Zanzibar is a very unusual place on our globe. Zanzibar is a network of islands in the Indian Ocean, not far from the hot Tanzania.
More and more hidden corners of our globe are becoming available for visiting. Zanzibar until recently was considered inaccessible to tourists with average financial capabilities. A 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. Due to this, the flight has become much more comfortable and cheaper. No need to make a bunch of different transfers, make transit visas, spend your vacation waiting in airports.
Pegasus Touristik was already trying to make the trip more accessible to countries such as Kenya, but this project was quickly turned off due to the low workload of the aircraft.
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 Pegas Touristik website (Moscow-Zanzibar flight time is about 12 hours).
- Book a charter ticket . This is possible only a few days before departure, and then if only the charter has free seats (also 12 hours of flight).
- Buy a ticket for a flight to Zanzibar with one or more transfers (flight time Moscow-Zanzibar will be 15 hours or more).
For independent search of tickets for flights, we recommend using the services for searching for tickets (Skyscsnner, Aviasales and others).
And now let's talk about what awaits you if you still dare to take an extraordinary journey to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar Airport 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 the African language, but no, they didn’t guess - this is the full name of the first president of Zanzibar.
Previously, the Zanzibar airport was called much simpler - Zanzibar International Airport, which means universal Zanzibar airport in English.
There was another name - Kisauni. Some have not yet updated the database of airport names and today they call it that. So do not be alarmed, 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 receives 500 thousand passengers a 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 belts for luggage, everything happens in manual mode. Suitcases are simply displayed in a small room, and you come and pick up. At the same time, no one is watching whether this is your suitcase or not.
Next, 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. After payment, you are fingerprinted, photographed and paste the visa into your passport.
Next, you will most likely need a currency exchange. Of course, you can use dollars inside the country, but it is not very profitable. The dollar against the local currency at the exchange points of the airport is not entirely profitable.
In Zanzibar, the airport is undergoing reconstruction and, possibly, when you arrive here, everything will be much more modern and convenient here.
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
You can leave Zanzibar Airport in various ways:
- Taxi.
- Rent a car (airplane).
- Public transport (bus truck).
The most extreme way to get around is by public transport. The bus looks like a truck without windows, with seats inside the body. Fortunately, it’s very close to the center, about 8 kilometers. Locals will kindly give you a place. The bus fare to the center is about $ 1.
Taxis are 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 to order it. There are many different contacts of local drivers on the Internet. Prices for services are more than loyal.
Some tourists rent a plane and pilot services. A good opportunity to see the entire archipelago from a bird's eye view. But be careful, it’s dangerous in the monsoon season.
Undoubtedly, your trip to Zanzibar will be unforgettable, the main thing is to focus on the positive aspects.