I recently returned from a solo trip to Zanzibar and I’m sharing the full details of my trip! Though I’m not super experienced, I’m no stranger to solo travel. I took my first international solo trip to Amsterdam in 2018 and my second to Bali in 2022. I did not intend for this trip to Zanzibar to be solo but I am so glad I went through with it. Hands down this is the best travel experience I’ve had and it is now my favorite destination.

Why Zanzibar?

I was in desperate need of a beach vacation. Believe it or not this October trip was the first time all year that I stepped foot on a beach. On top of that, I have had a deep desire to see more of Africa. In fact, all of my international travel this year will be to African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ghana.) Zanzibar was the perfect destination because I’ve heard and seen so much about how beautiful the beaches are and it allowed me to fulfill my desire to explore more of Africa.

The Logistics of a Solo Trip to Zanzibar

As mentioned earlier in this post, I did not intend for this trip to be a solo one, but life happens and thankfully because I’ve traveled solo before, the thought of going alone absolutely did not stop me.

EntryRequirements 

One thing to know is that U.S. passport holders do need a visa to enter the country of Tanzania. There are two ways you can get a visa: (1) online application or (2) visa on arrival. If you apply online for the evisa it should get approved within 10 business days. When I arrived in Zanzibar I had a printed copy of the visa to show at immigration because that would be easier to hand over. I suggest having a printed copy of your e-visa to be safe.

Additionally, if you are travelling from a yellow fever endemic country you will likely be asked to show proof of yellow fever vaccine. I was travelling from Nairobi so they asked everyone on the flight for their yellow card but the person who saw mine only looked at the address, likely because he saw that I am based in the US which is not on their list of yellow fever endemic countries.

There were no COVID-19 entry requirements when I traveled.

Transportation

Unlike Nairobi which I visited the week before this trip, Zanzibar does not have Uber or Bolt. As far as I know, there are no ride-share apps on the island so the primary method of getting around on the island as a tourist is by taxi. You can easily find taxi drivers through your hotel or through tour guides if you ask around or ask them to arrange it for you. For example, I booked an airport transfer through my hotel when I arrived and that driver gave me his contact in case I needed to get around that week. Because tourism is a huge industry in Zanzibar there really won’t be an issue with finding a driver but if you are traveling solo I suggest booking your initial airport transfer through your hotel just to be safe and worry-free.

Currency

The official currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling but US dollars are widely accepted in touristy areas. I exchanged some initial currency at the airport when I landed (I know the exchange rate isn’t usually the best at airport currency exchange kiosks but as a solo traveler my priority is having everything I need as soon as possible without much extra work.) When I needed more cash I simply asked the driver I was with to bring me to an ATM so I could withdraw additional money. At restaurants, I paid by card.

Where I Stayed During My Solo Trip to Zanzibar

As most Zanzibar tourists recommend I split my time between Stone Town and a second, more beachy town. A few options for beachy towns are Nungwi (the north side of the island) and Paje or Jambiani (the south side of the island).

While in Stone Town I stayed at Upendo House, a cute boho chic boutique hotel for two nights. Overall I had a great experience and want to point out a couple of things:

• The room I stayed in had an open-concept room style where the only door in the room was the door to enter and exit. This means there were no doors for the bathroom and no delineation between the sink, shower, and tub. As in there is no curtain, no sliding door, no nothing. It ended up working out perfectly that I was solo because there really isn’t any privacy with that specific bathroom layout. There are other room layouts available including ones where the bathroom is a separate room with a door so if you decide to book I would just make sure to closely read the description for your room.
• The hotel has a pretty decent restaurant on its rooftop and it also has a rooftop bar that has stellar views of the sunset. Even if you decide to stay elsewhere in Stone Town I think it’s worth it to stop by for the views.
• I didn’t notice an elevator in this hotel. It’s a walk-up so not quite accessible if you have trouble or are unable to go up stairs. The hotel concierge did help bring my bags to and from my room upon check-in and check-out.

