Zanzibar Travel Guide for Couples
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Why Couples should visit Zanzibar
Zanzibar is perfect for couples who love a mix of relaxing at the beach, wildlife and adventure:
Beaches in Zanzibar
The unspoilt white sand beaches with clear blue water in Zanzibar are so romantic that many couples choose Zanzibar as their honeymoon destination.
We even stayed in a bungalow right on the beach in Jambiani – the moment we stepped outside our bungalow, our feet touched the sand. Accommodations don’t get much more romantic – or any closer to the beach – than this.
As a couple, we really enjoyed these beach activities in Zanzibar:
- Snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll
- Relaxing at the unspoilt beaches of Jambiani
- Watching the dolphins on a tour starting from Kizimkazi Beach
- Drinking cocktails at Nungwi Beach
To learn more about Zanzibar’s many beaches, I highly recommend the “19 Best Beaches in Zanzibar” guide by Destguides. We didn’t have the time to visit all of Zanzibar’s beaches in just 9 days, but the ones we visited did not disappoint!
Adventure and wildlife in Zanzibar
If you’re like us and you get bored from spending full days at the beach, don’t worry! Zanzibar has lots of tours you can book for a bit of adventure and wildlife. How about:
- Feeding Giant Tortoises at Prison Island
- Watching the Red Colobus Monkeys at Jozani Forest
- Watching the Dolphins at Kizimkazi Beach
- See the house where Freddie Mercury was born in Stone Town
- Learn all about Zanzibar’s spices during a spice tour
Learn more about the tours we did in Zanzibar here.
And if this is not enough adventure or wildlife for you, then check out my Tanzania Travel Guide for Couples. A trip to Zanzibar is so easy to combine with a safari in Tanzania.
Things to do in Zanzibar as a Couple
Here’s a list of the things we really enjoyed doing as a couple in Zanzibar. Make sure not to miss out on these things:
- Stay in a Beach Bungalow
- Dinner at The Rock restaurant
- Jozani Forest Tour to meet Red Colobus Monkeys
- Stone Town and Prison Island Tour
- Snorkeling at Mnemba Atoll
- Drinking Cocktails from one of the many bars at Nungwi Beach
- Dolphin Tour from Kizimkazi Beach
Also check out our Zanzibar photo gallery!
Here's a selection of my favourite couple activities in Zanzibar:
Romantic Accommodations in Zanzibar
Disclaimer:Β This section contains affiliate links, meaning that I will earn commission when you buy from my link. This comes at no extra cost to you, and supports me with sharing my best travel tips with you.
Accommodations we've personally stayed in:
These are the accommodations we personally stayed in when in Zanzibar. We loved our stay so much, that we highly recommend it to other travel couples:
Jambiani White Sands Beach Bungalows
We loved our stay in a beach bungalow at Jambiani White Sands Beach Bungalows. Our Bungalow was right on the beach with amazing sea views, and we could see the sunrise from the comfort of our own bed. How romantic is that?!
Read my full review here.
Accommodations we'd love to stay in:
These are the accommodations in Zanzibar we’d love to stay in as a couple, based on pictures and other guests’ reviews:
- Isaraya Over Water Villa – Maldives-style overwater villa, private hot tub on patio, jetted bath tub in bathroom, champagne service, private beach, beach bar, communal infinity pool with sea views, spa, free cabanas.
- Melia Zanzibar –Β Luxury rooms with sea views, communal infinity pool with sea views, bath tub in room, beach bar, water activities and spa onsite.
- Sea Cliff Resort & Spa – Rooms with sea views, private bath tubs, communal infinity pool with sea views, lots of onsite activities (horse riding, tennis, golf, etc.), spa, free beach cabanas.
- Essque Zalu Zanzibar – Suites with sea views, communal infinity pool with sea views,Β overwater restaurant.
- Mvuvi Boutique Resort – Rooms with sea views from private patio or balcony, private beach, communal swimming pool, beach restaurant, onsite spa.
Best time to visit Zanzibar
There are a few things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Zanzibar:
- Weather: rainy seasons
- Culture: Ramadan
- Safari: Wildebeest Great Migration
Weather-wise, the best time to visit Zanzibar is between June and October. This is generally also a good time to watch the Great Migration of Wildebeest in Serengeti. If you’re a foodie who loves visiting local restaurants, it’s best to avoid the Ramadan period. We happened to visit Zanzibar during the Ramadan, and it didn’t disrupt our holiday too much.
Weather in Zanzibar
Zanzibar has two rainy seasons: the “long rains” is the main rainy season that runs in March, April and May, and the “short rains”Β in November and December. In any of the other months it barely ever rains in Zanzibar.
It is also worth noting that although Zanzibar has a “cool” dry season from June to October, and a “hot” dry season in January and February, the temperature seems to be between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius (between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit) all year around.
Ramadan in Zanzibar
After we already booked our flights and accommodation for Zanzibar in June (during the “cool” dry season), we found out that we would be visiting Zanzibar during the Ramadan. Most locals in Zanzibar fast during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset, and this might impact opening hours of cafes and restaurants – especially during the day.
