Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boat
For information on ferry connections between Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam,
Click here
.
For
ferry connections between Zanzibar and Pemba,
Click here
.
You can get tickets at the port
(the ticket office is just to the right when entering the main port gate), or with less hassle
through any of the listings under Travel Agencies & Tour Operators (
Click here
)
. The de-
parture and arrivals areas for the ferry are a few hundred metres down from the port gate
along Mizingani Rd. If you leave Zanzibar on the
Flying Horse
night ferry, take care with
your valuables, especially when the boat docks in Dar es Salaam in the early morning hours.
Dhows link Zanzibar with Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Bagamoyo and Mombasa (Kenya). For-
eigners are not permitted on dhows between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. For other routes,
the best place to ask is at the beach behind Tembo House Hotel. Allow anywhere from 10 to
48 hours or more to/from the mainland; also see the boxed text,
Click here
.
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
The airport is about 7km southeast of Zanzibar Town. A taxi to/from the airport costs
Tsh15,000. Dalla-dalla 505 also does this route (Tsh500, 30 minutes), departing from the
corner opposite Mnazi Mmoja hospital. Many Stone Town hotels offer free airport pick-ups
for confirmed bookings, though some charge. For hotels elsewhere on the island, transfers
usually cost about US$25 to US$50, depending on the location.
Car & Motorcycle
It's easy to arrange car, moped or motorcycle rental and prices are reasonable, although
breakdowns are fairly common, as are moped accidents. Considering how small the island
is, it's often more straightforward and not that much more expensive to work out a good deal
with a taxi driver.
You'll need either an International Driving Permit (IDP; together with your home licence), a
licence from Kenya (Nairobi), Uganda or South Africa, or a Zanzibar driving permit; there
are police checkpoints along the roads where you'll be asked to show one or the other. Zan-
zibar permits can be obtained on the spot from the
traffic police
(cnr Malawi & Creek Rds).
If you rent through a tour company, they'll sort out the paperwork.
Daily rental rates average from about US$25 for a moped or motorcycle, and US$40 to
US$55 for a Suzuki 4WD, excluding petrol, with better deals available for longer-term rent-
als. You can rent through any of the tour companies or through
Asko Tours & Travel
(
024-223 0712, 0715-411392; askotour@hotmail.com; Kenyatta Rd) , which also organises
island excursions. If you're not mechanically minded, bring someone along with you who
can check that the motorbike or vehicle you're renting is in reasonable condition, and take a
