Jahazi Literary & Jazz Festival (Stone Town, Zanzibar) – held in Zanzibar city every late August & early September, this is an exciting three-day celebration of writing, reading, workshops, authors, musicians and open-air concerts. Visitors interested in this event can find details on the Jahazi Facebook link: www.facebook.com/JahaziFestival/
International Marathon & Triathlon — sports tourism is off with a bang in Zanzibar with the Annual International Triathlon and Marathon events scheduled to take place in early November. Over the past years, both events have been successful in drawing participants from East Africa, Asia and Europe. Both the Triathlon and the Marathon are Olympic […]
Festival of the Dhow Countries a.k.a. Zanzibar International Film Festival (Stone Town, Zanzibar) – this is the largest annual cultural event in East Africa, and among the eight major festivals in sub-Saharan Africa. It is scheduled annually around the first two weeks in July. The festival celebrates the arts and cultures of the African Continent, […]
Eid-ul-Fitr (religious festival) – this religious festival is held at the end of Ramadan (a reminder of Islam’s prominence over Zanzibar). The fasting of Ramadan is meant to remind people what life is like for their less fortunate brethren and the alms giving at Eid (known as zakat-el-Fitr) is a continuation along the same idea. […]
Dolphin Tour (Kizimkazi village) – ecotourists passing through Zanzibar’s southern coastal areas will be enthralled by the offshore presence of dolphins (where both bottle-nose and humpback dolphins can be sighted). The shallow coastal waters around Kizimkazi are a favorite hangout for dolphins that come here for the reliable food supply, to nurse their calves, rest […]
Chumbe Marine Park (Chumbe island) – located on an island a few kilometers away from Zanzibar island, this is a unique privately managed nature reserve developed and managed by the Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. It is a rare example of a still pristine coral island ecosystem. The reserve includes a reef sanctuary, which has […]
Bullfighting (Pemba) – this is a popular sporting activity on this island. Pemba bullfights are relic of Portuguese occupation of the island, which occurred during the16th and17th centuries. Drum beats, men and women sing local songs to make the event lively and spur on both bull and matador. It’s a purely sporting event and the […]
BICYCLES/MOTORBIKES — If you can handle the heat, then cycling along the coast of Zanzibar can be an excellent way to explore. Many beach hotels will rent you a bike for around US$5-10 a day and some offer free bike hire to guests. Watch out for motorists (who generally have very little respect for cyclists […]
Udzungwa Mountains National Park (Kidayi) – located 6 hours (338 km) west of the capital, this park is a hikers mecca, complete with breathtaking forests, waterfall and hiking trails. One of the most popular hikes is the half-day route to the 170-meter Sanje Waterfall, where kids can see monkeys, various birds and butterflies on the […]
Tinga Tinga Arts Co-operative Society (Haile Selassie Road, Morogoro Stores, Dar Es Salaam) – “Tinga Tinga” paintings are the most commonly known tourist art attractions in Tanzania. These forms of art are found all across Tanzania – from small shops to large cooperatives. This co-operative was formed by the originator of this art form (Edward […]