Dar es Salam to Zanzibar with the ferry
On our way to silky beaches and mind blowing oceans.. we have two options : the plane or the ferry.
Bye Dar Es Salam
To get to Zanzibar you have the option to fly or take the ferry. Flying there was too expensive for me (100$+ for a 20 mins ride-ONE WAY) so I decided to try out the ferry as I heard good things about it.
As expected there was a price for Residents and Non-residents which also varies depending on the class you choose. The one-way economy ticket for residents is 25.000 Tzshs whereas the one-way ticket for non residents is 35USD or 80.000 Tzshs ( what a wow). The two other classes are the VIP and the Royal class and you can find their prices on the ferry company website. (which website and ferries are by the way booming, I should stop undermining our -African- ability to do well).. sneak peak below
I would recommend you to book your ticket online in advance or few hours before you board at the station BUT NOT FEW MINS BEFORE.. I took mine at the station and unlike what I expected, the lane takes forever 😅. I therefore missed the 12:30am ferry I wanted to take, and had to wait until 2 PM to take the next ferry. The ride lasts a good 2 hours-ish so keep that in mind in case you want to enjoy your half-day in Zanzibar when landing !
Once at the ferry please be CAUTIOUS of people telling you to book elsewhere than at the Azam office! Don't mind them, keep going, and don't let anyone sell you a ticket except they are in the Azam ticket booth .. some of them sell fake tickets or tickets for companies that do not exist.
Getting your ticket
Getting to the ferry
Even though Dar Es Salam is a busy city with lot and lot of people, it is not really a touristic city. Indeed, people usually just transit through Dar Es Salam with Zanzibar being the final destination. Therefore, English is not as widely spoken as in Zanzibar (Moreover Swahili is their official first language). I'm saying this to highlight how difficult it is to get around if you don't speak swahili or not lucky enough to have someone who speaks English on your way. Additionally, being a busy city = lot of traffic so you have to be ready and leave early not to miss your ferry.
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If you take à Uber/Taxify/taxi to the ferry specifically mention that you are going to Azam Marine Ferry ! If you stay in town it would be approximately 5000 Tzshs (2CAD) or less with a Uber. HOWEVER Uber and Taxify in Dar es Salam take fooooreeeeveeer to find a ride, bring them to you and etc... It also happens that they automatically cancel your ride or request for no reason so I recommend you take a normal taxi and bargain a fixed price ! And if you happen to take a Uber please choose the cash option otherwise you could get charged for a ride you didn't have!
Always carry small bills and coins if you can so that you don't face the "I don't have change" issue ..🙄
The process
Once there, you will have a herd of porters at your feet taking your luggages away from you ! If you just have a backpack you will be alright but as for heavy travelers like me they 🙆🏾♀️will take care of your luggage and of course expect you to pay them .. I gave them what I had so Kenyan shillings mixed with Tanzanian shillings so 3400 in total.
After getting your ticket, you will go through security check to scan your luggages, verify your documents (passport, tickets etc). You will also fill a new immigration card "Revolutionary government of Zanzibar domestic arrival card"... since Zanzibar is apparently a government of its own ! So please have your passport and proofs of hotel booking close to you to fill the card and show it if needed ! Don't forget that yellow fever card is mandatory to get in Tanzania and in Zanzibar !
NB : When you leave Zanzibar you will also have to fill a card stating that you are leaving :)
If you come early, there is an open-air waiting lounge where food vendors are. It wasn't too hot when I went to Zanzibar so it was a nice wait. I also made a new friend : A Zanzibarian witch doctor... 👀. We sat together on the way to Zanzibar and had quite interesting discussions. On the way back to Dar, I sat inside instead of outside. Seats were pretty tight but comfy with good AC , I slept like a baby during the two hours :) Overall, the ferry experience was great and it is definitely worth the price!