Vehicle rental Stone Town

Here's one of the most important new players in car rental in Zanzibar. It's easy to drive on the island, where distances are relatively short. All you need is a local driver's license, which the rental agency can obtain for you in advance by simply sending a photo of your license, and which costs US$10. The small, inexpensive 4×4s are well-maintained and sufficient for getting around, and really more economical than cab transfers. Practical freedom, provided you drive on the left and watch out for dalas dalas and other drivers.

Car hire is becoming increasingly popular in Zanzibar, even if driving is not always easy. Renting a scooter - especially for those who already know how to drive one - is a good, inexpensive way of getting around over short distances. We advise you to have the scooter delivered directly to your hotel, rather than taking the road from Stone Town (very busy and chaotic, whatever your village on the island), as the villages only have dirt roads.

This small local company rents bicycles by the day or by the week (handy for getting around the area around your hotel). The bikes (blue) are recent and perfectly maintained, which is very pleasant. Blue Bikes offers interesting guided tours, either by the day (urban, architecture, spice farm...) or over several days: south (Stone Town, Chwaka Bay, Kizimkazi Makundunchi) or north of the island of Zanzibar (from Stone Town to Nungwi), from north to south of Pemba, and even on the Tanzanian coast from Tanga to Bagamoyo. An interesting initiative.

East African Motorcycles is a local agency offering an original outing: a motorcycle ride in Zanzibar, either as a guided tour of 1 to 4 days around the main island of Unguja, or as a simple motorcycle rental. Modern scooters, Vespa scooters (very practical for getting around Stone Town), motocross or retro motorcycles, sidecars - the models are numerous, and the bikes are well-maintained and very safe. The agency also rents motorcycles in mainland Tanzania (Lake Eyasi, Usambara Mountains, Lake Natron...). An original way for motorcycle enthusiasts to discover the country.

Zamani Bikes rents out classic or stylish, retro or recent Royal Enfield motorcycles, which can easily make their way along Zanzibar's village roads. They and their sidecars can be hired for guided tours. The small roads are ideal, as traffic is moderate and the scenery through banana plantations and mango groves is incredible. The mechanics check the bikes scrupulously to ensure their safety. Zamani Bikes also rents motorcycles on the Tanzanian mainland.