Zanzibar ?

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Hi folks,

Has anyone been to Zanzibar? I want to see elephants & such, but not too long safari. Where is a good place to stay, (hotels with good amenities).
Also, is it a safe place for a mature female sole traveller?

Many thanks,
Jersey, C.I.

[KARL]

Zanzibar is eminently safe, but you will not see any elephants there or any big game. I have never been but I am fairly certain you will see far less in the way of mammals than on the mainland. Bird life is abundant and some species of monkey are there (I believe) but I think there is little else apart from snorkeling, etc. because the island is surrounded by tropical seas. The human population is almost entirely muslim.

[Fitzer]

Hi, in addition to the below I feel you may be confusing Zanzibar with Tanzania of which it is a part. Zanzibar is an old Arab trading island just off the coast of Tanzania and whilst it is home to some interesting animals, most notably the red colobus monkey, it isn't the location for a safari. What you can do is combine a safari on mainland Tanzania with a beach/relaxing holiday on Zanzibar. We did a long safari followed by a few days on Zanzibar organised by a wonderfully helpful company based in Tanzania called Duma Explorer, this is run by an American woman and her Tanzanian husband, they were able to tailor things to our exact needs and were excellent (I have no association with them other than as a very satisfied customer). As a male I would suggest that Stone Town (the capital of Zanzibar) might not be totally suitable for a single female traveller unless she were practised in fending off persistent street hawkers and the like but there are many other beautiful areas on the island to stay with possibly guided visits to the capital. I would strongly advise you to contact someone such as Duma for their 'on the ground' experience and advice. We shall most certainly be going back!

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Many thanks KARL & Fitzer,

Just the info I needed.

Jersey, C.I.

[jno]

I went with these people

http://www.theobaldbarber.com/

Some days in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater (for safari animals) plus a couple of days in a resort hotel in Zanzibar, plus one night in a Stone Town hotel, which wasn't really too hassly.

There are lots of little one-man-and-a-dog operations who can book African safari trips for you; it's not like the Spanish resorts dominated by mass tourism.

[Chris-8]

hello,try http://www.sunbreak-travels.com/ -they took us on a 15 day safari trip feauring Tanzania & Zanzbibar.It was truly Amazing. Znz it's an island of great beauty and interest.
Chris & Jo