Colors of Zanzibar
Colors of Zanzibar
4.5
Cultural ToursHistorical & Heritage ToursWalking ToursNature & Wildlife ToursDay Trips
Full view
About
Colors of Zanzibar is a sustainable tour operator with a Travelife sustainability certificate. We want to bring the locals and travellers together. We support local communities by facilitating economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar Experiences
Colors of Zanzibar
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravellers talk about
(10 reviews)
(12 reviews)
(3 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
118 reviews
Excellent
95
Very good
17
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Kim G
Toronto, Canada1,362 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
First I must commend the work of Aziza and how professional, knowledgeable and personable she is. It was a treat being with her for our three tours in Zanzibar. And she is an incredible asset to this company.
We had booked three tours months in advance and were very disappointed when upon arrival at the airport there was no one there to pick us up. After many, many phone calls in which no one answered, we finally reached someone after an hour of waiting. It turns out they forgot we had an airport pick-up and tour scheduled that day. We were finally picked up a 1 and 3/4 hours late. It was not a good start to the experience. The driver that eventually picked us up was not in a very good mood, no apology or explanation of what was happening and we silently sat in the back of the van while he drove us to Stone Town.
However, things were only improved when we met Aziza in Stone Town. She gave us an excellent tour of the area but when it was time to go to Prison Island the driver was somewhere else so I was unable to get my motion sickness medication from the vehicle which meant that portion of the tour had to be rescheduled. We proceeded to the Spice Plantation and enjoyed the tour there. The people were lovely and welcoming - lunch was not really great as the cook was not there that day so we had leftovers that were not very appealing. We were then transferred to our hotel without incident.
Our next tour was to Nakupenda. They were on time, and we made it to Stone Town to meet our boat and visit the sandbank and Prison Island. The captain of the boat and chef were lively young men and provided us with a tasty lunch and a wonderful experience. We did have an issue with the snorkeling equipment - wrong size fins for my husband and my snorkel was leaking so much I couldn't use it. Regardless it was a very good day.
Lastly, we had a tour of Jozani forest. There were initially issues along the road - the office told us rain but the driver advised a flat tire - so we were late leaving but had a good tour in the forest seeing the monkeys and mangrove forests. Very informative. Our tour was also to include lunch but that didn't happen either - again no communication from the company. We were dropped off at the airport in plenty of time for our flight.
Overall our tours were good - Aziza made them excellent (hence the 4 stars). Organization and communication from Colors of Zanzibar was initially very good during the planning phases (months in advance) but while in destination was not good and could use some major improvement.
We had booked three tours months in advance and were very disappointed when upon arrival at the airport there was no one there to pick us up. After many, many phone calls in which no one answered, we finally reached someone after an hour of waiting. It turns out they forgot we had an airport pick-up and tour scheduled that day. We were finally picked up a 1 and 3/4 hours late. It was not a good start to the experience. The driver that eventually picked us up was not in a very good mood, no apology or explanation of what was happening and we silently sat in the back of the van while he drove us to Stone Town.
However, things were only improved when we met Aziza in Stone Town. She gave us an excellent tour of the area but when it was time to go to Prison Island the driver was somewhere else so I was unable to get my motion sickness medication from the vehicle which meant that portion of the tour had to be rescheduled. We proceeded to the Spice Plantation and enjoyed the tour there. The people were lovely and welcoming - lunch was not really great as the cook was not there that day so we had leftovers that were not very appealing. We were then transferred to our hotel without incident.
Our next tour was to Nakupenda. They were on time, and we made it to Stone Town to meet our boat and visit the sandbank and Prison Island. The captain of the boat and chef were lively young men and provided us with a tasty lunch and a wonderful experience. We did have an issue with the snorkeling equipment - wrong size fins for my husband and my snorkel was leaking so much I couldn't use it. Regardless it was a very good day.
Lastly, we had a tour of Jozani forest. There were initially issues along the road - the office told us rain but the driver advised a flat tire - so we were late leaving but had a good tour in the forest seeing the monkeys and mangrove forests. Very informative. Our tour was also to include lunch but that didn't happen either - again no communication from the company. We were dropped off at the airport in plenty of time for our flight.
Overall our tours were good - Aziza made them excellent (hence the 4 stars). Organization and communication from Colors of Zanzibar was initially very good during the planning phases (months in advance) but while in destination was not good and could use some major improvement.
Written 18 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moussa S
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
First of all special thanks to Asmaa for the amazing job done to make this happen the way I wanted it. Stayed in Paje, Stone town and Kendwa. Everything was well planned and executed from taking over referral visas, pick up to the airport, day tours, transfers to drop off 5/5.
I fully recommend Colors of Zanzibar services, proactive and very listening staff (Asmaa, Sohaili) Aziza the best guide and Zumba the driver.
I fully recommend Colors of Zanzibar services, proactive and very listening staff (Asmaa, Sohaili) Aziza the best guide and Zumba the driver.
