Zanzibar After Safari: The Perfect Luxury Beach Extension

After a run of 5:30 AM wake-ups and the emotional intensity of watching predators hunt, your body needs a reset. Zanzibar gives you exactly that.

Should you add Zanzibar after a Tanzania safari? Yes. It's a short flight from the safari airstrips, and the pace drops the moment you land. Stay at &Beyond Mnemba Island, Zuri Zanzibar or Baraza Resort, give Stone Town at least a day, and let the Indian Ocean undo all those early game drives.

Key facts

• Getting there: a short flight from the safari airstrips. On our trip, you fly to Zanzibar on day 5 after a final morning game drive, and stay at Park Hyatt Zanzibar on the Stone Town waterfront.
• Where to stay: &Beyond Mnemba Island, Zuri Zanzibar on the north coast, or Baraza Resort on the east coast.
• Don't skip: Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for at least a day.
• Caviar trip:The Tanzania Experience ends with beach days in Zanzibar.

Why Zanzibar Works After Safari

Photo: Caviar in the Air

The pace drops right away, and the Indian Ocean does the rest. You trade dust and dawn alarms for warm water, spice-scented air and nowhere in particular to be. You deserve that soft landing at the end of a big trip.

On our Tanzania trip, Zanzibar is where the week slows down: a Stone Town tour, a spa and beach day, and a farewell dinner by the water.

Where to Stay

Photo: Caviar in the Air

• &Beyond Mnemba Island: a private island with only a handful of beach bandas
• Zuri Zanzibar: design-forward and quiet on the north coast
• Baraza Resort: Swahili and Arabic-inspired luxury on the east coast

On our group trip we stay at Park Hyatt Zanzibar, right on the water in Stone Town, so the old town is a short walk away.

Stone Town: Don't Skip It

Photo: Aron Marinelli / Unsplash

Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it deserves at least a day. Walk the old slave market site and memorial, take a spice tour, and stay out for the Forodhani Gardens night market on the waterfront.

For Black travelers, the slave market site is deeply moving. The Anglican Cathedral (Christ Church) stands where the market once operated.

Still planning the safari part? Start with my Tanzania safari guide for first-time visitors, and read what the Serengeti taught me about luxury.

Book a free consultation to add Zanzibar to your safari.