- Accommodation
- Meals
- Transport
- Passports and visas
- Health/Vaccinations
- Physical Level
- Special Requests
- Insurance
- What to pack
- Travel companions
- The adventure with us
- How to book your spot
Accommodation
You are on beach holiday, and saving on accommodation in Zanzibar may ruin your experience. Hence, we pick each accommodation on this trip with utmost care. All hotels/resorts will be hand-picked mid-range establishments with a pool, restaurant/bar and wherever applicable beach/seafront.
All rooms on all trips are shared with two people in each room. You’ll have the option of a double bed or two single beds. Rooms may vary slightly by layout and view and will be assigned based on booking order.
Solo travelers will be paired up with another participant of same gender. If you explicitly wish to have your own room, or if we cannot find another participant to share that room, there will be an extra surcharge as noted on the booking form.
All chosen hotels and resorts are subject to availability, and the full list will be available once the minimum number of participants is reached.
Please note that this is Africa and one cannot expect the western standards in the places visited. Especially with respect to service, expect a lovely “laid back, unhurried” environment.
Meals
6 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 1 Dinner are included in the tour price as outlined in the itinerary. Breakfast will be taken at the hotel/resort. 2 lunches will be served family style, 1 beach BBQ, and the rooftop dinner will be a set menu. For the remaining meals, there will be plenty of options to choose from cafes/restaurants or local eateries. Our guides will be happy to recommend good restaurants on the days when lunch or/and dinner are not included.
Vegetarians can be catered for if you inform us upon booking, however, note that the options can be extremely limited. For other dietary requirements (vegan, gluten-free, allergies, etc.), please contact us to discuss the best course of action for you.
Transport
During the trip, we’ll travel in private car or minivan depending on the final group size (max 12).
Passports and Visas
For visiting Zanzibar you need a Tanzanian visa. It covers Zanzibar and the mainland and vice versa.
Your passport must be valid for a minimum period of six months from the date you arrive in Tanzania and have at least three blank pages, two facing each other.
Holders of ordinary passports issued by most nations, including EU nationalities (except Malta, Cyprus), the US, the UK, Turkey, need a visa to enter Tanzania. Please check the up to date list of visa-free countries here: https://visa.immigration.go.tz/guidelines
Tanzania has introduced an e-visa system through which applications can be submitted and approved online prior to travel (allow 2-3 weeks for processing). Please check the progress of the visa yourself on the visa.immigration.go.tz website using your application number. The visa is usually NOT sent by e-mail.
Alternatively, It’s also possible to obtain a tourist visa on arrival for a single entry at the main ports of entry to Tanzania. You may be required to provide a proof of return ticket. Visas currently cost $50 USD for a single entry, with the exception of US citizens for whom a single-entry visa cost $100 USD.
Please consult the Tanzanian Embassy/Consulate (e.g. Berlin https://www.de.tzembassy.go.tz) in your country of origin for further information about visas, or visit the Tanzanian immigration website: https://www.immigration.go.tz
You must ensure that passports and visas are valid for the countries visited. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting.
Health/Vaccinations
Disclaimer: The following information is intended as a guide only and is not intended to replace professional advice. We, at MAHO on Earth, cannot guarantee that the following information is complete, up-to-date, accurate, or error-free.
As of the publishing date, there are no mandatory vaccinations to enter Tanzania, however, since the information may change quickly, we advise you to follow up on the latest travel updates and/or contact your local embassy.
If you are entering Tanzania from a yellow-fewer region or have a transit time of more than 12 hours in these countries, you may need to present proof of yellow-fewer vaccination. If it is the case and you do not have the vaccination, you may be given it at the airport or refused entry. Please consult with your local authorities. Travelers arriving Zanzibar from Tanzania mainland will be subjected to checks outlined above.
The prevalence rate of malaria in Zanzibar is currently below one percent–the lowest in Tanzania and in the Eastern and Central Africa.. However, we do still highly recommend that you obtain professional travel health advice at your doctor or an institute of tropical medicine with respect to your individual needs and your intended travel, including advice on vaccinations, anti-malarial and other medications based on your past vaccination history, your present medical condition, and your intended itinerary.
