Discover heavenly Zanzibar

The weather in Zanzibar is very stable and therefore Zanzibar can be visited all year round. The air temperature ranges from 27 to 32 degrees. Water temperature from 26 to 32 degrees. The only period that may cause us inconvenience is from April 15th to May 15th. This is the rainy season. It may rain during this period. Sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, sometimes not at all. The last two years show that the rainy season is less and less rainy. It was raining for a few days and that was all that was left of the rain. During the rest of the day, plenty of sunshine awaits you on the island. Even at night, the temperature does not drop below 25 degrees, so there is no need to take warm clothes with long sleeves.

There are no hurricane seasons, nor any other regular weather hazards.

The Zanzibar visa has a validity of 90 days and can be purchased at the airport when entering the airport. The entire procedure takes a few minutes and is completely stress-free. It is enough to write out the form provided by the airline crews or available immediately after arrival at the airport and come to the window in the arrivals hall with a passport valid for at least 6 months.

The cost of the visa is $ 50 per person. The payment is possible in cash and by credit cards.

Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, entry to Zanzibar is possible after presenting a negative PCR test and completing the online form and receiving an individual QR code. PiliPili refunds its guests 25 pili points upon presentation of the confirmation of the test performed in Poland.

The above-mentioned online form must also be completed when entering Zanzibar, up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure. Completing the form is obligatory for each passenger.

Due to the frequent changes in the regulations regarding documents entitling to enter Zanzibar, we recommend that you follow official communications immediately before your arrival.

Children of all ages are welcome on the island. There are no contraindications for a visit to Zanzibar for the youngest.

In PiliPili’s offer, children will find a number of organized activities, professional animator care and an additionally paid nanny offer. Hotels are prepared to welcome children and equipped with cots, restaurants offer dishes for children and highchairs to help children eat meals.

Disposable diapers and baby care products can be purchased in nearby stores.

In Zanzibar, the currency is Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) 1 USD (US dollar) = approx. 2,200 (TZS). The currency can be exchanged at exchange offices, banks and selected stores. You can pay with dollars in most tourist places by. similar conversion factor.

Important: it is very difficult or even impossible to exchange US dollars produced before 2009.

You can easily withdraw funds from an ATM. ATMs are located in the capital and in popular tourist cities. They withdraw cash in Tanzanian shillings. A fixed commission of 10,000 to 20,000 TZS is charged on withdrawals depending on the banking operator.

The ATMs at the roundabout and gas stations in Paje are closest to the PiliPili facilities.

Card payments are not possible at stalls, markets and smaller shops. Larger facilities, hotels and selected attractions allow payment by card with an additional commission (approx. 5%).

In PiliPili facilities, payments are possible in cash, by card and PiliPili points purchased on preferential terms. More about it on pilipili.pl/pili-discounts.

All hotels have public WIFI and access to high-speed satellite Internet. You can easily use e-mail, social media or communication platforms such as Teams, Zoom or Skype.

Internet coverage is common on the island, access can be obtained by renting a portable router at the reception (50 USD refundable deposit) or by purchasing a local SIM card from one of the operators (eg Zantel).

– light, airy clothing, flip-flops, sunglasses, shoes for entering the ocean, headgear
– swimwear, creams with a strong filter (SPF50)

There is no need to take:

– shampoos, bath lotion, body lotion

– bath and beach towels

– power adapters

– in hotels there are universal plugs

Alcohol stores are rare in Zanzibar.

There are two or three places in Paje near the PiliPili facilities that have such an assortment.

You can also buy alcohol in Stone Town.

Alcohol should not be consumed anywhere except in eateries.

If you want to provide gifts to the local community, financial or material support for schools or other educational institutions, we recommend contacting the PiliPili Pomagam Foundation, which has a list of the most important needs and has established relationships with families and institutions in need.

We advise against handing out gifts, sweets or school supplies on your own on the beach and in the village. Such activities encourage the population to beg and are not welcomed by families or local authorities.

PiliPili helps the Jambiani community in a coordinated manner within the PiliPili Pomagam Foundation and thanks to the collected funds it supports a number of initiatives agreed with the authorities.

There are no diseases requiring vaccination in Zanzibar. Malaria does not occur on the island, so there is no need for prophylactic dosing of anti-malaria drugs. The only vaccination currently required is yellow fever vaccination, which is required if we fly through high-risk countries (Kenya, Ethiopia) and if the stay in their area will be longer than the usual 4 hours. If you stay in the above-mentioned countries are associated only with a transfer, we do not leave the airport, there is no need to vaccinate.

Healthcare in Zanzibar is available if a medical situation requires a visit to a doctor near PiliPili hotels. Local doctors privately take care of basic painkillers, antipyretics and antibiotics. There is also a pharmacy in Paje.

We recommend that you purchase additional travel medical insurance that covers all medical expenses if necessary. The nearest hospital is located in Makanduchi. For more serious illnesses, patients are transferred to Stone Town or the mainland to Dar es Salaam.

Swahili and English are spoken in Zanzibar. English is widely spoken in hotels and tourist attractions.

There is no need to use Swahili or English at PiliPili facilities.

The menu and all necessary information are provided to guests in Polish.

The time difference with Poland is one hour ahead in summer time periods and two hours in winter time periods.

We provide free airport pick-up to all guests flying PiliPili Fly. On arrival at the airport, minibuses will take guests to individual hotels.

Transfer from the airport takes approximately 60 minutes and is dependent on location and current road conditions. Guests traveling with other airlines can take advantage of the paid transfer organized by PiliPili.