star55

Hi y'all,

Trying to pull together a safari for early next year and am thinking of spending a couple of days in Zanzibar. What's your advice on 'best' way to travel from Arusha, where my safari ends, to Stone Town? I've read my guidebook, but would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks!

Leely2

Fly.

To elaborate: If you have more time than money, take a bus and then the ferry. But if you have more money than time, fly. It's an easy flight, no hassle, and I think the bus takes about 12 hours and then you'd need to take the ferry.

Here's the Scandinavia bus link:
http://www.scandinaviagroup.com/Scan...dararusha.html

star55

Hi Leely,

Can one fly direct from Arusha to Stone Town? I'm unclear on this as it looks like the flights are from Dar to Stone Town.

LEANNA

We flew from Arusha to Stone Town and then from StoneTown to Nairobi It was easy to do and fun as the airports are small and a different type of experience

Zanzi is def worth seeing.....I loved it!

Leely2

Like Leanna I remember flying non-stop from Arusha to Zanzibar. Then I flew back to Nairobi and I know we stopped in Dar and de-planed on the way to NBO.

Sandi, who posts on this board, will know the latest.

Are you looking at flights from Arusha (ARK) or Kilimanjaro (JRO)? That could make a difference.

Zambezi

I just checked the schedule of Precision Air. It has direct flights from Arusha (JRO airport; there are shuttles from town) to Zanzibar Wednesdays through Sundays at 1:00 p.m., arriving at 2:20 p.m. There must be other airlines that fly that route, too, because, several years ago, flying from Kampala to Zanzibar, our plane stopped at JRO. Zanzibar has a big new airport and you can grab a taxi for the ride into Stone Town. ZZ

sandi

If your safari concludes at Arusha/ARK airport you can get a connecting flight to ZNZ. Believe there's a flight at 1pm and another around 3pm (maybe even another around 5pm). Incoming flights arrive at ARK around 12N-12:30pm, thus the 1pm would be best, if seats available. Flight time is 1.15/hrs. Stone Town is a 10/min drive from the ZNZ airport.

Have your outfitter handling the safari arrange the flight, meet/greet and transfer to your ST hotel, even arrange for your ST hotel and return transfer to ZNZ airport for day of departure.

Then, depending on from where your homebound flight departs - JRO, DAR or NBO, there are regular flights to each out of ZNZ.

If budget an issue, as Leely mentions there is the bus, but figure an 8/hr drive, then once in DAR having to get to the ferry terminal and at least 2/hrs across the open waters of the Indian Ocean. This option though eats up a day of your holiday. Your choice.

pepnjak

I was advised by a friend that works in Arusha to take a flight...the buses don't always stop for breaks! We are flying from Arusha to Stone Town. I called a local agent and paid $50 to book the flight. I didn't want to post my credit card on a site and I have my paper tickets packed and ready to go,no hassels when I get there.There were other airlines but I had difficulty getting any response from the other carriers.