Top Useful Tips Need to Know before Drive in Zanzibar

How can I get a Zanzibar driver's license?

Most automobile rental firms will prepare and provide your driver's license on your behalf. The only requirement is to provide your passport and driver's license from your native country.

You may acquire your driver's license when picking up your rental vehicle if you make your reservation and provide a copy of these papers ahead of time.

The cost of a driver's license is $10. If you rent for more than a couple of days, the hiring firm may prepare it for free as a courtesy.

To drive in Zanzibar, you will need to have your driving permit, your original driving license from your home country, and your passport.

Zanzibar's checkpoints, corruption, and bribery

We were terrified of traffic police roadblocks and bribes since corruption was rampant in southern African nations. Even though Zanzibar's authorities are efficient in combating bribery, I heard that there are still some corrupt cups, particularly in Stone Town.

Despite being confronted with hundreds of checkpoints, we were only stopped two times throughout our travel. All of the cops were kind and polite to us, and they verified the driver's license at one point and merely spoke at another.

However, becoming ready for corruption might be beneficial. A corrupt cup may pull over your automobile, claim that anything is wrong with it according to traffic laws, and beg that your money not be used to penalize you.

In Zanzibar, how can you avoid bribery?

To prevent bribes, locals have urged us to do the following:

• Carry your Zanzibar driver's license and permit with you at all times.

• Seatbelts must be worn at all times.

These are the main things traffic cops look for when they stop tourists. If you are sure, you will follow these guidelines, refuse any penalty, and pay the bribe. If the cup persists in punishing you or threatens you, get his ID number and call your rental business as well.

In addition to the requirements listed above, if you want to rent a scooter or motorcycle, you should be aware of the following:

Helmets must be worn at all times.

Local motorbikes on the beach may lead you to believe that riding a motorcycle or scooter on the beach is OK, but it is not.

Zanzibar's Traffic and Road Conditions

The most important thing to remember when renting a vehicle in Zanzibar is to drive on the left. Think carefully before renting a car in Zanzibar if you're not accustomed to driving on the left or have never tried. But why is that?

Locals, particularly Dala conductors, drive too quickly along those winding rural roads. Approaching the leftmost side to avoid insane drivers puts you in danger of slipping over the road's edge.

The roads are in poor condition, with several potholes on side streets. You'll probably have to travel up a tiny rural road to get to your accommodation.

Even though many residents drive dangerously fast, many roads have a 50 km/h speed limit. As a consequence, traveling between prominent places takes around 1,5 hours.

Road signs and traffic signals are not present.

You may come across automobiles signaling right on a straight route, and it's not a lane change or turning signal. On the island, vehicles must signal their right to alert the following motorist of an approaching vehicle. In other words, if there is a car behind you and you notice an oncoming vehicle, indicate right.

Because there are no streetlights, everything becomes pitch dark after sundown. Furthermore, you may come across stray dogs, individuals walking in the center of the road without a flashlight, or cyclists swinging about.