Destinations · Tanzania
Zanzibar
Stone Town, spice, and water the colour of a swimming pool.
Zanzibar is the beach half of an East African trip, and it is a real place rather than a resort strip — Stone Town is a UNESCO site with Omani, Indian, Persian and African layers in the same doorway, and the island has a living Swahili Muslim culture that rewards a traveller who arrives respectfully. The east coast has the postcard sand and serious tide swings; the north around Nungwi and Kendwa swims at all tides; the southwest is quiet. It is markedly cheaper than the Indian Ocean islands it is compared to.
What a week actually costs
Indicative shapes, not quotes — an advisor verifies real prices for your exact dates before anything is offered.
Under $3,000 for the week
Two people, a small beachfront hotel or guesthouse on the north coast, breakfast included, a Stone Town night, a spice farm, a dhow sunset sail.
$9,000–22,000
A beach villa with staff and a cook for a family or group, private transfers, a dive or kitesurf package, a private dhow day to Mnemba.
$40,000+
A private-island or full-villa buyout for a wedding or milestone week, guests hosted, boat transfers, and a Serengeti leg on either side.
What to watch for
- The east coast tide goes out a long way twice a day. If swimming at any hour matters to you, that decides the coast before anything else.
- It is a predominantly Muslim island. Beachwear belongs on the beach, and covering shoulders and knees in Stone Town and villages is basic courtesy, not a restriction.
- Ramadan dates move each year and change what is open. We check it against your dates rather than letting you find out on arrival.
- Marrying here as a foreign couple is possible but the process is slow and paperwork-heavy. Most couples marry legally at home and celebrate here.