Visiting Tanzania

Zanzibar Holiday

The best time of year to visit Zanzibar is from January through February and from June through October.

Located close to the equator, Zanzibar has a climate that follows a tropical pattern of dry seasons and wet seasons.

January and February usually experience a dry season and tend to be pleasant times of year to visit Zanzibar. Skies are clear and the temperatures are hot but bearable.

The main wet season in Zanzibar generally lasts from March through May. The climate experiences high humidity and hot temperatures (in the 30′s C / 80′s F). During this time of year in Zanzibar there are heavy rains, usually in the afternoons and at night.

The main dry season in Zanzibar generally lasts from June through October. The humidity drops, the skies are generally clear, and the temperatures moderate. Depending on where you stay, these months are the best time of year to visit Zanzibar.

November and December experience a second short wet season, although the rains are not as heavy as they are during the main wet season earlier in the year.

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Zanzibar

Many people visiting Zanzibar head to Kizimkazi to swim with dolphins. In fact, Kizimkazi is best known for being the place to go swimming with dolphins.

Swimming with dolphins in Kizimkazi costs around $20 USD and can be done by embarking from Kizimkazi or by taking a boat from Stone Town to Kizimkazi (the latter costs 2000 TZS and takes around 1.5 hours).

The best way to get the most out of swimming with dolphins in Kizimkazi is to arrive as early as possible in the morning. This is because the area gets very crowded and there are many boats chasing after the dolphins by 7am.

To avoid the crowds, stay overnight at a hotel in Kizimkazi and take a boat at 5:30am from the shore in Kizimkazi. You will get to the area where the dolphins swim at around 6:00am and have around 30-45 minutes to go swimming with the dolphins before the crowds arrive from Stone Town.

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Kizimkazi (Sansibar)

Most people visit Kizimkazi in Zanzibar to go swimming with dolphins. Whether you want to stay in a high end hotel in Kizimkazi or a budget hotel in Kizimkazi, there are several options.

Here is our list of the best hotels in Kizimkazi:

Unguja Lodge hotel in Kizimkazi

Kizimkazi Coral Reef Village hotel in Kizimkazi

Dolphin Beach Resort hotel in Kizimkazi

Swahili Beach Resort hotel in Kizimkazi

The Kumi na Mbili Centre has the most basic budget accommodation in Kizimkazi. Rooms cost $25 per night for a double.

When booking your hotel in Kizimkazi, keep in mind that high prices don’t always mean good quality when it comes to hotels in Zanzibar. For example, the Karamba hotel in Kizimkazi costs around 180 USD per night but gets mixed reviews.

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