Is Zanzibar worth it for backpackers on a budget ?

We're visiting Zanzibar in March 2024, directly after visiting Mafia Island. This is part of our 10-month journey across Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town. On this adventure, we're trying to connect with locals, explore off-the-beaten path places and keep the budget quite low. And that's exactly what we did in Zanzibar...

Should you spend time in Stone Town ?

YES ! We had read many reviews online of people recommending to skip the city altogether to focus on other areas. The ferry arrives and departs from Stone Town anyway so we decided to dedicate some time to exploring it and we don't regret at all. We've found that even though it's quite touristy, its architecture, sinuous streets, and its rhythm is unmatched. Locals go on with their lives, drinking coffee in the street, playing dominos, and chatting below the trees. Young men dive acrobatically to the sea, play football on the beach. Everyone meets in the street markets for freshly squeezed sugar cane juices or Zanzibar bowls. You'll need to brush up your Swahili though, as it does make a difference in your interactions.

Authentic Jambiani

We loved our time there, all the accommodations are just a few meters away from the beach with a very laid-back atmosphere. Locals haven't been pushed away from the shore so you'll still see small houses directly on the beach. Kids and adults play in the sand, and we joined them for some football. At the time of our visit, we didn't encounter too many tourists and we had a great time walking the beach up and down, all the way to Paje. One thing to note, the beach is in the shadow in the evening, so this is not the place for amazing sunsets. We got to Jambiani from Stone Town via a Dala Dala (the local minibuses) in a couple of hours for a very reasonable price.

Active Paje

So we only visited Paje in a day, walking from Jambiani. It's definitely more developed with many options for food and drinks. Many cool beach bars with music. More sellers, trying to get you to buy Masai jewelry, dhow tours and other souvenirs. Check out the Lecker Lecker restaurant for affordable meals, a few streets off the beach. We visited a small women-only cooperative, selling soaps, oils and other products made out of seaweed. It's totally free and the products are quite cheap and make for perfect gifts.

Renting a scooter in Zanzibar

In order to rent a scooter in Zanzibar, you must obtain a Driving Permit (or be willing to buy your way out of the situation when the police stops you ;)). This can be arranged directly by your rental agency and usually comes with a fee. When stopped by the police on one of the many checkpoints all around the island, present your original driving license plus the driving permit. If everything is in order, you should not pay anything to the police, although they might try to intimidate you. We've heard horror stories about corruption on the island, but to be fair we got stopped only once with our scooter and it was straightforward. If you must, have a 10.000 TZS bill ready on you. Renting a scooter is an inexpensive way to explore the island, the fuel consumption is minimal and it gives so much freedom.

ZALA Park

This is the off-the-grid alternative to the Jozani Forest. It's a much more local experience, where the interaction with your guide (hopefully Mohammed, the science teacher at the origin of the project) is the real deal. You'll be shown around the community, invited to a freshly prepared meal (all the food comes from the garden). You'll take a canoe in the mangroves and drink some coconut juice. It's affordable and much more memorable than a nice forest walk in our opinion. If you want to visit the park, try to schedule it in advance with Mohamed so he'll be expecting you and keep an open-mind, this is not your traditional tourist attraction.

Night ferry

Up until the last moment, we were convinced that they were only two options to reach Zanzibar from the mainland, flying in or taking a speed ferry for 35$. However, we managed to find a much more budget-friendly option. Every night, a night ferry departs from 10pm from Stone Town and reached Dar es Salaam the next morning at 6am, for 15$ per person. Not only is it twice cheaper than the fast ferries, but it also saves a night of accommodation ! We were so happy to find that option. The sleeping situation was quite ok so we would recommend doing that.

So, is Zanzibar worth it ?

We had the best time on the island, the scooter gave us the freedom to explore remote places, the beaches are very nice. Stone Town was a great surprise, we played dominos, ate amazing street food on the markets. Last-minute online deals allowed us to find affordable accommodation so in the end we spent a very reasonable amount of money exploring this touristy destination. While Zanzibar is full of resorts and tourists paying thousands of dollars for their stays, it's still a great place for backpackers and travelers, you'll definitely find budget-friendly options for food, accommodation and transportation.

If you haven't checked our vlog yet, we basically cover all of the above.

You'll find here the list of our accommodations across Tanzania, including Zanzibar.

If you have questions about Zanzibar or our adventure through Africa, you can reach us on Instagram @lisaandpol.