When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?+
From June to October, when it's dry and slightly cooler, which pairs well with a mainland safari, or from December to February, when it's hot and humid but dry, with the sea at twenty-nine degrees. Avoid the masika rainy season from mid-March to May, when it rains daily, the sea turns murky, and some hotels close. Short November rains are only afternoon showers.
What do I need for a trip to Zanzibar?+
A visa, arranged online through the Tanzanian immigration portal or bought on arrival for fifty dollars in cash. Your passport must be valid for another six months. Since 2024, a special Zanzibar travel insurance is mandatory, paid online in advance — without proof of it, you won't be allowed through at the airport; standard Czech travel insurance doesn't count, as this is a separate charge. Yellow fever vaccination is required only when arriving from a country where it's endemic, not directly from Europe.
How do the tides work, and where can you swim?+
On the east coast, the difference between high and low tide is so large that the sea retreats half a kilometre and exposes a sandbank — swimming works for roughly four hours around high tide, and the rest of the day you're wading ankle-deep. Every hotel keeps a tide table at reception. In the north, at Nungwi and Kendwa, the sea is deep right at the shore and tides don't complicate the day, which makes the north the best choice for anyone who mainly wants to swim.
How should I dress on Zanzibar?+
Inside your resort and on its beach, ordinary rules apply. Outside it, Zanzibar is ninety-five percent Muslim, and it's taken seriously: in Stone Town and the villages, women keep shoulders and knees covered and men don't go shirtless. Swimwear in town is an offence, not a fashion faux pas, and topless sunbathing is banned everywhere. During Ramadan, eating, drinking or smoking in public during the day isn't done.
Is malaria a risk on Zanzibar?+
Yes, although case numbers have dropped significantly in recent years. Prophylaxis is recommended — ask a travel doctor — and DEET repellent plus a mosquito net over the bed are essential, since malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite after dark. Dengue fever also occurs here. Healthcare on the island is limited, and a serious case means transport to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi, so insurance with repatriation cover matters more here than in Europe.
Can I drink tap water on Zanzibar?+
No, and don't even brush your teeth with it. Bottled water costs around a thousand shillings a bottle in shops and is usually free in your resort room. Buy ice only at hotels and vetted restaurants, never from street stalls. Peel fruit yourself, and avoid salads outside your hotel for the first few days until your stomach adjusts.
Is it worth combining Zanzibar with a safari?+
Yes, it's the most common and logical combination — flights from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro and Arusha take an hour, and from there you continue to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The best window is June to October, when both the island and the mainland are dry and animals gather around water sources. The standard pattern is three to four days of safari followed by a week on the island, in that order, so the holiday ends by the sea.
How much should I tip?+
Tipping is expected and matters to the staff's income. Ten percent at restaurants, five to ten dollars per person for a guide on a full-day trip, similarly for a boat captain. Hotels often keep a shared tip box at reception for the whole staff, which is fairer than tipping individuals. Pay in shillings; dollar bills printed before 2009 are refused everywhere.
