Driving / getting around on Zanzibar

There are different ways in Zanzibar to get from A to B, mainly:

– local transport, called daladala (see photo); nowadays there are also safer but still crammed to capacity mini bus daladalas; cost is Tzs 2000 per person from the coast to Stone Town, or back. Please be aware that there are no direct daladalas from the south to the east or north coasts. For example, if you stay in Paje (south east coast) and want to travel to Matemwe (north east coast) you have to take a daladala to Stone Town (West coast) and then another daladala to Matemwe.

– taxis from Zanzibar International Airport to the coastal areas cost US$ 50 if you pre-book your taxi (if you get a taxi at the airport desk you pay $60+ depending on where you go). Whilst on the island you can negotiate prices with the local taxi drivers*

*NB: Please make sure that you only deal with registered taxi drivers! They must have red number plates on their car and show you their permit to carry passengers! Very important. We just had a bad incident where a couple made a deal with a local they met on Paje beach who told them a sob story about the hardship of his brother. They were supposed to be taken to the airport. On the way to town other men boarded the car. The couple was taken to a dark area, robbed of all their valuables and their credit cards including pins. The thieves went to an ATM and withdrew as much cash as they could get, all the while the couple was guarded by two very aggressive men in the car. Finally they were dropped off in a dark street with their passports and some cash for a taxi to the airport. 

Please either book your taxi with the hotel, a tour operator or a company that provides a booking facility on their webpage. This is a sad development but apparently it is common at popular tourist destinations.

– rent a scooter/motorbike or for shorter distances a bicycle, they are available all over the island. Scooter/motorbike: You and your passenger must wear helmets and you need a local driver’s permit (bring your original driver’s license from your home country). Nowadays there are mountainbikes and even e-bikes available for rent (at some places).

– rental car, cost for a reliable car incl. insurance and breakdown service is US$ 30-35 per day for a small four wheel drive, depending on the duration of the rental period. You need a temporary Zanzibar drivers permit which a reputable car rental company will organise for you before you arrive. A copy of your valid drivers permit as well as your photo are required (scanned copies can be sent by email), you don’t need an international drivers permit here. The permit us valid for max. 3 months. You can also rent a car with a driver.

I do recommend to hire a car to explore the island, even if only for a few days. Our tar roads are generally good.  We drive on the left hand side of the road, the steering wheel is on the right hand side. Rental cars are usually with automatic transmission. Most resorts, hotels etc are off the tar road and sometimes the access roads are quite rocky. Rather choose a four wheel drive and ask the car hire company to show you how to use the four wheel drive function.

Rental companies usually provide a very basic Zanzibar map. Rather use Google Maps.

Be careful when choosing a car hire company.  Some of them have cars that are hardly roadworthy – you end up paying fines at the many police stops on the roads. Rather opt for a company that has recent reviews on their website. A car hire company with consistently excellent reviews is Kibabu Cars.

(I just received an email from a couple who decided to rent a car – I have permission to publish it, please read it at the bottom of this page.)

Please be aware that rental cars on Zanzibar are usually 15 years and older. Despite the age of the cars, they have a very low mileage since Zanzibar is a small island.  There are no new rental cars available in Zanzibar and you will not see many new cars (privately owned) on our roads. Do check the car rental companies’ websites and especially their reviews!

Speed limits (unless otherwise indicated): In Stone Town 30 kmh, rural areas/villages 50kmh, on country roads 80 kmh. Zanzibar has some weird traffic laws:

If you see or hear police cars (blue lights or red lights flashing) you MUST pull over and stop the car, no matter which direction they come from!

Do not drink and drive.  Don’t give the traffic cops a reason to fine you since you smell of alcohol.

By law, drivers and passengers have to wear seat belts.

As a matter of principle lock all car doors incl the boot before you start your journey. Keep valuables incl cell phones out of sight, especially when you have to slow down because of speed bumps or bad roads. Keep the windows only slightly open if you don’t use Aircon. Sadly some thugs try to grab valuables in these areas of slow traffic.

Do not park your car under a coconut tree, those coconuts leave very unsightly dents in the roof. That’s not a joke.

Petrol is paid in Tanzanian Shilling. You can also pay in US$ but you get a really bad exchange rate.

In general: Be aware of Vespa and bicycle riders, they don’t look out for traffic, not even when they cross the road! At night, drive slowly because of ox karts on the roads and bicycles without any lights.  If I have to drive at night, I stay behind a local minibus taxi, keeping a safe distance in case it has to brake.

You need a temporary Zanzibar driver’s permit.  An international driver’s license on its own is not valid here. There are many traffic police checks on our roads.  The car hire company will get you the permit (just a piece of paper with your name on it) before you arrive on Zanzibar, it costs US$ 10 per person. A photo or copy of your valid driver’s license is sufficient to apply for the permit.

At traffic police stop: Just show them your temporary Zanzibar driver’s license together with your original driver’s license, and keep a copy of your passport handy. Greet the cops with a big smile and a hearty Jambo. Corruption is nowadays forbidden on Zanzibar! In case you should get a stubborn traffic cop (especially in the northern part of the island), openly write down the number on his ID batch (all of them have to wear it on their chest) and ask for his name. If they want to fine you for anything, ask for an official ticket. They will most likely give up then. If not, call your contact person at the car hire company, they will assist. This is highly unlikely, but just in case.

Feedback received February 2018:

dear gaby,

I’m writing to thank you for the terrific job you did on your “insider buzz” website. I consider myself very lucky to have found it on google soon after I’d booked a trip to Zanzibar. Together with the Bradt guide it meant that I was very well prepared for the trip.  we saved a lot of time because we didn’t have to find things out for ourselves.

your top tip, in our case, was the recommendation of Kibabu cars.  we are independent travelers and felt a bit stuck out on the east coast at the Paradise beach resort.  at the resort, they even discourage guests from using dalla-dallas!  The Bradt guide, too, doesn'[t recommend renting a car.  but the fact that you do, assuming certain rules are observed, gave us confidence.  we called Kibabu at 9am on a sunday morning, and at 11 we had our Suzuki, including local driving license and full Insurance.  they only charged 20 dollars to deliver it.  although we were frequently stopped by police, they were always friendly.  one policeman on a motorbike even stopped to direct us back to the east coast.  the lack of signposts was a challenge, but apart from that we had easy rides.

on our last day, at your suggestion, I visited a local school to deliver the pens I’d brought.  I had a nice chat with a teacher and the registrar and took some good pix (see attached).

again, thank you very much.  your input made us enjoy our holiday more than we would have done without it.  feel free to use some or all of this mail on your website.

with best wishes,

terri and pieter jan from amsterdam and france