We thought it would really impact our holidays in Zanzibar, but in hindsight it wasn’t too bad at all. Yes, most restaurants and cafes in local towns were closed, but restaurants in hotels and other tourist areas are open all day long. We could even make a reservation for dinner at The Rock restaurant before sunset, which we highly recommend.
The friendly staff at our hotel was always happy to make us breakfast even after sunrise. Some days we felt guilty and told them we don’t need breakfast, but they always insisted that we have breakfast “Hakuna Matata”.
Some of our tours included lunches, so that was also not a problem. And even on days when we skipped lunch, the sunset in June was already at 6:15pm, so we never had to wait long for dinner.
However, if you and your partner are real foodies who need to check out the local restaurants at your destination, then Ramadan might not be the best time to visit Zanzibar. The dates of Ramadan differ every year, so it is best to Google when the Ramadan is before you book your trip to Zanzibar.
Wildebeest Great Migration
If you’re planning to combine your trip to Zanzibar with a safari in Tanzania, the most spectacular thing to see on safari in Tanzania is when the Great Migration of Wildebeest crosses the Mara river.
Although it is never guaranteed that you will see the Great Migration on safari, the Wildebeest herds are typically located at the Mara area of Serengeti between July and October. To learn more about the Great Migration’s movements, check out the official Serengeti National Park website.Β
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Our Zanzibar Map
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Our Zanzibar Photo Gallery
Our 9 Day Zanzibar Itinerary
To enter Tanzania in 2016, we needed a yellow fever vaccination passport (the “yellow book”) and we paid for an ordinary / single entry visa upon arrival. For the latest entry requirements, always check the official website of Tanzania’s Immigration Services Department.
Day 1 - Flying from London to Dar Es Salaam
From London (UK) we flew into Dar es Salaam in mainland Tanzania, with a short layover in Zurich (Switzerland). We arrived in the evening, so we just went straight to our hotel room.
Day 2 - Ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar
We spent our first morning in Africa sightseeing in Dar es Salaam, which was actually quite overwhelming. There weren’t many other tourists around, so locals constantly tried to sell us things.Β
Instead of buying anything, we paid someone to be our tour guide for the morning. Now that we were walking around with a local, we no longer got harassed by street sellers. The tour guide showed us around Dar es Salaam’s landmarks, made sure we reached the harbour on time, and helped us with our luggage when boarding our ferry to Zanzibar.
The ferry took 2 hours to get to Stone Town in Zanzibar, from where we took a taxi to ourΒ beach bungalowΒ in Jambiani.
Day 3 - Stone Town & Prison Island tours
We booked quite a few private tours in advance for our time in Zanzibar, so check out our best tips on what to look out for when booking tours in Zanzibar.
During our tour in Stone Town, we visited Freddie Mercury’s house, a former slave market, the Old Fort and a spice market. The town has been influenced by a mix of cultures over its rich history, which shows in the architecture.
From Stone Town, we took a small wooden boat to Prison Island, where we got to meet and feed some giant tortoises. The plan was to end the day snorkelling, but the big wild waves in combination with our lack of snorkelling experience made it very difficult for us and we decided to skip.
Day 4 - Dolphin Tour & Jozani Forest Tour
The dolphin tour and Jozani forest tour are easy to combine with each other, so I recommend that you book these two tours for the same day.
While the dolphin tour was sold to us as a dolphin “swim” tour, we didn’t actually get to swim with the dolphins. We’ve seen a few ambitious snorkelers from other boats trying to swim up to the dolphins, but the wild dolphins were gone before the snorkelers could even reach them. So we didn’t even bother trying.
The monkeys in Jozani forest were a lot more relaxed around people compared to the dolphins, and it was adorable to see some baby monkeys as well. Just make sure to keep your distance and not to disturb the Red Colobus monkeys in their natural habitat.
Day 5 - The Rock Restaurant
This picturesque restaurant on top of a rock in the sea is definitely not to miss when in Zanzibar.
When we went the tide was low, so we could walk toΒ The RockΒ restaurant from the beach and back, but I would love to visit again when the tide is high and the restaurant is only accessible by boat.
Day 6 - Mnemba Atoll snorkelling tour
Snorkelling in Mnemba Atoll is the only tour we did with a small group instead of as a private tour. The Mnemba Atoll snorkelling tourΒ was a boat tour from Nungwi beach towards Mnemba island, with the opportunity to dive off the boat and snorkel.
Snorkelling here was a wonderful experience – the waters were a lot calmer thanΒ at Prison Island, and we saw a lot of colourful fishes. We also loved to have some cocktails at Nungwi Beach afterwards, although this was not included in the tour.
Day 7 & 8 - Jambiani
During our last few days in Zanzibar, we just enjoyed the surroundings of our beach bungalow. We rented bikes to discover theΒ village of Jambiani and relaxed on the beautiful white sand beaches.
Day 9 - Flight to Arusha, Tanzania
We continued our journey with a five-day safari in Tanzania, for which we flew from Zanzibar to Arusha. Arusha is where most safaris in Tanzania start.
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Blogs I've written about Zanzibar:
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