For the remaining five nights, I spent in Zanzibar I stayed at TUI Blue Bahari Resort. Now, I know I mentioned that it’s a good idea to stay in the. North or South side of the island but this resort was located smack in the middle of the two. Because of that for all of my excursions, I spent at least 45 min to an hour in a taxi to Nungwi and even longer to get to the southern part of the island. That being said I absolutely loved my stay at TUI Blue and I want to add some additional notes:

• I get the sense that Zanzibar is much more frequented by European tourists than by Americans. This isn’t surprising to me given Europe’s closer proximity to Zanzibar but it does mean that I didn’t encounter too many other Americans at the resort. I made a friend on the trip and asked her about the demographic of her resort in Nungwi she said the same. So I’m not inclined to believe that it’s a resort thing as much as it is just the nature of traveling to a country so far from the US for vacation. This is neither here nor there but just an observation you also may have if you stay at TUI Blue.

What I Did During My Solo Trip to Zanzibar

• Day 1: Arrival & Evening at the Hotel 
  • Afternoon arrival in Zanzibar, hotel check-in at Upendo House, and dinner at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant
• Day 2: Spice Farm, Stone Town, & Prison Island Tour + Night Market
  • Full Day Tour: I booked this full-day tour on Viator that allowed me to visit a spice farm, and tour both Stone Town and Prison Island, where you can feed tortoises. Mady was my tour guide and he was exceptional. During the Stone Town portion of the tour, I ran into another solo traveler who recognized me from social media. We exchanged contact information and agreed to meet up later in the evening.
  • Night Food Market: That evening we met up at the Night Food Market which runs from about 6 pm until around 11 pm/midnight. Some things to note about this: it’s a cool thing to see for a few but it can be very overwhelming. Vendors are very persistent in trying to get customers and you will be approached by very many.  Additionally, keep in mind that much of the food for sale at the market is street food. Usually, when I travel I avoid street foods for the sake of my stomach. We noticed that at the market there were only a couple of vendors cooking food on site for us to see. Buying food that wasn’t cooked in front of us made us uneasy because there really is no telling how long some items have been sitting out. We ended up heading to the Cape Town Fish Market nearby to get a break from being solicited by so many vendors. Overall I would say that this is not the most necessary experience to have while in Stone Town and I wouldn’t have gone to this alone.
• Day 3: Mamas of Zanzibar Cooking Class & Resort Check-In 
  • Cooking Class & Hotel Transfer: I checked out of Upendo House by 8:30 am and got picked up by a driver who would bring me to Mamas of Zanzibar cooking class. I spoke about it more in-depth on Instagram and TikTok so I’ll just say that I cannot recommend this experience enough. Besides the fact that the food was amazing, it was also great to get to spend time with women that many tourists often don’t interact with. I’d say this activity is a great filler on a day when you are transferring hotels and going from Stone Town to another part of the island. My driver, who was arranged through Mamas of Zanzibar, held my bags in the car and waited for me to finish before taking me to my new resort in time for check-in.

• • Evening at the resort: I checked into my all-inclusive resort, got dinner, settled in, and laid low for the evening.
• Day 4: Dolphin Spotting, Snorkeling, and Sea Turtle Aquarium
  • Mnemba Island Tour: On this day I linked back up with my new friend and met up with her amazing tour guide Abdillah who showed us around for the day. The full day of events included spotting dolphins near Mnemba island, snorkeling along a coral reef, stopping by a sandbank that appears in the middle of the day when the tide recedes, and eating lunch on the beach.
  • Baraka Aquarium: After we grabbed lunch our tour guide said goodbye because we wouldn’t need him at the Baraka Aquarium where there were guides who explained important information about feeding the sea turtles and helped take our pictures.

• • Evening at the resort: Our driver dropped each of us off at our respective hotels and I enjoyed dinner at the resort that evening.
• Day 5: Resort Relaxation & Dhow Boat Ride 
  • Resort Relaxation: I spent the morning relaxing at the resort and getting a serious tan in the process.
  • Sunset Dhow Ride: That afternoon I got picked up by my driver (I used the same driver who brought me to the cooking class on day 2) and we headed to Nungwi where I met up with my new travel friend to go on a Dhow boat sunset ride. The ride from my resort to Nungwi takes about 45 min to an hour or more depending on traffic. I don’t have too many details about the boat ride because my new friend handled those logistics but I get the sense that it was not a particular website or tour company used to book but just one of the very many men on Nungwi beach who offer various tour services.
• Day 6: Horseback Riding & Dinner at The Rock 
  • Horseback riding: I got picked up by a taxi driver at 7:30 am to head over to Nungwi for a 9:00 am session with the Zanzibar Horse Club. We booked the 1 hour beach and village ride which is a great option for beginners. The Zanzibar Horse Club is a very well-run and safe option for horseback riding in Zanzibar.

