Zanzibar City

Taxis line up at the cruise gate on call days. No meter system — agree the fare before you get in. Inside Stone Town anywhere is TZS 5,000–10,000 (USD 2–4). Spice farms 20–30 minutes inland run TZS 60,000–80,000 (USD 25–35) round trip with a 90-minute wait. Nungwi or Kendwa is TZS 150,000–200,000 (USD 65–85) one way; agree return separately. Jozani Forest with a 2-hour wait is TZS 120,000–150,000 (USD 50–65). Cash only. USD widely accepted, often preferred. No Uber. Bolt operates in Stone Town but pickups inside the port gate can be hit-or-miss.

TZS is the official currency, but Zanzibar runs on a dual-currency economy for tourists — entry fees at Prison Island, Jozani, the slave-market memorial, and the Mercury house are quoted in USD, and taxi drivers, spice farms, and souvenir stalls will take dollars cheerfully. Bring small bills (USD 1, 5, 10, 20) in clean condition; pre-2009 notes and torn bills get refused outright. ATMs in Stone Town (NMB, CRDB, NBC) dispense TZS against Visa and Mastercard. Card acceptance at shops and restaurants is patchy outside the upscale hotels. USD 50–100 in cash covers most independent port days.

The standard half-day combination is a spice plantation tour (Kizimbani or Tangawizi, 20–30 minutes inland) followed by lunch in Stone Town and an afternoon on foot through the old quarter — 5 to 6 hours total. Ship excursions run USD 70–100 per person; independent taxi-plus-guide is TZS 100,000–150,000 (USD 40–65) split across the vehicle. For longer calls, swap in Jozani Forest (red colobus monkeys, 45 minutes south) or Prison Island (giant tortoises, 30-minute boat) instead of the spice farm. Do not try to add Nungwi onto the same day — the north-coast drive eats too much time.

Ships berth at Zanzibar Port on the western edge of the old town, immediately north of the House of Wonders. From the cruise gate it is 400–600 metres south along Mizingani Road to the Old Fort and Forodhani Gardens — five to ten minutes flat. The port is a working container terminal, so the immediate dock area is industrial concrete and trucks; the historic quarter starts once you cross into the Old Fort plaza. No shuttle bus is laid on by the port; ships occasionally provide one when the wharf-to-gate walk inside the terminal is long.

Mnemba Atoll off the northeast coast is the island's marquee dive and snorkel site — protected marine reserve, dolphins, turtles, decent visibility year-round. Realistically a 90-minute drive plus 30-minute boat each way, so really only viable on a 9+ hour call. Operators based in Stone Town (One Ocean, Rising Sun Dive Centre) run two-tank trips from USD 130 for certified divers; book in advance with confirmed pickup at the cruise gate. Closer-in snorkelling off Prison Island or Bawe is the realistic port-day call — half a day, decent reef, no dive cert needed.

Stone Town itself has no swimming beach — the strip in front of Forodhani Gardens is working water with boats and snorkel-tour traffic. For actual swim time, Nungwi and Kendwa on the north tip (60–90 minutes by road) are the postcard options: white sand, day passes at the resort beach clubs (Z Hotel, Kendwa Rocks, Gold Zanzibar) run USD 20–40 per person and include lounger plus pool access. Reef-safe sunscreen is the right call; coastal reefs are protected. Pack a sarong or kanga to cover up for the drive — conservative dress applies in transit through villages.