Written 7 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristina I
7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
We did a walking tour of Stonetown with Aziza. It was really good. She is very knowledgeable. Also very kind, as my husband has mobility issues. She explained the history of Zanzibar and Stonetown. She checked what we wanted to see and facilitated us buying some purchases. Aziza’s English is very good. She is a lovely young woman and I whole heartedly recommend her.
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Magdalena
Linz, Austria28 contributions
Jan 2023
I cannot stress enough how highly I recommend Colors of Zanzibar. We had a wonderful experience with them, and our guide Aziza was friendly and knowledgeable.
We did two tours with them:
The Zesty Zanzibar tour, where we had an amazing time cooking with mama Sofia and then visiting a spice farm. Everyone was very friendly and answering all our questions. In the spice farm we had a traditional lunch including what we cooked before and freshly picked up fruit from the farm. The transport was comfortable and the driver was good.
The next day we did a tour to Prison Island. We went with a traditional boat to the island, visited the tortoise sanctuary and the former luxury hotel and after that we did some snorkel in the coral reef.
I can just say that I wish we had more time to do some of their other cultural tours. They make a big effort to offer something different and authentic. Also, it is a plus for me that they support women’s livelihoods, as this is something very close to my heart.
We did two tours with them:
The Zesty Zanzibar tour, where we had an amazing time cooking with mama Sofia and then visiting a spice farm. Everyone was very friendly and answering all our questions. In the spice farm we had a traditional lunch including what we cooked before and freshly picked up fruit from the farm. The transport was comfortable and the driver was good.
The next day we did a tour to Prison Island. We went with a traditional boat to the island, visited the tortoise sanctuary and the former luxury hotel and after that we did some snorkel in the coral reef.
I can just say that I wish we had more time to do some of their other cultural tours. They make a big effort to offer something different and authentic. Also, it is a plus for me that they support women’s livelihoods, as this is something very close to my heart.
Written 19 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martine O
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Friends
First of all, not very nice that they forgot that we had booked a tour but nice that they rearanged later same day
Our tour guide Aziza was very kind! She showed us the food in Stone Town from a different perspective!
Our tour guide Aziza was very kind! She showed us the food in Stone Town from a different perspective!
Written 5 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sofie Thestrup R
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Friends
We were on a tour with a lovely guide, Azazi, who was very kind showing us around Stone Town. It was a very Nice tour, where she anseeelse all of our many questions, gave us a lot of knowledge about the history of Stone Town and Zanzibar. We were also out on a food tour where she showed us some of the local food. It was a very nice tour!!
Written 5 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kyle A
4 contributions
Jan 2023 • Friends
An amazing time with an amazing guide, Fatma did not disappoint. We were entirely immersed in the culture and life of Zanzibar during our time with Fatma, who answered every question we had, and led us to the most beautiful places rich with history and story.
Written 14 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bergen F
11 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Where do we start! Fatma was hands-down the best tour guide during our time in Stone Town. She’s an extremely knowledgeable and thoughtful person. We would’ve never learned of the complex history of the area if it weren’t for her. It felt like we were being shown around by a good friend! We will miss the many laughs and good times we had with her and will without a doubt ask for her during our next trip to Stone Town.
Fatma took us on a walking tour of Stone Town, on an excursion to a stunning island and led us on a tour of a local spice farm. All of which were very enriching and life-changing experiences for us.
Look no further! Colors of Zanzibar is an amazing travel company with skilled guides that will make you feel safe, cared for and a whole lot smarter than when you arrived. Ask for Fatma, she’s awesome!
Fatma took us on a walking tour of Stone Town, on an excursion to a stunning island and led us on a tour of a local spice farm. All of which were very enriching and life-changing experiences for us.
Look no further! Colors of Zanzibar is an amazing travel company with skilled guides that will make you feel safe, cared for and a whole lot smarter than when you arrived. Ask for Fatma, she’s awesome!
Written 14 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor
4 contributions
Jan 2023
We had such a lovely time learning about Zanzibar's history! Our guide, Fatma, took us through the town showing us historical sites, as well as to local shops. I was especially interested in learnings about the East African slave trade, since in the U.S. we only really learn about the West African slave trade.
Fatma took us to Prisoner Island (which was beautiful!) and gave us a walking tour. We were able to see the tortoises, with the oldest being 197 years old. She also came along with us to the spice farm, and did a great job making it interactive having us guess which plants created which spices. We had delicious food while there as well.
I would highly recommend using Colors of Zanzibar to learn more about the rich culture and see all of the best sites Stonetown (and nearby) have to offer.
Fatma took us to Prisoner Island (which was beautiful!) and gave us a walking tour. We were able to see the tortoises, with the oldest being 197 years old. She also came along with us to the spice farm, and did a great job making it interactive having us guess which plants created which spices. We had delicious food while there as well.
I would highly recommend using Colors of Zanzibar to learn more about the rich culture and see all of the best sites Stonetown (and nearby) have to offer.
Written 11 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dóra Szili
2 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
We had a wonderful tour to Josani Forest, Butterfly farm and spice farm with Aziza. She was very talented, gave us a lots of information and very kind. We had a great time! I offer this tour for everyone visiting Zanzibár! 😍
Written 6 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience