The Matlai Journal
Travel Guide
Planning a trip to Zanzibar means choosing when to go, how to get there and what to do once you arrive. The guides in this category help you work through those decisions for the southeast coast, with practical information on the island, the beaches, the transfers and the places worth visiting. Start with a story below, and use the Zanzibar travel guide for a complete overview.
19 stories in this category — browse all 27 posts, or start with the Zanzibar travel guide.
Zanzibar Airport Lounge & VIP Arrival Guide
The honest transfer time to Michamvi Pingwe (1h15–1h30, not 45 minutes), what's actually at ZNZ's Terminal 3, and the two things that…
Zanzibar in June & July: The Honest Weather Guide
June and July sit inside Zanzibar's dry, breezy Kusi season — the busiest months at Matlai, and a genuinely good time to visit the east…
North Coast or East Coast? How to Choose Your Side of Zanzibar
Nungwi and Kendwa, or Paje, Matemwe and Michamvi? The honest differences between Zanzibar's north tip and its east coast — tides, sunset…
Sauti za Busara: Zanzibar's Annual Music Festival
What Sauti za Busara is, how it has changed over the years, and how to combine an evening at the festival in Stone Town with a quiet stay…
Why March & April Are Zanzibar's Best-Kept Secret
The honest case for Zanzibar's two quietest months: what the rain actually does, what it costs, who it suits, and who should book June to…
Escape the Autumn Fade: Discover the Everlasting Green of Zanzibar
Zanzibar doesn't have an autumn — the island stays green all year. A tour of the trees you'll actually see in the garden at Boutique Hotel…
Discover Zanzibar Like a Local: Culture, Daily Life and Authentic Experiences
Greetings, "pole pole," daily amenities, getting around by dala dala, and how politics, education and sport actually work on the island — a…
What You See Underwater: Marine Life Off Zanzibar's East Coast
What to expect snorkelling and diving off Zanzibar's southeast coast: the marine life near Matlai, an honest take on the Kizimkazi dolphin…
Ramadan and Eid in Zanzibar: Faith, Community and a Stay at Matlai
How Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr shape daily life in Zanzibar — the fast, iftar, Taraweeh prayers and Stone Town's night markets — and what a…
Christmas and New Year in Zanzibar
How Christmas and New Year are celebrated across Zanzibar, and what the holidays actually look like at Boutique Hotel Matlai.
Zanzibar Travel Insurance: ZIC and NIC Rules
One mandatory insurance, for where you land first: ZIC on Zanzibar, NIC on the mainland since 1 October 2026. Prices, cover and where to…
Public Holidays in Zanzibar
Public holidays are an important part of a country's history. The public holidays in Zanzibar and Tanzania do not differ. This also means…
Discovering Zanzibar: Unique Souvenirs to Bring Home
An honest shopping guide to Zanzibar's best souvenirs — carved wood, kangas and kitenges, spice blends, vikapu baskets, Tinga Tinga…
Zanzibar: The Spice Island
Where Zanzibar's spices actually came from, the history behind the trade, and a spice-by-spice look at clove, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg…
Exploring Zanzibar's Culinary Traditions: A Journey into Typical Food Habits
What a typical day of eating looks like in Zanzibar — breakfast staples like Ugali, Cassava, Chapati and Vitumbua, street food classics…
Zanzibar's Tropical Fruits, Season by Season
What actually grows in Zanzibar, fruit by fruit: Swahili names, real seasons, and where each one turns up at Matlai — the breakfast tray, a…
Swahili: Not Just a Language
Swahili on Zanzibar carries more history than a simple greeting suggests — from "Jambo Bwana" and Disney's "Hakuna Matata" to Julius…
Journey Into Tradition: Exploring the Riches of Swahili Weddings
The customs behind a Swahili wedding in Zanzibar: the proposal and dowry, the pre-wedding bridal scrub, henna, the nikah ceremony, the…
Celebrating Culture: Festivals and Celebrations in Zanzibar
Zanzibar's cultural calendar: Sauti za Busara in February or March, Mwaka Kogwa's Persian-rooted New Year ritual in July, the Zanzibar…