Travel Costs Breakdown: Zanzibar

What does it cost to visit Zanzibar on a budget?
As usual, this breakdown is based solely on my experience with planning for a trip I made in the month of September, 2016. This is intended only for the purpose of trip planning and to present a fair idea of how much to budget.
All prices stated here are either approximate values or exact values at the time of this writing.
Visa and Transportation Details
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Visa is given on arrival at Zanzibar International Airport to Nigerian citizens and costs $50. You can also obtain your visa before traveling at the Tanzanian embassy in Abuja. You would typically want to get it before hand to skip the immigration queue but if you aren’t able to do so, you can just show up at the airport.

An economy class ticket to Zanzibar would cost you anything from N100,000 – N150,000, depending on when you book or your travel time.

Edit: a recent check put flight costs within the N220,000 – N250,000 range.ย 

Taxis from the airport can be arranged by the hotel you choose to stay at. Budget $35 for a trip to Stone Town, $55-75 for a trip to Kiwengwa, Paje and Jambiani and $65-85 for a trip to Nungwi.

Accommodation

20160915 131035
We stayed in a bungalow at The Reef & Beach, Jambiani which we booked using the Booking.com app. This cost us $230 for 6 nights (plus breakfast). We found accommodation in Stone Town (for the time period we travelled in) to be slightly cheaper generally, higher in places like Nungwi and pretty much same in the Paje area.

Food & Drinks

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We spent about $120 on feeding for the entire 6 days. Breakfast came with the room while our lunch and dinner were quite basic and cheap. (Except for the last day when we had a fancy 4-course meal)

Entertainment

boats
spice%2Btour%2Bzanzibar

We took a day trip to Stone Town and Prison Island with a Spice Tour en route. This was organized by the hotel and it cost us $50 each. This was basically the only thing we did in Zanzibar. A snorkeling experience was underway but we wound up cancelling. The price for that was about $60.

Total Budget for 2 travellers (based ONLY on our experience): $1,200 (or $1,500 see: edit)
Hope you find this information useful and don’t forget, prices could be higher or lower depending on how early you plan, travel periods (peak or otherwise) and your own personal preferences.

I love to hear from you, Leave a comment here!

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An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
An Osaka & Himeji photo story โ˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday ๐Ÿ’™
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Help! Why are we losing home and away! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿคฃ God abeg!

I will resume my complaining once we fix our visa process/make it more accessible for other African travellers!

Side bar: if you have connections in Vietnam, please DM me! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜‚ I still want to go!
Help! Why are we losing home and away! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿคฃ God abeg! I will resume my complaining once we fix our visa process/make it more accessible for other African travellers! Side bar: if you have connections in Vietnam, please DM me! ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜‚ I still want to go!
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It was a rainy morning in Nairobi and we went on a walk with the pup ๐Ÿถ
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Oh please, add Gyeongju to your South Korean itinerary! ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท

It's a charming, beautiful and walkable city that I think is worth visiting. 

When I visited the country for the first time, I picked Jeonju over Gyeongju. Not much thought went into that decision. I just did it - no regrets.

Luckily I got to revisit and what a joy! It's magical in every way! โœจ๏ธ
Oh please, add Gyeongju to your South Korean itinerary! ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท It's a charming, beautiful and walkable city that I think is worth visiting. When I visited the country for the first time, I picked Jeonju over Gyeongju. Not much thought went into that decision. I just did it - no regrets. Luckily I got to revisit and what a joy! It's magical in every way! โœจ๏ธ
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Natural, Unfiltered Beauty! ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ’™

The cherry blossoms were late but that itself was a blessing. I was happy to get clear, gorgeous views of Mount Fuji!

Oh, this trip - this country! Some places leave a permanent mark. This was one of them!
Natural, Unfiltered Beauty! ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ’™ The cherry blossoms were late but that itself was a blessing. I was happy to get clear, gorgeous views of Mount Fuji! Oh, this trip - this country! Some places leave a permanent mark. This was one of them!
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Oh, this charming town! ๐Ÿ’™

Beautiful cobbled-stone streets, a gorgeous trail that leads to yet another beautiful well-preserved Edo-period post town, temples and shrines... this is Magome-Juku 

If you plan to visit, I recommend staying a night or two. Accommodation is quite limited and everything shuts down by 5pm.

We stayed at Magomechaya for 2 nights. This place has both hostels and private rooms and our stay was absolutely wonderful. I'd definitely revisit!
Oh, this charming town! ๐Ÿ’™ Beautiful cobbled-stone streets, a gorgeous trail that leads to yet another beautiful well-preserved Edo-period post town, temples and shrines... this is Magome-Juku If you plan to visit, I recommend staying a night or two. Accommodation is quite limited and everything shuts down by 5pm. We stayed at Magomechaya for 2 nights. This place has both hostels and private rooms and our stay was absolutely wonderful. I'd definitely revisit!
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The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! ๐Ÿ˜ Can't wait to return!
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48 hours in Amboseli and I've never felt more rested!

