So you want to travel to Zanzibar, but you're not sure about the safety yet?
We can assure you that it's completely safe to travel, as one of their primary income comes from tourism. Zanzibar its local authority takes the safety of tourists extremely serious. We also summed up important things you need to know about Zanzibar before you go and again, YES we felt completely safe at all times, but these are the reasons why.
HERE ARE 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAFETY IN ZANZIBAR
Written by: Stephanie Gabriella
1. Respect the culture and local traditions
As you travel to a new place it's important to know the culture differences and what is appropriate and what not.
Greetings: On the first few days in Zanzibar we already noticed that greetings are important. Everyone says 'hello' to you in Swahili whenever they pass by. It's an easy language to pick up, we recommend to learn the basics as it can get you pretty far and it shows interest in their language and culture. They greet you with 'Mambo' 'Jambo' and most of the times it's not about selling you stuff, only when you walk by taxis, souvenir shops, restaurants or beach tour guides. Local people are in general very welcoming.
Maassai on the beach: We had never seen Maasai men in our lives before and to be honest we didn't really read anything about them before we went to Zanzibar, because our mindset was: Be open and experience everything first hand, before you comment anything. We have had great experiences with them, non of them treated us poorly or harmed us. They are super friendly and interested in you/who you are. Most of them also speak very good English. We recommend to have a chat with them, learn about their lifestyle and who they are.
Who knows you might make new friends? At least that's what we have experienced. They might try to sell you something from their shop such as bracelets, spoons, candle holders or any other type of souvenir. You can buy something from them, but it's also fine if you say no. They won't bother you anymore.
2. Important Belongings to pack
Clothing: As Zanzibar citizens are mostly Islamic, it's a predominantly religion.
If you are traveling in remote areas we recommend to dress modestly. Make sure your knees and shoulders are covered and avoid wearing short skirts or shorts. What you would want to bring are enough breathable fabric trousers, shirts and maybe a very very thin jacket. Although we don't recommend it as the temperature is mostly above 28 degrees. Not sure what to wear? Check our Zanzibar highlight on our Instagram profile.
Keep in mind: It's totally fine as a female to walk on the beach in your bikini or swimsuit. And for men to walk around in their shorts as you are on the beach!
This is a short list we wish we had when we were visiting Zanzibar to tick off as a checklist:
Water Proof Bag: To make sure your belongings stay dry when going on an excursion or a day at the beach.
Snorkelling Masks: We, personally, don't like to wear used goggles or breathing tubes from others. So, if you're like us you want to have your own ones with you. Also, the water is so clear and there are many beautiful fishes you want to see whenever you go for a swim.
Mosquito Repellent: Every time you go out when the sun goes under you want to spray yourself with a good mosquito repellent.
First Aid Kid: You might not even get sick, but if you will you are going to be so happy with you bag of medicines. You're stomach may get sensitive due to the type of food you'll try. We brought: aspirins, ibuprofen, anti diarrhoea pills, constipation caches, nose spray, stomach protectors. Even if we're traveling in Europe we also bring a First Aid Kid, but than a bit smaller.
Universal Adapter: It's important for us to charge our digital equipment as we use them so often to create during the day. We brought a universal travel adapter as Tanzania was a British mandate so you will find mostly Type G plugs on Zanzibar Island. Make sure this is one of the first things to pack, because it's nice to have charged phone at all times. :)
Swimming Shoes: It's handy for when you'll take tours such as - the reef tour, Kuza Cave, Swimming with Turtles and many more rocky areas while you're in the water!
Sunscreen: Bring a good bottle of sunscreen and make sure you rub it on time even when the sun doesn't directly shine you can get burned. Reapply the sunscreen multiple times of the day. If it’s under SPF 40, don't even bother to buy it.
Leave your sandals but bring flip-flops: flip-flops are your go to shoes for when you're at the pool or the beach or any quick walk near by a relaxing area. Please do not forget them at home as they are mostly also very water proof.
Rain Jacket:If you're traveling during the rainy seasons (March-May and November-December) you probably want to have light rain jacket as it can rain much by than.
Strong Sneakers: Most paths in Zanzibar are very sandy, rocky and mainly rough. When going on a hike, or visiting a (Jozani) forest you wish you had brought a pair of good sneakers. Make sure the bottom of your shoes give enough comfort.
Hat or Cap: The sun can be really hot, especially when you're like us and have a head full of hair, a hat or cap can gives you much less heat to feel on top of you head.
3. Safety: Food
We were really amazed about the flavours of the food and we definitely recommend to try out new type of dishes. However, we have to be honest with you. For us Zanzibar wasn't only a summer holiday, but also an opportunity to create content and capture certain photography. This was the reason why we didn't try out all the local food, we also didn't want to loose days and get sick. It's always sad to loose days of a holiday due to sickness. We talked to several people and they told us they got sick after trying out food at the Forodhani Food Market in Stone Town Zanzibar. We didn't try foods of the markets, but sticked to restaurant food only, mainly located at the beach. Always look at the surroundings of the places and its hygienic. You might want to read reviews before hand and if you need places to try in Nungwi, you should watch this video here for tips.
- Don't drink tap water - Fruits need to be clean - Careful with seafood, don't eat them everywhere - In doubt of a place? Read reviews!
4. Hakuna Matata
Keep in mind: The island its lifestyle is very slow. Zanzibar lives according to pole pole, which is a Swahili saying of 'slowly slowly'. Also, Hakuna Matata definitely suits the meaning of don't worry, because the citizens have a mindset of worrying as less as possible. It's important to enjoy the calm but chaos sphere on the island. Your dish might take 45 minutes to be in front of you, but we can promise you: you won't be disappointed! We always said:
It was worth the wait.
