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Getting around Zanzibar Island from the comfort of an air-conditioned privately hired car is perfectly acceptable if you have the necessary money. If privately hired cars are out of the question, then there is only one thing you can do: Riding a dala dala in Zanzibar Island. The local public transport in Zanzibar you should try.
What is a dala dala?
The dala dala are either minibusses or converted trucks whereby the backs are open and you sit all facing each other. Riding a Zanzibar dala dala or minibus is confusing, uncomfortable, and definitely not stress-free, but it is an adventure, and ridiculously cheap from a travelers perspective.
Dala dala buses have no special schedules. They only depart when they are full. You have to wait. It is not possible to prebook tickets. You might be lucky if you grab a window seat at the front for the most comfortable journey.
To go from Stone Town to any location on Zanzibar, the local busses will start driving roughly around 5 AM and stop driving roughly around 5 PM (sometimes even later (until 8 PM) when there is high season and many people on the streets.)
Finding the right dala dala terminal in Zanzibar city
If you arrive by plane, the dala dala stop is just outside the airport. You have to ask the airport staff for directions and not the taxi drivers because they will tell you the busses are not running!
There are also chances that you arrive in Zanzibar by ferry and after spending a day or two in the cultural city center you decide to go on exploring other parts of this island. The dala dala leaves from different places depending on where on the island you want to go.
If you want to go North, the dala dala terminal is at Darajani Market which is within walking distance of the city center.
If you are using the local public transport going to the East Coast, places like Paje, Bwejuu or Michamvi you have to head to Mwanakwerekwe Market which is 5 kilometers east of the city. Take a dala dala on Karume Road from close to Darajani Market.
When you are at the right terminal there are many dala dala and minibusses which all usually have a number and a sign indicating where they are going which makes it easier for you to find the right one.
No worries, you can always ask for help but be aware that there are people who try to scam you out of your money by helping you find a dala dala. Be aware!
Payment for the dala dala in Zanzibar
Dala dala and minibusses are very cheap. The ones which connect the different terminals in Zanzibar cost 400 Tanzanian Shillings per person, any other ride to any destination on the island costs 2.000 Shillings per person and maybe an additional 500 to 1.000 Shillings per big item of luggage. If you do not want to pay extra for stored luggage, you can keep your luggage on your lap!
These prices are fixed; therefore do not ask for the price before riding, or else they will try to take more of your money. Also, do not pay anyone before riding, or even after getting on board. The correct timing is to pay during your ride when everybody else pays as well. Be aware of this too!
What to avoid when riding a dala dala in Zanzibar
One visitor narrated this story that when she rode a dala dala in Zanzibar for the first time, a friendly-looking guy offered to show her which dala dala to take to Mwanakwerekwe Market from Darajani Market. Once she was on the right one, another guy, she assumed he was the conductor – which later on she believed he was not – pressured her to pay him 15.000 Shillings, telling her this was a private bus, intimidating her and confusing her so much that she paid him in the end.
Assuming he must have paid the correct fee to the real conductor, and he and the friendly guy pocketed the difference, they made a nice profit, too!
When she arrived at the Mwanakwerekwe Market terminal, the friendly guy took her to the minibus leaving for Bwejuu. They got on board, and again there was a guy who wanted 10.000 shillings per person and an additional 2.000 shillings per luggage. Fortunately, a nice guy was sitting next to her; he spoke English very well, a skill not too many people in Tanzania possess. He told her not to give them any money, that the correct fee is 2.000 Shillings per person, and that they should pay once the dala dala is moving and not before.
The scammer and the nice guy decided to give up and vanished. I guess he was happy with the amount he got from the first ride for his trouble showing her to the right dala dala…
Avoiding scammers when taking a dala dala in Zanzibar
Each mode of public transport in Zanzibar has two people working together which is the conductor, namely, konda who is the person you should do all the talking to, because the driver only drives, any other person is just meddling in and might not always help you!
You recognize the conductor as they are supposed to wear blue shirts. If someone approaches you and you suspect that he might be a scammer just tell them that you really do not need any help that he wants to offer.
Do not pay anyone until you are already on the bus as this is likely to be a scam. You have to pay the conductor during your journey and make sure you are paying the same as the locals, which is 2.000 Tanzanian Shillings or less.
Some of the conductors try to take advantage of tourists demanding up to 10 times the normal price but just stand your ground and insist on paying the same as everyone else pays although it is normal to pay extra for large luggage. Remember: You have to make sure that you only pay when everyone else pays.
Stone Town is the main hub in Zanzibar and almost all journeys will go via Stone Town. Journeys from Stone Town to Paje or Nungwi require just one dala dala, however, most other journeys will require multiple dala dalas. Have a look at the dala-dala map that we created for you guys!
Riding a dala dala in Zanzibar is cheap if you do it right and it is not very comfortable especially if you have your big luggage on your lap for an hour, but it definitely is an adventure.
Even if you do it all wrong, like how that visitor experienced, at least it will make for a good story to share with your friends and family once you are home from your trip around Zanzibar.
