Zanzibar is a popular beach holiday destination, while it can be easily paired with cultural experiences, as well as exotic wildlife in Tanzania - Africa. What I loved most about Zanzibar is that combining it with a once-in-a-lifetime safari on the mainland is possible in only a short excursion.
Zanzibar is located just off the coast of Tanzania in East Africa, offering pristine beaches with powdery white sand, warm turquoise waters, but also a unique blend of African, Arabic, and Indian influences with a turbulent and interesting history.
Last week I finally got to revisit this paradisical island, while staying at 2 unique 5-star affordable luxury hotels on different locations of the island.
After my first visit 2,5 years ago, I had already explored much, but this time I also got to experience a 3-day safari in Tanzania, made super easy through Corendon’s new combination packages.
Let me tell you all about it in this blog with an abundance of my own pictures and plenty of tips on how to make the most of your affordable luxury vacation here, including a dream safari.
Zanzibar & Tanzania affordable luxury Africa
While Zanzibar is not a big island, it’s quite diverse with much to offer. Here’s what made it unique to me, compared to other island destinations:
Pristine beaches
Zanzibar is renowned for its long white beaches, bright blue sea and with its warm tropical climate it’s palm tree galore and highly photogenic. The white sands and clear, shallow waters create a beautiful backdrop and are ideal for sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, and water sports.
Rich history & culture
Unlike typical tropical islands in the Caribbean or the Maldives, Zanzibar has a diverse heritage shaped by African, Arab, and Indian influences. It's also known as ‘Spice Island’, and has a rich history as a trading hub for spices, gold, and slaves.
A visit to Stone Town, the Unesco Heritage site of the capital, will offer much insight in this turbulent history through its unique architecture, ancient buildings, narrow alleys, exhibits, museums and markets that combine Swahili, Arabic, and Indian cultures.
We visited the old slave market, the monument, trading exhibit and Christian church. While confrontational the exhibit is very impressive, although also gruesome and saddening, but nevertheless an important part of history.
Affordable luxury
Unlike some other beach destinations and honeymoon islands, Zanzibar also offers an affordable taste of luxury. You can book luxury resorts from €1,000 a night here, but can also enjoy 5-star resorts and high-end dining without breaking the bank, starting from €150-300 a night per room all-inclusive.
Extra affordable when booked as a package combined with flights via tour operators like Corendon. This makes it the ideal destination if you’re looking for a beach holiday in style and comfort on a limited budget.
Abundance of sightseeing & safari options
While most beach destinations focus primarily on water sports and relaxation, Zanzibar has a big sightseeing diversity, as well as plenty of options to visit nearby islands, idyllic sandbanks and historical sites like the Prison Island Tortoise Sanctuary.
What made it extra special to me is that Zanzibar is the perfect gateway to a safari trip on mainland Tanzania. From Zanzibar’s main airport you can get to Tanzania within a 30-minute flight, where you will land directly at the gate of Nyerere National Park, enabling you to start your game drive and safari adventure right away.
But first:
How to get to Zanzibar?
Reaching Zanzibar from Europe and major cities in Africa is quite easy. Many international flights arrive at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar city.
Airlines like KLM, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines offer direct or one-stop flights from the bigger European cities, which is quite convenient and took us 9 hours, departing from Amsterdam airport.
From other destinations you can also fly to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and take a short 20-minute flight to Zanzibar. Or take a ferry from there, which offers scenic views but takes about 2 hours.
Important tips & good to know before visiting Zanzibar:
A mandatory inbound travel insurance of $44 p.p. applies for all visitors to Zanzibar (not Tanzania) from 1 October 2024, which should be completed online in advance here: VisitZanzibar.
The mandatory Visa for Zanzibar and Tanzania of $50 p.p. can be purchased online in advance here: Visa Immigration, which can take up to 10 days to process. Make sure to only use this official website to avoid extra costs or scammers.
You can also purchase the Visa on the airport by creditcard or cash, for which they accept either $50 or €50, the only downside of this is that you have to get in an extra line..
Make sure to get a seat in the front of plane so you can get to the front of the Visa and customs lines fast. Yes, there are 2-3, that can be very long and can take you up to 1-3 hours when it’s busy.
To prevent getting in the end of the line, and of course for some extra leg space, upgrading your seat to economy comfort can be recommended and was worth it to me.
You can also book the VIP service on Zanzibar airport in advance, to get you through the Visa process fast and easy with a company like: Royal Airport Concierge.
