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Hi Scott

Zanzibar is beautiful and unlike anywhere else (I've visited) in Africa if you're searching for laid back island life!

To my experience(I visit zanzibar 3/4 times per year from UK and am moving permanently this month)
What is the visa protocol?
You can obtain a 3 months tourist visa on arrival.  At the moment it's possible to extend your visa without leaving and re entering the country, although I'm not sure how long that will last.
You will need a work or business visa even if you're volunteering.

What injections do I need to get in the country?
I would discuss this with your GP but recommend vaccinations are listed on the gov. UK website.  You will only need to show a yellow fever certificate if you have visited a high risk region.

What are the best reliable sources to find a room or an apartment to rent?
Air B&B and booking.com are the best to use till you are living on the island.  Zanzibar has had an influx of tourists in the past few months so finding safe and reasonable places to stay particularly longer term is difficult so I would book in advance if you can.

There is only 1 basic gym I'm aware of and it's in PAJE on the East Coast.  Paje is really lively, lots of activities including kite surfing and night life, so if you're looking for somewhere that's more peaceful that's close by I would recommend jambiani.

The North Coast has kendwa and Nungwi and is again more lively but I think at the moment it's relatively safer than the east.  Hopefully with the new president there will be a crackdown on safety issues that are arising in the east coast.

Stown Town would fit your needs if you'd like the conveniences of a town, cafes, nightlife, slightly better WiFi and it does have a nice beach too.

Hope this helps a little!

Jo

Wwlcome Tanzania Scote!!


Meet with Local !!!!

Dear Scott,
If you are looking settling for a long haul it is not bad to consider some of the mainland cities because many have opportunities which you can exploit in the long run. I'm living in Tanga. Tanga is not a beehive of tourism. However the city is within reach of Zanzibar's Pemba Island, Pangani historical town, Kenya's Mombasa, Saadani National Park (south of Tanga) and of course to the tourism hot spots of Moshi (Mt. Kilimanjaro) and Arusha (getway to Serengeti & Ngorongoro). If you are well organized it would mean you can even open a business along the beaches of Pangani as well as link up with the northern corridor tourist companies. Though that may take time to organise, you would certainly need a safe and a good accomodation. There are several apartments in Tanga which may attract your attention. Life in Tanga is cheap and significantly safe than most other places. The city however is not hectic like Arusha and other cities. If Tanga attracts you you can reach me for an appartment since I own two.

Sincerely

Juma Wickama
Tanga

Hello

I really appreciate the detailed information brother. Asante.

I'll save your message and make sure to contact you if I come to Tanga.

Blessings and best wishes.

Your answer helped answer some of my questions as well. I'm also considering a move to Zanzibar but am still somewhat clueless.

Assuming I don't intend to work, is renewing a 3 month tourist via repeatedly (and hoping they don't eventually crack down on that) the only realistic option to stay in Zanzibar permanently?

I'm not retired, but what are the retirement criteria?

Any other possibilities?

Also, what has safety/crime incidents are you referring to on the east coast? I couldn't find anything online.

I am curious why you are not considering going back to Nairobi?  Is it just time for the next experience?  We are working on relocating to TZ (moving from Florida, USA) but have also had Nairobi (and elsewhere in Kenya) on the radar as options too.  Anything you can share about why you are changing from Nairobi would be most appreciated.

I want to see more of Africa before I settle for a home.

Sorry for the late reply, I didn't have notifications on.

I'm completely unsure as to what the situation is with visa's but I'm just taking a leap of faith and seeing what happens. So much information and misinformation out there, I guess I'm just going to go with what Julie above says. I'll try and renew and see what happens from there, maybe even apply for a residency once I'm there, I just don't know sorry.

Yeah, surprisingly difficult to find this basic info online. Please let us know if you actually go and again after you try to renew so we can see what happens. I’m very curious to see the results.

Hi!***

@Prince Choba Campsite

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