Destinations › Tanzania › Zanzibar › Scams
Zanzibar, Tanzania
10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Zanzibar, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
No metered fleet and no ride-hailing on the island, so airport and north-coast fares are quoted at several times the going rate to arrivals.
Sunset cruises and island trips sold on the beach by people with no boat and no licence, with deposits taken and nobody found afterwards.
Drugs offered openly on the northern beaches, followed by a police approach and a demand for payment to avoid arrest.
Ferry tickets for the Dar es Salaam crossing sold outside official offices at inflated prices, or issued at the resident fare and refused at the gate.
Papasi — unofficial touts in Stone Town who attach themselves as guides without agreement and demand payment at the end, sometimes aggressively.
Seafood priced by weight with the per-kilo rate confirmed only after the fish has been cooked.
Machine-printed cloth and imported carvings sold as local handmade work.
Scooter and quad hire without mention of the compulsory Zanzibar permit, leaving the rider to settle with police at a stop.
Beach accommodation downgraded or relocated on arrival in high season with the original rate retained.
Spice tours ending at a farm shop selling the same spices at many times the Darajani market price.