Make sure your transfer to the hotel is already pre-arranged, as the distances from the airport to the north, east and southside of the island are long and can take up to 1,5 hours.
The taxes at the hotels are not included in the roomrates yet and have to be paid during check-in. Depending on the star level of the hotel they range from €1-5 per room per night.
Affordable package options
Travel companies like Corendon.nl offer affordable packages that combine flights, accommodation, and activities, taking the hassle out of planning. We booked our trip via the premium selection of Corendon, which included:
direct flights to Zanzibar with KLM, with only a short stop in Dar es Salam on the way back
stays at 5-star hotels on all-inclusive basis
airport transfers
as well as a 3-day safari excursion to Tanzania all-in.
All this made our holiday quite diverse, adventurous, yet also relaxing and affordable.
These combination packages already start at €1,500 p.p. for a 9-day stay all-inclusive, of course depending on your timing and the hotel you choose.
Find the most affordable and convenient options for your own trip here: Corendon-Safari-Tanzania
Affordable luxury hotels Zanzibar
Despite its exotic allure, Zanzibar has a range of luxurious, yet affordable accommodations to choose from, of which you can see a few here: Corendon-Zanzibar when you filter on 5 stars and premium label.
We stayed at 2 of their affordable luxury 5-star hotels on all-inclusive basis and started our trip at:
SBH Resort Kilindini
Located directly on Pwani Mchangi beach in the northeast, it's a quiet resort on a beautiful pristine beach, however the sea is less brightly colored here.
We, however, loved the tropical setting, the authentic set up of the resort and local building style. The hotel has 2 restaurants and 2 bars facing the sea and one even located on the beach, open until 6 pm and for theme nights.
We also really enjoyed our luxury beach villa, of which they offer 8, looking out directly on the palm tree dotted private beach section.
If your budget allows, and when available, I would highly recommend upgrading your stay to a beach villa, which is worth it.
Get an impression through this gallery with many of my own pictures:
And find the best package deal for your preferred dates on: Corendon-SBH-Kilindini-Zanzibar
We ended our trip after our 3-day Tanzania safari adventure with a 5-day stay at:
SBH Monica adults-only Resort
Located on Paje beach in southeast Zanzibar, this resort is a bit more vibrant than Kilindini. The beach is extensive and wide, with soft powdery white sand, brightly colored water and the perfect (kite) surfing conditions, with classes offered right next to the hotel.
This adults-only resort is quite lively, with entertainment and music every night, plenty of lounge options by the pool or on the private beach section. Offering 2 restaurants, of which 1 only open for theme nights on certain days.
And 2 bars, with 1 beach bar serving snacks and drinks until 6 pm, all included in the all-inclusive package as well.
Our junior suite was very nice and spacious, although they only have 6 of these. But the regular rooms are quite spacious as well and better than the standard rooms at SBH Kilindini.
We also really liked the beachfront and tropical settings, which make this resort very photogenic.
See for yourself in this gallery, don't forget to click on the pics to expand them:
Find your own perfect holiday package for this resort on: Corendon-SBH-Monica-Zanzibar
Sightseeing - best beaches on Zanzibar
There are many sightseeing options on Zanzibar, such as visiting Stone Town, spice farms, surrounding islands, boat trips, watersports, snorkeling and diving, read all about this in my previous blog: 9 Photogenic spots & must-dos Zanzibar.
But Zanzibar’s coastline is also dotted with idyllic beaches, each with its own unique atmosphere. Some of the nicest beaches around the island are:
Nungwi Beach
Known for its crystal-clear waters and vibrant atmosphere. I really liked the local vibe here, watching the dhow makers at work and seeing the local fishermen and fish market, with cows walking on the beach:)
However at low tide I found the beach much less photogenic due to all the sea weed.
The waters here are ideal for swimming, and the beach offers a range of activities, from snorkeling and diving to lively beach bars and restaurants.
Kendwa Beach
Located south of Nungwi, Kendwa Beach offers similar beauty but its unique position has minimal tidal changes, so you can enjoy the waters any time of day.
A vibrant, yet also busier beach, with many restaurants, resorts and known for its Full Moon Parties.
Paje Beach
The place to be for kitesurfing enthusiasts. The shallow water of this lagoon with steady wind provides perfect surfing conditions.
On this beach you will find several beachfront cafes, shops, and budget-friendly accommodation options, like ours.
Matemwe Beach
For more tranquility, Matemwe is ideal. It’s less crowded, and the long stretches of sand are very idyllic. Nearby Mnemba Atoll this is a popular snorkeling and diving site too.
