Frequently asked questions

Message us on WhatsApp with your dates, how many people are travelling and which tour you want. Browse the full list of tours first if you are still deciding. We confirm availability and agree the price, then a $30 deposit holds the date. There is no form to fill in and no account to create.

A $30 deposit is required to confirm the booking and hold your date. The balance is settled for the tour itself. Message us on WhatsApp and we will confirm the total and how to send the deposit.

US dollars, euros and Tanzanian shillings are all accepted. Bring clean, recent dollar notes: worn or pre-2009 bills are commonly refused across Tanzania, and a torn or faded note will be handed back. Bring euros as notes rather than coins, because coins cannot be changed anywhere on the island.

A boat, a car and a guide cost the same whether one person or six is using them, so the cost per person falls as the group grows. Every tour page shows the real rate at each group size rather than one figure that only applies to a full boat.

Yes. Several tours run as shared departures — Mnemba snorkelling and Safari Blue from Jambiani among them. Tell us your dates and we will say what is already running. There is more in how to save money on tours.

Every tour page lists what is included and, just as importantly, what is not. Park fees and marine reserve fees are the usual surprise — see Nakupenda or Safari Blue for how we set them out. On our tours they are stated plainly, so you know before you are standing on a beach being asked for cash.

Because the tide decides. Nakupenda sandbank is completely underwater at high tide, and the reef at Mnemba is only worth snorkelling at certain states of the tide, so those departures move day by day. We tell you the time the evening before.

You are not charged. Boat trips, skydiving and the balloon flight are cancelled rather than risked. We will move you to another day where we can, or refund anything already paid. It is worth not booking weather-dependent activities for your last day on the island.

Yes. Pickup from your hotel or guesthouse is part of the tour, anywhere on the island. Tell us where you are staying when you book.

Most nationalities buy a tourist visa on arrival for US$50. United States citizens are issued a multiple-entry visa at US$100. Some nationalities must apply online in advance, and that list changes. Our guide to the Zanzibar visa on arrival covers what to have ready at the desk.

Yes. Zanzibar requires all inbound visitors to hold its own mandatory inbound travel insurance, bought separately from any policy you already hold at home. Immigration asks for proof at the airport. Our guide to the mandatory Zanzibar travel insurance explains what it costs and where to buy it.

Yes, anywhere on the island, at a price agreed before you travel. Send your flight number and landing time. There is then nothing to negotiate when you arrive tired at midnight.

On the beach, whatever you like. In Stone Town and the villages, Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim and modest dress is the norm: shoulders covered and shorts or skirts to the knee is enough. There is more in what to wear in Zanzibar.

English, French, German and Italian. Write in whichever is easiest for you. There are traveller groups in each of those languages for people who want to share a tour or ask a question before booking.

Usually within the hour, seven days a week. WhatsApp is the fastest route.

Yes. Dala-dala minibuses run between the main towns for a few thousand shillings, and taxis are straightforward to arrange. If you would rather drive, see driving in Zanzibar for the permit you need. All of our travel tips are in one place.