Zanzibar - small but perfectly formed (Zanzibar)

Member Name: cezzybunny

Product:	Zanzibar
Date:	27/05/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful, sunny, friendly locals, some really nice places to stay

Disadvantages: Beach touts on busier beaches

Zanzibar is without doubt one of the star attractions of Tanzania. It lies 15-30 miles off the mainland, but you can still get your passport stamped on arrival by boat if you like...! The two ways of reaching Zanzibar are by plane and by boat from Dar Es Salaam. A number of tourists will take the plane, but I would recommend the boat - it is a beautiful journey, and you will get to talk to some interesting locals as you while away the hours. There are two types of boat - the fast boat and the slow boat. There's a $20 difference in price, but quite a lot differs in quality. I would recommend missing the slow overnight boat unless you're really on a budget - 7 hours of slowly rocking across the sea may not be for everyone. I woke up when a wave broke into the boat and my head got soaked....

Right, on Zanzibar itself, most people opt to stay in Stone Town, the main town. It;s worth a night or two to get your bearings, and it is pretty and a good place to stock up on souvenirs, but after this you should really get to the coast! The north and west are the most popular parts as they are easily reached from stone town, but having gone to all the effort of getting there, why not go a bit further. I stayed on Jambiani beach, on the east coast, which was excellent. We stayed at Golden Monkey lodge, I think, right at the end of the beach. This was ideal because the beach touts wouldn't bother walking this far down to bother us! Cheap hostel, think about $20 each a night in doubles, food in the dining room and cheap dhow snorkelling trips, $15-20 I seem to remember. Small and comfy!

They also have full moon parties on a beach near Stone Town which seem to be popular. If you eat in the night market in Stone Town, find out how much the food is before they put it on the bbq - I did and was ok, my friends didn't and ended up paying nearly £4 for a lobster kebab thing. To get around the island, you can get a private taxi fromStone Town. Less comfortable, but cheaper, are the numerous matatus - open sided minibuses. These are ubiquitous and will save you a fortune..!

For those seeking more solitude, the island of Pemba is only another boat ride away....

Summary: Lovely part of Tanzania