Zanzibar Island is known as Africa’s tropical paradise, offering the world’s most beautiful beaches. Miles and miles of white sandy beaches dotted with palm trees, surrounded by the clear azure water of the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar Island is part of the Zanzibar archipelago together with Pemba Island and many smaller islands. These islands are also called the Spice Islands because of its rich history in spice trade and many spice plantations.
Colourful corals and culture
Zanzibar Island offers laid-back beach life, but also an diversity of activities and a colourful culture and history. The old Stone Town is amazing mix of cultures. Food lovers and culture enthusiasts can visit interesting cultural places like Sultan’s Palace, the House of Wonders and Darajani or Forodhani food markets. You can go on a Spice Tour or explore the amazing coral reefs and swim among tropical reef fish. The opportunities are endless. Zanzibar Island has all the ingredients to make a memorable holiday.
About Zanzibar
The position of Zanzibar, which is washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, made this archipelago a favorable base for traders voyaging between Africa, Arabia, and India. These three cultures shaped Zanzibar’s history, traditions, food and language. Because of the traders’ need to communicate with the natives, a new language emerged which combined Arabic, Persian, English, and Swahili.
Zanzibar is one of the main archipelagoes of Tanzania, and the name Tanzania comes from combining the names Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The name Zanzibar comes from the Arabic Zanjibār and Persian Zang-bār. It combines the words Zang (“Black“) + bār (“coast, land, country“). Zanzibar is also called “Coast of Black”.
History
The first European power to gain control of Zanzibar was the Portugese, and their rule lasted nearly 200 years. Later, Zanzibar fell under the control of the Sultanate of Oman, which colonized the country. During that time, slavery was abolished and the 38-minute Anglo-Zanzibar War broke out, putting the country in the history books for the shortest war on record.
The islands gained independence from Britain in December 1963 as a constitutional monarchy. A month later, the bloody Zanzibar Revolution, in which several thousand Arabs and Indians were killed and thousands more expelled and expropriated, led to the Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba.
TODAY
The official status of Zanzibar is as a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. Official languages are Kiswahili, English and Arabic. The main religion is Islam, and almost 95% of the inhabitants are Muslim.
The weather
The ideal time to visit Zanzibar is more or less all year round as this tropical island lies close to the equator and the average temperature during the European summer is around 27 ° Celsius. From December to March, the air temperature rise up to about 30 ° C. This not applies to the mainland, where temperature may be affected by and altitude, and for example, in March during safari in Ngorongoro you can be surprised by cold evening.
Money
The Tanzanian Shilling is the official currency of Tanzania, but US dollars are also widely accepted in tourist areas. Dollar notes printed before 2009 are usually not accepted. You can exchange money at many authorised dealers, banks and bureaux de change. Get a receipt after each transaction.
Most banks in major cities have ATMs, but they are not always reliable and sometimes break down or run out of money. To minimise the risk of card cloning, only use ATMs located within the bank. Travellers cheques are not widely accepted and non-Bank of England sterling notes may be subject to less favourable exchange rates.
Languages
Tanzania has two official languages, Swahili (kiSwahili) and English. Swahili, the national language, is a composite of several Bantu dialects and Arabic that originated along the East African coast and on the island of Zanzibar. Swahili is the lingua franca of the country, and virtually all Tanzanians speak it. Since independence the government and other national institutions have promoted the use of Swahili through literature, local drama, and poetry. Swahili is also used as the medium of instruction in the first seven years of primary education. English is the medium of instruction at higher levels of education and is widely used in government offices.
Travel to Tanzania
All international passengers entering mainland Tanzania must complete an online Health Surveillance Form before departure. A separate online Health Surveillance form is required for Zanzibar.
Fully vaccinated passengers are exempt from pre-departure testing requirements. Passengers will be required to present a valid vaccination certificate with a QR code for verification upon arrival. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is accepted and travellers are advised to carry a printed copy. The only acceptable vaccines are those approved by the Ministry of Health of Tanzania and the WHO.
Passengers who are not fully vaccinated, or unvaccinated and those not eligible for vaccination, will be required to present a negative COVID-19 RT PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) or NAATs (Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests) certificate with a QR code obtained within 72 hours before departure.
Passengers who are not fully vaccinated or unvaccinated who arrive in Tanzania with no negative COVID-19 RT PCR certificate will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival using a Rapid Antigen Test at a cost of USD10 for mainland Tanzania, except children aged 12 years and below. If found positive, a further RT PCR test will be administered at a cost of USD 50. For ground crossing, positive cases will be handled according to bilateral and joint border agreements.
Transit passengers are exempt from both vaccination certificate and COVID-19 testing requirements unless stated otherwise by their travel operator or by the authorities in the country of their final destination.