Zanzibar – travel arrangements, vaccinations, visa, packing, ..

For an intercontinental trip, a little more planning in advance is required than for a Europe or Germany trip.
Also for our Zanzibar trip we had to inform ourselves in advance about necessary vaccinations, important to pack or passports. Maybe my suggestions will help you with your next long distance trip.

Vaccinations

Which travel vaccinations do I need for my Zanzibar trip??
Why should I get vaccinated at all?
Do I get the vaccination costs reimbursed by my health insurance??
All these are questions that may concern you.

It has been medically proven that vaccinations are an effective medical precaution against disease while having comparatively few side effects.

Especially for you as a traveler, these vaccinations are a good way to effectively protect yourself from the increased risk of infection that you are exposed to in other countries. And considering the often inadequate medical care in many countries, vaccinations are a highly recommended precautionary measure.

For the direct entry from Germany to the mainland of Tanzania and to Zanzibar no compulsory vaccinations are required, especially no yellow fever vaccination. This also applies when entering in transit via a yellow fever endemic area, as long as the stopover does not involve leaving the airport and the stay is less than 12 hours.
However, for longer stays in the country, a yellow fever vaccination may be advisable for medical reasons.
We got vaccinated against yellow fever and showed the vaccination certificate directly when we entered the country. But this was not really considered.
For this purpose fever was measured with all entrants before entering the airport building.
Before entering the country, it is worthwhile to take a look at the vaccination calendar of the Robert Koch Institute or the website of the German Foreign Office and to inform yourself.

Depending on the health insurance travel vaccinations are partially or completely covered.
Just call your account manager of the health insurance company. They can help you and answer your questions.

Visa

For the entry to Zanzibar a visa is required. You can fill out the visa application directly at the airport or submit it via an online form.
However, we were not asked for an online form at all.
After filling out the visa application, you pay an official 50 euros per visa and are photographed once for registration.
Stamp it and that's it… It's best to put your vaccination certificate visibly in your passport to avoid unpleasant questions.

Packing

Generally I think about writing packing lists, for my own and gladly for you to the orientation.
The only important thing to say about Zanzibar is that you should definitely provide water shoes and sun protection.
Since Zanzibar is affected by the tides, at low tide the water recedes a lot and sea urchins become visible. Sea urchins like to settle on rocks and other uneven places, gladly also unseen.
To save you the experience of a thorn in your foot, you should be equipped here.
For Stone Town and other villages, respectful clothing such as long pants or shirts that cover the shoulders is advisable. The island is dominated by the Muslim religion and as a tourist it is always nice to be dressed appropriately.
Also for jungle excursions it makes sense to protect yourself with longer clothes against mosquitoes or other insects.
If you adapt to the dress style of the locals, you are on the safest side.

Tanzania shilling..

is the currency on Zanzibar. Unfortunately, this currency cannot be issued by the travel bank in Germany.
Dollars are also accepted.
We changed a few euros into dollars at the travel bank to be able to give tips. On the spot in Zanzibar we changed relatively quickly into Tanzania shillings.
If you want or have to keep an eye on your budget, you should pay as much as possible with Tanzanian Shillings, because you will get more for your money than if you pay with Dollars.
But be careful, Tanzanian shillings can not be changed back in Germany. You should spend as much as possible on the spot.