Physical Level
To join this trip, you’ll need to have a reasonable level of fitness. While not too strenuous, the tour involves a fair amount of walking (max. half-day), early-morning wake-up calls, being in the sun in tropical hot temperatures, wading through knee-deep water to get on to the boat, and other similar scenarios.
Swimming skills are required for boat tours and snorkeling trips.
Special requests
This trip may not be suitable for people with special needs such as reduced mobility due to local conditions and activities. If in doubt, please contact us.
Please do not send sensitive information (such as health, accident or other highly personal information) through our contact form. You may want to get in touch with us directly via phone instead.
Insurance
We do strongly recommend you take out travel insurance as soon as you make your deposit to ensure the most coverage. Your travel insurance policy should at least cover medical expenses, trip cancellations, activities you intend to do, and repatriation in the event of an accident or illness. We will reach out and collect your travel insurance and emergency contact details shortly before the departure date. Your trip price with us does not include any travel insurance. Travel insurance policies are generally speaking more economical when taken out locally in your country of origin.
What to pack (Cash & Co)
Please note the majority of the population in Zanzibar is Muslim. Respect their culture and dress appropriately. This is especially true when visiting local villages or walking around the streets in Stone Town. Wearing a bikini on beach is perfectly fine.
While your trip with us cover most of the expenses, things such as alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, snacks, laundry, visa fee, meals not included are examples of a few additional costs that might arise during your safari. Any optional activity is mentioned clearly so that you don’t have to worry about hidden costs.
Tanzania accepts the USD or EUR for tourism. While credit cards are accepted, there is usually an additional fee up to 10%. ATMs are scarce outside of bigger towns. We recommend carrying some cash and budgeting around $20 – $50 USD per day for incidental expenses and tips.
Please note: Throughout this trip, we will have different local guides, and we will tip them on your behalf for the included activities in order to avoid the hassle of collecting small money each time. For optional activities/meals, tipping is at your discretion.
Further details and recommendations on what to pack will be provided prior to departure.
Travel Companions
We care about getting to know our fellow travelers, hence we keep our groups small and intimate. Our tours usually run with 12 or fewer participants and require a minimum of 8 participants to take place. It will be an international group and the main language will be English. We also speak German and Turkish.
People from all walks of life and nationalities, singles, couples, friends, and families with a sense of adventure, an open mind, and an open heart can join our tours. We consider each trip as an opportunity to cultivate our travel persona with humility, curiosity, and respect, what we call a “Mindful Adventure”.
The Adventure with us
This trip is handcrafted by Maho and peer-reviewed by Tom, and they will be present to ensure a smooth operation on the ground as well as share their passion for authentic experiences, unparalleled adventures, photography and more with you. Designing a trip is engineering work, and this is not a cookie-cutter tour. Maho and Tom, founders and owners of MAHO on Earth, curated this itinerary to make the best use of your hard-earned bucks and vacation days with lots of wonderful handpicked activities and locations included!
We want you to have the most rewarding experience possible. We take care of all the hassle of planning, and you can enjoy your vacation with peace of mind, not least because we support social projects and NGOs, and partner with the best local enterprises.
Join us on this Mindful Adventure, Highlands to Oceans in Zanzibar!
How to book your spot
To reserve your spot, please send us an email at team@earthmaho.com or use our booking form!
When booking for multiple persons, the first named person is the lead participant in charge. If you are booking for a party of 3 or more with individual requests (e.g. single room, triple room, runner/non-runner etc.), please get in touch via email or phone (WhatsApp).
Please note, the minimum age to participate in this tour is18. Payment plan is outlined at this link: https://earthmaho.com/payment-terms
Once we have received your deposit, we will send you another email to confirm your spot on the trip, a deposit receipt, and an invoice for the balance payment. Your confirmation will include appropriate information on local health services, authorities and consular support.
This trip requires a minimum of 6 participants to run. We will notify you when it is a guaranteed departure! Please do not make any non-refundable airfare bookings or additional arrangements just yet.
Once we have reached the minimum number of participants, we’ll reach out to confirm the departure, and send you your pre-departure information pack to help you prepare for the trip. You can then book your flights and get excited about your upcoming adventure!
Should you need any support with your pre or post-tour travel arrangements, we are here to help.
Have a question?
Have we missed anything?
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you’re ready to make your Zanzibar dream a reality.
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