October 15, 2024

Hospitality: how to tip right

In dollars or local currency? Cashless payment? We asked local hospitality experts for their advice on tipping in Zanzibar.

Tipping is very personal and can vary based on individual experiences and satisfaction. Here are some general guidelines to help you tip appropriately in Zanzibar:

Waiters:

Amount: up to 10% of the bill
When: tip when you get your change after you have paid the bill
Cashless: ask to add a tip to your card payment

Tour guides/driver:

Amount: $10-$20 per day
When: at the end of the tour
Cashless: use mobile
payments like M-Pesa

Housekeepers:

Amount: $1-$2 per day
When: daily or as a lump
sum at the end of your stay
Cashless: ask the hotel reception to add a tip to
your final bill

General

Currency: tips in Tanzanian Shillings are preferred but US dollars are accepted
Be discreet: give tips directly and discreetly

March 20, 2025

Enjoying Zanzibar during Ramadan

What visitors should know about the Holy Month By Winnie Mollel Contrary to what some people may think, Zanzibar is not off limits to tourists during Ramadan. In fact, the most holy month of the Muslim calendar can be an especially enlightening time. Ramadan (also written Ramadhan) is the fasting month in Islam, a time

February 25, 2025

My Beautiful Launderette

The figures hit us straight away. When we heard that Pure Laundry, a new enterprise in Fumba Uptown, could wash, dry and neatly fold 7.2 tonnes of laundry per day, we knew that THE FUMBA TIMES had to visit the place. 7.2 tonnes – that’s about 1,000 normal household washing machine loads. Per day! Behind

February 3, 2025

Street Art Explosion

Watch street art live in the making from 3-17 February, 2025 in Fumba Town, workshops for kids included. Black gorillas on the wall of the mall, a giraffe in a restaurant. Eight public spaces and two private houses are being converted into colourful objects during a very first ‘Street Art Festival’ in Fumba Town in

January 27, 2025

Urban Planners love Fumba

The first university poised for Fumba Town in Zanzibar, the renowned African School of Economics (ASE), opened with an extraordinary diploma course on urban planning. The first university poised for Fumba Town in Zanzibar, the renowned African School of Economics (ASE), opened with an extraordinary diploma course on urban planning. Around 40 participants are taking

January 15, 2025

“We Saved our Forest"

New: biking and walking tours in Masingini Forest Students of Kawa, a hospitality school in Stone Town sponsored by the TUI Care Foundation, are re-growing and protecting a whole forest in Zanzibar – thus creating a new tourist attraction. Abu is leading the way. The student of Kawa training centre, also known as TUI academy,

January 2, 2025

The life of DJ Coconut

Turning the tide for women at the turntable For decades, DJ booths have been dominated by men, their playlists shaping dance floors from New York to Nairobi. But the tides are shifting. Zanzibar’s very own DJ Coconut aka Zainab is part of that global wave of change. Twilight hour in Fumba. Fisherman Ali of Nyamanzi

December 30, 2024

The Green Adventure

A different kind of Zanzibar tour for curious holidaymakers. Tired of spice tours, dolphin tours, Stone Town tours? Tourists can now explore the sustainable side of Zanzibar including a delicious farm-to-table dinner, modern timber construction and a living botanical garden. It’s hot. But it’s always hot in Zanzibar. And before we have even fully started,

December 27, 2024

Your Best Health Care During Travel!

Must know for Zanzibar. How available is medical care in Zanzibar for tourists, visitors and residents? How best to prepare for a holiday or long stay in the tropics? Dr. Jenny Bouraima, Fumba Town’s German-born general practitioner, provides answers. It’s important to consider health and safety concerns before travelling, especially for senior citizens, pregnant women,

December 23, 2024

A Christmas Like No Other

Celebrating the festive season in Zanzibar While much of the world associates Christmas with snow and crackling fireplaces, Zanzibar offers a unique take on the festive season with the holiday spirit thriving under the sun. We asked families how they celebrate. It has been a busy year for Jake, Hanna, Evelyn and newcomer Zia, the