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ Save this spot for your next weekend escape! ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ˜โœจ๏ธ

๐Ÿ“Tawi Lodge, Amboseli
48 hours in Amboseli and I've never felt more rested! ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ Save this spot for your next weekend escape! ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ˜โœจ๏ธ ๐Ÿ“Tawi Lodge, Amboseli
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๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐Œ๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก? Why not?! Without the crowds? Absolutely! ๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒฑโฃ
โฃ
I've now been to Japan in ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐ง๐ ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ โ€“ the Hakone Torii is from my fall trip โ€“ and Iโ€™ve had amazing crowd-free experiences in both seasons! ๐Ÿ‚๐ŸŒธโฃ
โฃ
Yes, I woke up early to visit some places, but I also found places that were calm even in the middle of the day, including in cities like Shizuoka and Nagoya, not just rural Japan. ๐Ÿ‘€โฃ
โฃ
โœจ Here are my go-to tips to explore Japan without the crowds:โฃ
---โฃ
โฃ
1. ๐Ÿฆ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ (๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐š๐ญ๐ž!)โฃ
Mornings and evenings are your best friend. Cooler, quieter, and often more beautiful.โฃ
โฃ
2. ๐Ÿจ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญโฃ
Instead of day-tripping, book a stay. I did this in Hakone and around Fuji. Result? No lines. No crowds. Pure magic! ๐ŸŒคโœจ๏ธโฃ
โฃ
3. ๐Ÿš† ๐†๐จ ๐›๐ž๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐“๐จ๐ค๐ฒ๐จ, ๐Š๐ฒ๐จ๐ญ๐จ & ๐Ž๐ฌ๐š๐ค๐šโฃ
Theyโ€™re iconic, yes and you should certainly visit. But if you're looking for places with fewer people, you need to venture outside these cities.โฃ
โฃ
4. ๐Ÿ›• ๐’๐ค๐ข๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐œ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ž๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ โฃ
I haven't been to Kinkaku-ji Temple yet. Why? It opens 'late' and is often packed. I think I'll get to it one day though ๐Ÿฅฐโฃ
โฃ
5. โ„๏ธ ๐•๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐Œ๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐จ๐ซ ๐›๐ž๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฒ๐ž๐ญ? ๐•๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐–๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ
An underrated time to visit, so you can expect fewer people.โฃ
โฃ
6. ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™€๏ธ ๐“๐š๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฌ๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ข๐œ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐žโฃ
Hike the Kumano Kodo, walk the Nakasendo Trail, or cycle the Shimanami Kaido. Itโ€™s serenity + scenery ๐Ÿ’ฏโฃ
---โฃ
โฃ
๐Ÿ“Save this for your trip planningโฃ
๐Ÿ“ธ Share with someone dreaming of Japanโฃ
๐Ÿ‘‡๐ŸพGot questions? Drop them in the comments!โฃ
โฃ
Happy travels ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ตโœจ
๐‰๐š๐ฉ๐š๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐Œ๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก? Why not?! Without the crowds? Absolutely! ๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒฑโฃ โฃ I've now been to Japan in ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐ง๐ ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ โ€“ the Hakone Torii is from my fall trip โ€“ and Iโ€™ve had amazing crowd-free experiences in both seasons! ๐Ÿ‚๐ŸŒธโฃ โฃ Yes, I woke up early to visit some places, but I also found places that were calm even in the middle of the day, including in cities like Shizuoka and Nagoya, not just rural Japan. ๐Ÿ‘€โฃ โฃ โœจ Here are my go-to tips to explore Japan without the crowds:โฃ ---โฃ โฃ 1. ๐Ÿฆ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ (๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐š๐ญ๐ž!)โฃ Mornings and evenings are your best friend. Cooler, quieter, and often more beautiful.โฃ โฃ 2. ๐Ÿจ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญโฃ Instead of day-tripping, book a stay. I did this in Hakone and around Fuji. Result? No lines. No crowds. Pure magic! ๐ŸŒคโœจ๏ธโฃ โฃ 3. ๐Ÿš† ๐†๐จ ๐›๐ž๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐“๐จ๐ค๐ฒ๐จ, ๐Š๐ฒ๐จ๐ญ๐จ & ๐Ž๐ฌ๐š๐ค๐šโฃ Theyโ€™re iconic, yes and you should certainly visit. But if you're looking for places with fewer people, you need to venture outside these cities.โฃ โฃ 4. ๐Ÿ›• ๐’๐ค๐ข๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐œ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ž๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ โฃ I haven't been to Kinkaku-ji Temple yet. Why? It opens 'late' and is often packed. I think I'll get to it one day though ๐Ÿฅฐโฃ โฃ 5. โ„๏ธ ๐•๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐Œ๐š๐ซ๐œ๐ก ๐จ๐ซ ๐›๐ž๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฒ๐ž๐ญ? ๐•๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐–๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ An underrated time to visit, so you can expect fewer people.โฃ โฃ 6. ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™€๏ธ ๐“๐š๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฌ๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ข๐œ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐žโฃ Hike the Kumano Kodo, walk the Nakasendo Trail, or cycle the Shimanami Kaido. Itโ€™s serenity + scenery ๐Ÿ’ฏโฃ ---โฃ โฃ ๐Ÿ“Save this for your trip planningโฃ ๐Ÿ“ธ Share with someone dreaming of Japanโฃ ๐Ÿ‘‡๐ŸพGot questions? Drop them in the comments!โฃ โฃ Happy travels ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ตโœจ
3 weeks ago
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9/9
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