Safari combination Tanzania
One of the best aspects of a Zanzibar holiday, to me, is the opportunity to pair it with a safari in Tanzania. I would highly recommend to book at least a 2 or 3-day safari trip, to see even more of Tanzania’s landscapes and wildlife as the game reserves are quite extensive.
Since the start of November Corendon offers 1-day safari excursions from Zanzibar to the Mikumi reserve. While we did a 3-day safari to Selous, recently renamed Nyerere National Park, in the south, the biggest of Tanzania.
These parks offer very diverse landscapes, which made Tanzania extra special to me compared to other safari’s I did before in Kenya, for example. And they provide chances to see the Big Five within a short timeframe. Read all about our Tanzania safari in my next blog.
Important tips & good to know when in Zanzibar & Tanzania:
Zanzibar, and especially Tanzania, is authentic Africa, this means it will be less luxurious than you might expect from the usual 5 star-level as for instance South Africa or Mauritius, which I also visited.
This also means that the wages are very low, so tipping is certainly recommended if you want to support the locals. They are more than happy to get a tip in Dollars or even Euro’s and prefer bills instead of coins.
Therefore, I would recommend bringing enough €5 and €10 bills for the porters, room cleaners, chauffeurs and tour guides.
No need to get local currency as they prefer you paying in Dollars or even Euro's.
They usually serve filter or instant coffee at the hotel restaurants, which was a bit of a challenge for me as I do love a good espresso or cappuccino, but of course this really depends on your taste.
The service level is very different compared to Asia for example and much more laidback, with: ‘pole pole’ and ‘hakuna matata’ as their mantra😊
The beaches are generally long and wide with lots of space, but also with quite some locals trying to sell souvenirs and so on. While they are not allowed to enter the hotel grounds and there is security on the hotel's beach edge, when you walk towards the sea you will often be approached by Masai and friendly vendors that want to get to know you, take pics together and eventually sell you something. It’s good to keep that in mind and be prepared for it, especially on the popular public beaches such as Kendwa and Paje.
While I found these guys very friendly and did buy some nice souvenirs myself, it can get annoying from time to time.
The roads are ok, but not all roads are paved or lit at night. Of course you can rent a car to explore the island yourself, however keep in mind that the distances between the airport, the capital/Stone Town and most beaches (located in the east and north) are usually quite big. This means it can take up to 1-1,5 hours to get from your hotel to several sightseeing spots around the island.
We booked our day tours and transfers via Corendon with a local tour company, which I usually prefer to support the locals and learn a bit more about the destination at the same time. But even then, our van was stopped quite often by local police for random checks, so I’m not sure I would feel comfortable with that when driving a rental car myself.
Check the status of your vaccinations in advance as several are recommended for this destination.
As Zanzibar, and especially Tanzania, is a malaria-risk zone we were recommended by the health services to take malaria tablets. These are, however, quite costly, and would not have been necessary in hindsight, as we only got a few mosquito bites. But I’m better safe than sorry and we also used plenty of mosquito repellent with 50 DEET, which must have prevented the bites too. Make sure to use it also during the day, as dengue mosquitos are active then.
We visited in November, at the start of the rainy season, which was still quite ok with mostly sunny weather. The months of March until May can however can get quite a lot of rain and mosquitos are more frequent then with a higher risk.
October-November and January-February are also nice months to visit as it’s shoulder season and not so busy, but weather is generally quite sunny with lovely temperatures ranging from 25-32 degrees Celsius in Zanzibar and 30-35 in Tanzania.
Do note that in many hotels the Wi-Fi is not stable, especially by the beach and depending on your room location. Therefore, buying an E-sim in advance could be convenient.
Power outages here can be quite frequent too, especially in high season. And while our hotels had generators, it can take up to 15 minutes or longer from everything to restart.
Zanzibar is a unique island destination that offers more than just beaches with plenty of options for affordable luxury stays. The combination of beach hotels and safari options makes it ideal if you want to combine relaxation with adventure.
And with the new combination packages of Corendon you can now experience the best of both with ease.
Read more about this unique island and my first visit with even more Zanzibar tips in my blog from 2,5 years ago: Zanzibar 5-star business-class.
And find even more blogs about previous trips to several countries on this interesting continent on: Authentic Chic trips Africa with plenty of inspiration for your own dream vacation to Zanzibar & Tanzania, or any other affordable luxury trip in Africa.
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