Good to Know Before You Come

For most tourists, a visa costs $50. For US citizens, a visa costs $100.

Breakfast
Continental breakfast is served in the form of a buffet at the La Shira restaurant. You can enjoy your morning coffee and the buffet from 7.30 AM to 10:30 AM. The restaurant remains open for lunch and dinner from 12:00 until 21:30 daily, and boasts a wide selection of local and international dishes, as well as an additional daily chef’s recommendation menu.

The local currency is the Tanzanian Shilling (TSH) which is accepted in Zanzibar, Pemba, and the Tanzanian mainland.

We recommend exchanging your home currency for US dollars before departure to avoid bank charges. However, many places accept USD and Euro. Please note that most places in Zanzibar do not accept US dollar notes printed before 2006.

At Jambiani Villas we do not charge any fees on credit card payments. Keep in mind, however, that a 5% fee is practiced in many places in Zanzibar

Exchanging money
You can exchange money in Jambiani: Bahdadi Store (around 200m from Jambiani Villas) or in Paje: Wakala, Kijiji Supermarket

Medical provisions on the Island are not comparable to Western countries, but there are doctors and hospitals all over the island. You can avoid unwelcome incidents by following these simple rules:

Do not drink water from the tap.
Ask if ice cubes are made from bottled water.
Wash your fruits and vegetables with bottled water before eating.

In the event of an emergency, the nearest hospital is located in Paje (5km from Jambiani Villas)

Medexpress Hospital in Paje
24/7 Emergency: +255 776 766 666
Whatsapp: +255 776 399 999
Tasakhtaa Global Hospital in Stone Town
Contact: +255 242 232 341

Low and high tides are well noticeable on the east coast of Zanzibar. At low tide, the ocean retreats far from the shoreline. At that time the ocean’s bed is exposed for up to 1.5 km from the shoreline. During high tide, depending on the incoming amount of water, you may not be able to walk on the beach for a few hours, in addition, large waves easily splash right against the fencing of resort premises. During this time, we provide taxis to the La Shira restaurant at no cost.

Tide information is displayed on our daily chef’s recommendation board found at La Shira Restaurant and in the Reception areas.

Plastic Bag Ban with effect from 1st June 2019: – tourists, can face very heavy fines for using Plastic bags. Using, manufacture or importation of plastic bags, including garbage bags and shopping bags, is illegal. Convicted offenders, including tourists, can face very heavy fines, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

Visitors are advised to avoid packing any plastic bags in their suitcases or in carry-on hand luggage before flying to Tanzania. Items purchased at the airport before boarding the aircraft should be removed from plastic bags. Please check hand luggage before disembarking at entry points and any plastic bags should be left in the plane. Similarly, the transparent “zip-lock” plastic bags that some airlines require passengers to use for keeping liquids, cosmetics, toiletries, etc. separately in hand luggage are also not permitted to be brought and should be removed and left on the plane before disembarking.

Airport / Ferry transfers

We offer our guests transfers to and from the airport or ferry (55 km) with the new Toyota Alphard. The cost is $45 per car (up to 6 people) one way or $85 round trip.

Public transportation

There is no government-owned public transportation in Zanzibar. Privately owned, so-called “DalaDala,” functions as a collective taxi that serves as the only kind of public transport. It is definitely the cheapest and most adventurous means to get around the Island.

The term DalaDala evolved from the Kiswahili word “Dala” — a colloquial reference to the US dollar that approximated the cost in shillings during the 1970s and 80s.

Renting a car or motorbike

If you plan to rent a car or a motorbike, remember to always have your driving license and Zanzibar Driving Permit, which you can buy at the car rental company for $10 -15$. Police checks occur on a daily basis, where documents such as car insurance and the issue date of servicing are checked. Please note that in Zanzibar left-hand side traffic applies. Speed limits of 40km/h in Stone Town and villages should be observed, and 50km/h on country roads.

Taxi

It is common to use a taxi as a means of transportation on the island. In Zanzibar, you pay for the route rather than the kilometer, and we set the price prior to your departure. Be aware that for shorter distances you need to order a taxi at least 20 mins before your desired time of departure, and around an hour for longer ones. Please order your Taxi at Reception.

Taxis which we use for our guests are of the highest quality. Cars and drivers are insured. In the event of any mishap, a replacement car is always available near Paje and Stone Town.