Zanzibar, Tanzania (2 adults, 10 nights - 1500)

Apr 3, 2017
5 min read

We stayed in Zanzibar for a total of 10 nights, we flew from Dubai with Flydubai (If you book a little in advance or wait for offers the flights are very cheap). Outwards we made a stop in Tanzania for 1 hour and waited on the plane. From Tanzania we flew to Zanzibar which literally was the quickest flight we have ever made 15 Minutes in total. Upon arrival the Visa for all tourists was 50 $ each payable only by card! However, for US passport holders the visa fee is 100$. We landed late and took a taxi (50 $) to our resort in Pongwe.

Pongwe Bay Resort was truly a hidden gem on the quiet side of the Island. I would only recommend this resort for people staying a couple of days. You can book via Booking.com

The resort itself is situated in a beautiful bay with high and low tides so you can always swim in the bay, however, we saw this as a positive because you can walk right out along the sandbank and swim in the crystal clear waters. Along the way you can explore the local finishing boats and coral. There are always locals around hand fishing and children playing, don't forget to say JAMBO JAMBO!

You can alternatively make contact with our friend Aben, before departing and arrange for transport with him -better prices and hands down the best tour guide in Zanzibar! Please contact us for his contact details.

During our stay in Zanzibar, we relaxed for half of the trip and we also did a lot of exploring. We noticed that it is a very expensive island, transport, tours, water, food - IT'S NOT CHEAP! using Aben, we managed to explore and make our money go further, it's always better to have local knowledge. We visited the following places; Stone town, Kizimkazi, Mnemba Island, Prison Island, Nungwi and other local areas without using Aben.

Throughout our entire stay we felt fairly safe however, we wouldn't recommend walking around off resort on a night for single women or families with small children. Please note this is not necessarily for safety but to avoid any situations. The Island is not very well lit at night off resort and there are no street names so unless you have a light and know where your going we would suggest sticking to tourist areas during the night times. We would advise travelling with US Dollars.

Stone town

The heart of Stone Town mostly consists of a maze of narrow alleys lined by houses, shops, bazaars and mosques. Since most streets are too narrow for cars, the town is crowded with bicycles and motorbikes. The seafront has wider streets and larger, more regularly placed buildings.

Stone Town's architecture has a number of distinctive features, as a result of Arab, Persian, Indian, European, and African traditions mixing together. The name "Stone Town" comes from the ubiquitous use of coral stone as the main construction material; this stone gives the town a characteristic, reddish warm color. You can explore the small streets, haggle your way around for souviners, try a variety of fresh fish/fruit or just people watch with the locals on teh sea front. This is where you will take the boat from for Prison Island.

Prison Island

Changuu Island (also known as Kibandiko, Prison or Quarantine Island) is a small island 5.6 km north-west of Stone Town, Unguja, Zanzibar. The island is around 800m long and 230m wide at its broadest point. The island saw use as a prison for rebellious slaves in 1860s and also functioned as a coral mine. The British First Minister of Zanzibar, Lloyd Mathews, purchased the island in 1893 and constructed a prison complex there. No prisoners were ever housed on the island and instead it became a quarantine station for yellow fever cases. The station was only occupied for around half of the year and the rest of the time it was a popular holiday destination. More recently, the island has become a government-owned tourist resort and houses a collection of endangered Aldabra giant tortoises which were originally a gift from the British governor of the Seychelles. You can add to his tour and visit a beautiful sand bank in the middle of the Indian Ocean surrounded by crystal blue waters, where you can snorkel around the reef or relax on the sandbank while enjoying a fresh seafood BBQ.

(total trip around 50 $ per peron) - Stone Town - Prison Island - Sandbank

Kizimkazi

A small fishing village south of Zanzibar, this is where you take the boats to swim with the bottlenose dolphins - this was one of the best experiences we have ever had. Your literally on a boat to fit 6 people, you should set off around 5:30am to beat the tourists. Once you see the dolphins you just have to jump in and swim with them, its as simple as that! We saw over 20 dolphins and we were swimming with them for over an hour.

(total trip 50$ per person including fruit and transport)

Mnemba Island

One of the world's most exclusive islands, the locals believe that it's owned by Bill Gates. The island is absolutely stunning however, unless your willing to pay 1700$ per night then your not actually allowed to step foot on the island or swim within 200m of the island. Aben took us to a coral reef just off the island where we snorkeled for over an hour and were actually lucky enough to swim again with the playful dolphins. later in the day the tide becomes low and the sandbanks start to appear that are approx 300m from the island, this is where you can plan to have a private meal just you or you can swim around in the natural swimming pool. This is definitely the most stunning Island we have ever seen.

(total trip 40$ per person including fruits, snorkel equipment and transport, if your lucky also dolphins)

Nungwi

The north of Zanzibar, full of tourists during low and high season, the beaches are stacked with hotels and ruined by humans! although they don't really have any issues with the tide and you can swim all day, this is more of a busy location. We visited briefly to celebrate a friends birthday at a restaurant on the beach. if you walk along you can find multiple restaurants and some bars.

(total trip 40$ taxi for 2 people)

Pongwe

Although this is a very quiet part of Zanzibar, it is perfect for relaxing and to stay as a base for exploring. There are very few amenities around and you are limited to the restaurants either on your resort or others around you. We stayed at Pongwe Bay Resort which was beautiful but expect to have hidden costs and each meal is around 25$ per person (this is everywhere in Zanzibar). If you walk along Pongwe bay you will find a shipwrecked themed bar called Santa Maria, very cheap, good music and great local beer. Alternatively, in the opposite direction you can find the Rock Restaurant, as the name says its a rock in the sea with a restaurant on it. We loved this place! Enjoy Italian and local food while watching the locals fish and the tide slowly rise, if you wait long enough you will have to walk in the water back to land which is apart of the experience. My husband recommends the Biryani rice and mixed vegetables.

Cheetah's Rock

Where do we start? this place is unbelievable, Jenny has such a big passion to help and to save these animals

"Cheetah’s Rock is a unique, very special place where people and animals interact directly – face to face, eye to eye. We are not a zoo, nor a wildlife sanctuary – We are something completely different." - Jenny