Zanzibar is a very unusual place on our globe. Zanzibar is a network of islands in the Indian Ocean, not far from hot Tanzania.
More and more hidden corners of our globe are becoming available to visit. Zanzibar has recently been considered inaccessible for tourists with average financial capabilities. Few travelers come here. Zanzibar is considered a very specific resort and very expensive compared to popular routes to similar tropical countries.
And in 2017, the Russian travel company "Pegas Touristik" decided to take a chance and launch a charter flight to this country. Thanks to this, the flight has become much more comfortable and cheaper. No need to make a bunch of different transfers, do transit visas, spend your vacation waiting at airports.
Pegas Touristik has already tried to make travel more affordable to places like Kenya, but the project was quickly canceled due to low air traffic.
Direct flight Moscow-Zanzibar
So, in order to buy a plane ticket to Zanzibar, you can go the following ways:
- Book a tour on the website "Pegas Touristik" (Moscow-Zanzibar flight time about 12 hours).
- Book a charter ticket. This is possible only a few days before departure, and then only if there are empty seats on the charter (also 12 hours of flight).
- Buy a ticket for a flight to Zanzibar with one or more transfers (the flight time from Moscow to Zanzibar will be 15 hours or more).
To independently search for tickets for flights, we recommend using services for searching for air tickets (Skyscsnner, Aviasales and others).
Now let's talk about what awaits you if you still dare to take an extraordinary trip to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar Air Terminal
The airport in Zanzibar has the same unusual name as the country itself - Abeid Amani Karume. You might think that this is some kind of slogan in an African language, but no, you didn’t guess - this is the full name of the first president of Zanzibar.
Earlier, Zanzibar Airport was called much more simply - Zanzibar International Airport, which in universal English means Zanzibar International Airport.
There was another name - Kisauni. Some have not yet updated the database of airport names and today it is called that. So don't be scared, know that we are talking about the same airport.
Airport Description
Abeid Amani Karume Airport is considered the third largest in all of Tanzania. It accepts 500 thousand passengersper year.
What to hide, many tourists are simply shocked upon arrival at this airport. It looks more like a small train station. There are no baggage belts here, everything is done manually. Suitcases are simply put in a small room, and you come and pick it up. At the same time, no one is watching whether this is your suitcase or not.
Further, a visa is issued, the cost is approximately $50. You should also take into account the fact that cash is not accepted at the airport, you can only pay with a Master Card or Visa Electron card. After payment, your fingerprints are taken, photographed and a visa is pasted into your passport.
Next, you will most likely need a currency exchange. Of course, you can also use dollars within the country, but this is not very profitable. The dollar exchange rate against the local currency at the airport exchange offices is not entirely favorable.
Zanzibar's airport is being reconstructed and perhaps when you arrive here everything will be much more modern and comfortable.
The country's economy is very dependent on the development of tourism, this is not a secret.
How to get to the center of Zanzibar
There are various ways to leave Zanzibar Airport:
- Taxi.
- Rent a car (airplane).
- Public transport (bus-truck).
The most extreme way to get around is public transport. The bus looks like a truck without windows, with seats inside the body. Fortunately, the city center is very close, about 8 kilometers. The locals will kindly give you a seat. The bus fare to the center is about $1.
Taxi is the most common way to transfer from the airport to the hotel. The cost of a taxi varies from $20 to $100, it all depends on how you order it. There are a lot of different contacts of local drivers on the Internet. Prices for services are more than loyal.
Some tourists rent a plane and a pilot. A good opportunity to see the entire archipelago from a bird's eye view. But be careful, it's dangerous during the monsoon season.
Undoubtedly, your trip to Zanzibar Island will be unforgettable, the main thing is to focus on the positive.