5. Swimming in the Indian Ocean
Zanzibar is a popular place for water activities, such as scuba diving, snorkelling, even surfing and hopping on a Jet Ski or go Parasailing and more. It's totally fine to swim in the Indian Ocean, you will often feel the warm small waves among you. When you go on a reef tour, you can exactly see all the small ocean creatures you can find in the sea. It's safe to say: Yes Zanzibar is very safe for swimming and water activities.
The conditions of the ocean can vary from beach to beach and it differs from season to season. Many Zanzibar beaches are ideal for a swimming day. However, we prefer the coast of Nungwi out of all of them. Sometimes there can be seaweed in the water, but that depends on the tides. This happens particularly on the East Coast.
Sharks: Are there sharks in Zanzibar? The answer to that is: yes, BUT! There are reef sharks in Zanzibar and they are harmless. Around Mafia Island you can swim with Whale sharks and these are endangered and safe to swim and dive with. Also, there are great whale sharks spotted occasionally in the deep water, however there are no shark attacks to be known of.
Do we recommend water activities? YES! Head to our article about: Zanzibar - 15 Things To Do
6. Hotels and accommodations
Make sure to book a stay that has surveillance in/outside of the accommodation. Most hotels and resorts have that. However, you might want to avoid staying in a hostel as we haven't read many good reviews about them when it comes to safety and hygienics. Every hotel and resort have a save inside of the room for your important belongings. Guards and hotel staff are always here to help you out when you have questions about safety on the island or around the area. We slept in Zanzibar Star Resort which was a very save resort,
because they had 24/7 security guards around
the property and a save inside each room.
7. Vaccinations and Covid-19
Let's first talk about the vaccinations that we took to get into Zanzibar and that we can recommend you. I was already vaccinated for Hepatitis (A&B), typhoid, rabies, but Joey was only vaccinated for yellow fever and yes you do get into ZANZIBAR with only a yellow fever vaccination.
However, the following vaccinations are recommended by The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to get when visiting Tanzania or Zanzibar:
hepatitis (A and B)
typhoid
cholera
yellow fever*
rabies
meningitis
tetanus
*Proof of a yellow fever vaccination is required if you are travelling from a country where yellow fever is present.
These are the recommended shots when you are traveling to Zanzibar, but they are only general guidelines. We strongly advise that you book a consult or make a call with a consult a travel clinic or your doctor when planning your holiday to Zanzibar to ensure that you get the shots that you need. It's also important to know that then you arrive on the airport they will ask for your proof of a yellow fever vaccination.
Important notes on COVID-19: - Make sure you print out all your required documents, because showing the app won't work.
- Fill in the Traveller's Health Surveillance Form 24 hours before departure. The rules can vary at anytime, since it's impossible to say if you need to be vaccinated or not. When we went it wasn't necessary and we only had to take a PCR test. Keep an eye on the regulations before you go to Zanzibar in order to prepare everything you need.
8. Camera and other electronic equipment
You might travel for the first time to Zanzibar and you're wondering: Would my camera and other belongings stay safe? Our answer is: YES! We took our equipment on every activity we went, because we wanted to capture every moment. Also, you won't be the first tourist that has brought electronic equipment. To answer questions in short:
Q: Are drones allowed in Zanzibar? A: Drones that weigh under 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) do not require a permit. To fly a drone weighing over 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) you must obtain a special permit from the Ministry of Defense.
Q: Is my equipment safe? A: Yes! Always check if the rooms have lock where you can put your belongings. We never used a safety lock, because we never left our belongings behind without us being inside.
Q: Can I bring my laptop and edit on the road with good wi-fi? A: Yes, but be aware that on some places the wi-fi might not be that fast. In some restaurants we have experienced that.
Q: What's the best way to move around with my equipment? A: Joey carried his photography - bag with his rain cover, but only in Stone Town. As the streets are narrow and crowded.
9. Zanzibar Seasons
Here are the best and worst periods to visit Zanzibar.
Best period: June - September/October are the best months to visit Zanzibar. You will most likely have great weather conditions with clear blue skies, warm temperatures and no rain. If hot temperatures and humidity are not your thing, it's better to visit Zanzibar during
If you struggle with heat and humidity then the sunny winter-to-spring (December- February) dry season is the best time to visit Zanzibar.
Worst period: March - May, because of the rain season. If you're visiting a sunny destination, I assume you want sunny warm temperatures, right?
Don't visit during this time. However, prices will be a bit lower, because there are less tourists.
10. Is Zanzibar safe for kids?
In our opinion Zanzibar is definitely kids friendly. We saw several families with their cute babies. We talked to a twin mom with two very energised sons and they were having the time of their lives. They can discover nature, animals and you can there are plenty activities for kids to do. She told us a story that Zanzibar people are always looking out for each other, especially women to women and their children. If your kids don't like the exotic tastes of a chicken curry, don't worry there are plenty of pastas, rice dishes, hamburgers or potatoes with vegetable dishes too.
Also, there are exquisite resorts and hotels with plenty of experience in family holidays. They are your go to, to ensure a stress-free holiday. You can book a taxi or transfer within your stay. There are also enough resorts or hotels that arrange children's mini clubs too. Some of these clubs offer wide variation of kids activities.
That's it, those where all the things we wanted to let you know about the safety in Zanzibar. We hope you will have an amazing time when you're visiting Zanzibar. Do not hesitate to ask any questions and if you like our articles definitely subscribe,
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