• • Dinner at The Rock: After the ride was over I got dropped at my hotel to freshen up and prepare for dinner later that evening at The Rock Restaurant, an IG famous restaurant perched on a rock in the ocean. Note that if you are staying in Nungwi or closer to the Northern part of the island, it can be a two or more hour drive to get to the Rock.
• Day 7: resort relaxation & Farewell Sunset Ride 
  • Resort Relaxation: You know how people go on vacation and come back feeling like they need a vacation from the vacation? Yeah, I didn’t want that to happen so I deliberately had no plans for my last full day other than to spend it doing nothing on the resort but lying in the sun or cool off on the beach.
  • Final Sunset Ride: My new travel friend and I linked up one final time with our amazing tour guide for a sunset ride in a ngalawa. The boat took us to Kae Funk which is on a beachfront vibe with a DJ and a perfect view of the sunset.

• Day 8: Departure 
  • I enjoyed one last sunrise and breakfast on the resort before packing my things and heading to the airport for my afternoon flight.

Here’s an overview of everything I just described:

What I Would Have Done if I Had More Time on My Solo Trip to Zanzibar

Though it felt like I did a lot on my trip to Zanzibar, there was still much more that I did not do. The entire Southern part of the island has a lot to offer like a butterfly sanctuary and Jozani National Forest which are less aquatic and more land/nature-based activities. I’d consider these activities if you are willing to make a day trip or if you stay on the Southern part of the island for any part of your trip.

How I Felt on My Solo Trip To Zanzibar

• Safety: Overall I felt safe in Zanzibar but I want to note a few things that stood out to me and were sometimes a tad bit annoying.
  • First, the sellers in Zanzibar are relentless. They show up on the beach when the tide is low enough for them to be there and all of them will try and solicit you to visit their shop or take a tour. This can be pretty frustrating because it makes it challenging to actually enjoy the beach depending on where you are. I say this fully aware that tourism is how many of them make their living, but at times it was truly a bit too much.
  • Additionally, while I did not fear for my safety there were a couple of times when I was annoyed by the male gaze in Zanzibar. Much of the tourism industry is run by men, particularly when it comes to taxi drivers and tour guides. Some of the male taxi drivers gave the vibe of that one uncle who isn’t necessarily saying anything wrong by calling you beautiful but deep down in your stomach something about it doesn’t sit right with you. There were a couple of times when a driver would call me beautiful in a suspicious way or say something flirtatious and for that reason, I am not recommending the drivers I used or sharing their contact information. Also because Zanzibar is full of many water activities that people wear swimwear to, I could tell that some men were catching prolonged glares at me and my new travel friend.  However, I will say that my tour guide Abdillah was a breath of fresh air compared to this as he was very respectful and we did not feel uncomfortable at all with him at all which is why I highly recommend him especially if you are a solo traveler. And I will say that despite all of this I never got the feeling that anyone would harm me, but it would have been nice to feel completely comfortable at all times.
• Language: You can absolutely get around only knowing English. Many people in Zanzibar speak English well or well enough to communicate with tourists since it is a popular tourist destination.
• As a Black Woman: Tanzania is an African country. So I did not experience anything out of the ordinary due to my Blackness in the country. However, I will say the sellers on the street would consistently ask where I was from, and at times it felt like being a young Black female tourist in the country got me more attention than it would some of my counterparts of another race. I did get the sense, however, especially on the resort, that staff is not used to seeing Black guests on the resort. Many of the visitors at the resort were from Europe and white so being a Black woman guest definitely stood out. But overall there was nothing that made me feel too uncomfortable.

“The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8

#EniGivenSunday