Zanzibar Island

Why visit Zanzibar?

This large tropical island off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean is a perfect beach destination either on its own or after a safari. The fertile spice island has good beaches, lots of hotel choices, great snorkeling and diving, plus Stone Town is a fascinating old town steeped in history. 
The reasons you should visit are:

• Tropical spice-growing island with excellent beaches.
• Long sandy beaches and warm Indian Ocean waters. 
• Excellent diving and snorkelling.
• A big choice of hotels from large to small, luxury to rustic. 
• Considering staying at one of the smaller islands just off the main island, such as Chumbe Island or Chapwani Island.
• See red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest. 
• Take a spice tour.
• Explore the alleyways, markets and historical buildings of Stone Town. 

When to go on holiday to Zanzibar

Come any time, but maybe avoid the rainy months of April and May, when many of the hotels are closed. There are 'short' rains in November, though these tend not to upset most people's holidays as there is generally just one downpour per day then the rest of the day is lovely. 

Zanzibar: How to do it?

Zanzibar is just a 20 minute hop across the water on a domestic flight from Dar es Salaam. Alternatively international flights such as Kenyan Airways (from Nairobi), Qatar (from Doha), Ethiopian Airways and Oman Air all fly into Zanzibar.

It works as a beach-only destination, but is also great for some downtime after a safari. The closest good wildlife reserve is Selous.

Most people have the majority of their time at a beach resort, but stay a night or two in Stone Town too to experience this unique Swahili town and culture. 

Accommodation on Zanzibar

There are over 200 hotels on Zanzibar Island, so tourism has very much marked this tropical island in the last few years.   Being independent, Tribes can sell any of the hotels, but we promote about 35 that we use more commonly, and of course we have our personal favourites.  These would include:  Unguja Lodge, Matemwe Retreat, White Sands Villas, Breezes, The Palms, Pongwe and the Zanzibari.  They are all good for different reasons, but we’re always happy to explain which might suit you better.