Zanzibar local services directory
Photographers, salons, massage, scooter hire and more. Short lists of people we have actually checked, by area, with what they cost.
1 listed
Art, craft and galleries
Galleries, working artists, woodcarvers and craft workshops. Tingatinga painting is the style you will see everywhere; buying from the painter…
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None yet
Camera and equipment hire
Cameras, GoPros, drones, snorkel gear and beach kit by the day. Cheaper than shipping your own, and the shop usually…
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None yet
Family and children
Babysitters, nannies, baby equipment and things that actually work with small children. Most hotels can find a sitter, but rates…
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None yet
Food experiences and private chefs
Cooking classes, private chefs, spice-farm lunches and food tours. A private chef in a villa is often cheaper than eating…
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1 listed
Hair braiding and beauty
Braiding, nails and beauty. Braiding on the beach is common and usually cheaper than a salon, but a salon is…
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1 listed
Laundry and practical help
Laundry, luggage storage, repairs, printing and the unglamorous things that go wrong mid-trip. Laundry is usually priced per kilo and…
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Local guides and lessons
Private guides, language and craft lessons. A local guide for Stone Town is the difference between a nice walk and…
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1 listed
Massage and spa
Massage, spa treatments and bodywork. Hotel spas charge hotel prices; the independents a street back are often the same therapists.
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1 listed
Music and entertainment
Live musicians, DJs, drummers, dancers and fire shows, for a party, a wedding or a dinner. Taarab and ngoma groups…
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1 listed
Photographers
Photographers and videographers for beach shoots, couples, families and content. Most travel to you, and most charge by the session…
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None yet
Restaurants and beach clubs
Where to eat and drink, by area. Restaurants change hands faster than anything else on this list, so the checked…
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Scooter, quad and car hire
Scooters, quad bikes, bicycles and cars. You need a Zanzibar permit to drive legally, which the rental shop can usually…
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None yet
Shops and markets
Supermarkets, spice shops, markets and where to buy what. Darajani is the big market in Stone Town; the beach villages…
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None yet
Water sports and diving
Kitesurfing, diving, jet skis and everything else on the water. Paje and Jambiani are the kite coast; diving runs mostly…
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Weddings and special occasions
Planners, celebrants, decor, cake and flowers for weddings, vow renewals, proposals and birthdays. Legal marriage in Tanzania has paperwork; most…
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Yoga and wellness
Drop-in yoga, retreats, breathwork and sound healing. Most classes on the east coast run early morning and late afternoon, around…
Ask usWe fill these one at a time, and only with people we have used ourselves or had a guest come back happy from. That is slower than scraping a list off the internet, and it is the only reason this is worth reading.
Cannot see what you need?
We live here and we know most of these people personally. If none of the above fits, say what you are after and we will point you at somebody who does.
Ask us on WhatsAppEveryone listed here runs their own business; none of them is us. Listing is free and we choose who goes in — that is the whole point of the list. Where a business has paid for placement it is labelled Sponsored and sits apart from the rest, and we sometimes take a small referral fee on a booking, which never changes the order. Prices are what we last saw quoted, not a promise.
Run a business here and think you belong on this list? Tell us who you are. Listing is free; we just want to have met you first.
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