stalls and skip the fish area.

8. Speak with the locals. Those who work in the tourism industry speak English fluently and, more importantly, are very friendly and open-minded. It’s a good idea to take a few small souvenirs from your country and give them to locals you’ve befriended. This is something very few tourists do, and I can assure you it will bring a broad smile to the face of your new friends.

Zanzibar hammock life | © 203Challenges.com

9. What to eat in Zanzibar: Zanzibar is a foodie’s heaven, especially if you like fresh tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, coconuts, passion fruit, etc). Fish and seafood dishes grace menus everywhere and are always delicious, but you might struggle to find proper meals if you don’t eat fish. Local beers typically consist of drinkable lagers, while the wine is usually imported from South Africa and is suitably tasty. I can thoroughly recommend trying a cocktail made of Tanzanian vodka and fresh mango juice.

Zanzibar beers | © 203Challenges.com

10. A packing list for Zanzibar:

– water shoes

– antibacterial gel or wet wipes

– mosquito repellent (but double check if it’s specially formulated to ward off tropical mosquitoes)

– beach towels

– snorkeling mask and flippers

– sunscreen with the highest available factor

– sunglasses (according to research, this is one of the most common items for travelers to forget at home)

– enough money in cash, as ATMs are scarce on the island and, due to some sketchy technology, better avoided altogether

– yellow fever vaccine (although this is not obligatory for Zanzibar)

– malaria prevention medication (there are pills you can take in advance)

Fun fact:

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. Its name is composed of zengi (the name of the local people) and barr (meaning shore). Back in 1964, the states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form one country, Tanzania, whose name is a clipped compound of the two former states.

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USEFUL INFORMATION AND TRAVEL TIPS FOR THE SEYCHELLES

1. The Seychelles is a visa-free country. All foreign visitors are entitled to free entry to the Seychelles. All you need to do to get through passport control is fill in a form and bring a printed hotel reservation and a pre-booked departure ticket.

2. The international airport at Mahe island is located approximately 10 km (6 mi) from Victoria, the capital. Many hotels will organize a shuttle for you. Otherwise, you can take a taxi.

3. Almost everybody speaks three languages: French, English and Creole (the three official languages of the Seychelles). The country was under the rule of France and Great Britain for a long time and, thanks to that, you’ll have no language barrier to contend with. 

4. You can pay in dollars, euro or the local rupee. Euros are preferred at most places, but if you pay in rupees you’ll get better rates. All major global credit and debit cards are safe and easy to use at ATMs.

5. Vacationers stay at hotels, but there are many people who swap their home cities for the Seychelles for a whole season. An apartment with an ocean view in Victoria costs around $1000 per month – enough to make you swap your rented apartment at home for one on the island, so you can wait out the winter in paradise.  

The Seychelles | © Bojidar Bonchev/www.203challenges.com

6. You have to drive on the left side of the road – consider this if you plan to rent a car.

7. Taxis cost between $3 and $5 per km, but feel free to haggle. 

8. There are public buses that circulate the island. We used them during our stay (with small backpacks only), but we read in online forums that tourists are not allowed on these buses with huge suitcases. You get a ticket from the driver (payable in rupees only and costing ~$0.30-0.40). These old and rickety vehicles are used mainly by the locals and pass regularly. The drivers, however, all seem to be retired Formula 1 champions and tourists often get off dizzy (we did). If you have a stomach of steel, the public buses are a great way to navigate the island for little money. Bus schedules are available here and in all hotels.

The Seychelles | © Bojidar Bonchev/www.203challenges.com

9. The northern part of the island is where you will find the best selection of hotels and entertainment and where famous people are often spotted. 

10. One of the reasons so many people love the Seychelles is that the country always has beach weather – the temperature hovers between 24 and 32° C (75 and 89°F) all year round. The humidity is very high and if you accidentally leave the balcony door of your hotel room open, you will find all your clothes soaked. From November to January, the rain is heavy and regular, while May–September is known for being particularly windy.

11. There’s nothing poisonous or dangerous on the islands, which makes it even better than Eden (where they had a sly snake to spoil the party). The only thing to beware of are giant coconuts falling from the palms like cannonballs onto the heads of cocktail-sipping tourists.

SEYCHELLES ATTRACTIONS AND EXPERIENCES NOT TO MISS

See the unique Coco de mer fruit

Coco de mer, the Seychelles | © Bojidar Bonchev/www.203challenges.com

This ancient tree (they say it’s been around since the time of dinosaurs) is a symbol of the Seychelles because it grows on only two of its islands: Praslin and Curieuse. The fruit of the male and female Coco de mer (or sea coconut) trees provoke many giggles because they look like the respective human genitals. If you want to take one of these fruits with you, you should obtain a special permit; those who try to smuggle the coconuts out of the Seychelles face imprisonment.

Beaches in the Seychelles

Most hotels have private beaches and swimming pools, but the Seychelles has much more than this. Take a bus or rent a car and stop almost anywhere on the main road circulating the island of Mahe to reach wild beaches with no people (or just a few locals drinking ciders). The water is Photoshop-like blue-green and perfectly clear for snorkeling. Don’t forget your water shoes, because sea urchins lurk in every piece of coral and seaweed.

Talk to the locals

The locals are friendly and talkative, many of them having amazing stories to share. Just a small example is the 25-year-old Ethiopian-born member of staff we met at our hotel, whose name was Gorbachev (yes, like the Soviet leader Gorbachev). He told us the amusing story of the Soviet leader and the American President Reagan visiting the hospital where he and his twin sister were born. His mother was so impressed that she named her children after the prominent guests.

The Botanical Garden in Victoria, Mahe

Feeding turtles in Victoria, the Seychelles | © Bojidar Bonchev/www.203challenges.com

Even if you are not a big garden lover, this destination is worth visiting, if only because of the turtles living here. The Botanical Garden in Victoria is best enjoyed with a leisurely walk among palms, orchids and Coco de mer trees. Your entry ticket costs ~$15 with an additional $3 if you want to feed the turtles (the zookeepers will give you special leaves, which the turtles love).

Food in the Seychelles

Most eateries serve fish and seafood cooked either in Creole style – with lots of spices – or in Italian style. A dinner for two at a restaurant will cost you between $40 and $100, while a burger with French fries from a street caravan for two will cost $20-$30.

The market in Victoria

The market in Victoria, Mahe, the Seychelles | © Bojidar Bonchev/www.203challenges.com

The market in Victoria is among the major attractions on Mahe island. Here you can satiate your senses with exotic smells, sights, colors and tastes. Most of the vendors sell vegetables, fish, fruit and ginger.

La Plaine St Andre – where Takamaka rum is distilled 

Rum-tasting in the Seychelles | © Bojidar Bonchev/www.203challenges.com

You will see the name of Takamaka rum all over the island, and besides sipping cocktails prepared with it, you can also visit the mansion where it is produced – La Plaine St Andre, located only 7 km (4 mi) from the airport. You can easily reach it by bus, as there’s a bus stop right in front of the distillery. Join a guided tour (twice a day, at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, $15 per person including a rum-tasting session at the end) to see how the former spice mansion was turned into a rum distillery. You will be even be able to put sugarcane into the machine to create a sweet, fresh juice.

And don’t forget to look up at the sky

If you live in the northern hemisphere, don’t forget to look up at the night sky – it’s so different from the constellations you see at home.

Author: Bojidar Bonchev 

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