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Zanzibar Culture & Etiquette
The short answer
Four small habits, and you travel here well.
Zanzibar is an almost entirely Muslim society — about 99% — so a little awareness goes a long way. Away from the beach and hotels, cover your shoulders and knees; greet people before asking anything; give and receive with your right hand; and during Ramadan, eat and drink discreetly in public. Swahili is the language, English is widely understood, and tipping in small US-dollar notes is normal and appreciated.
| Religion | About 99% Muslim — modest dress & behaviour appreciated |
| Language | Swahili (Kiswahili); English widely spoken in tourism |
| Dress (villages & Stone Town) | Cover shoulders and knees away from the beach |
| Greetings | “Habari” / “Jambo”; give and receive with the right hand |
| Tipping | $1–2 bags/housekeeping · $5–10 full-day driver · ~10% restaurants |
| Tip currency | Small US-dollar notes preferred; Shillings fine |
| Ramadan | Dates move yearly; eat & drink discreetly in public |
| Last verified | August 2026 |
The rhythm
Religion and the shape of the day
Zanzibar is one of the easiest places in the world to travel respectfully, because the courtesies that matter here are simple and the welcome is genuine. The island is about 99% Muslim, and Islam shapes the daily rhythm — the call to prayer five times a day, a quieter pace on Fridays, fasting during Ramadan. None of it asks much of you as a visitor. Cover up away from the beach, ask before you photograph someone, use your right hand, and learn two or three words of Swahili. Here is what we tell our own guests before they head out from Michamvi.
Zanzibar is approximately 99% Muslim, and that is the single most useful thing to understand before you arrive. Islam is central to daily life: five prayer calls a day, the main Jumu'ah prayer around midday on Fridays, and a month of fasting during Ramadan. You are not expected to take part — only to be aware.
During Ramadan, which falls earlier each year, local staff may be fasting through daylight hours, and some village restaurants and shops cut their hours. The kitchen at Boutique Hotel Matlai runs as normal, so your meals are unaffected, but it is polite to eat and drink out of direct view of anyone who is fasting. The discretion is noticed, and appreciated. Our safety page makes the same point from the other side: Ramadan changes the hours, not the welcome.
Dress
What to wear in Zanzibar
The rule is simple: relaxed at the hotel, covered up everywhere else. At the hotel, swimwear at the pool and on the beach is completely fine, and most guests just add a light cover-up for dinner on the Zatiny terrace.
Away from the resort, cover your shoulders and knees. Swimwear is not worn in the villages, so walking through Michamvi village in a bikini causes real discomfort rather than just stares — lightweight linen or resort wear is right. Stone Town asks for a little more again: a sarong or shawl over shoulders and knees for women, and awareness near mosques for everyone. Men in shorts above the knee are not breaking any rule, but tend to feel more comfortable in something longer in town.
Three habits
Greetings, photos and the right hand
Three small habits cover almost all of Zanzibari etiquette: greet first, ask before you photograph, and use your right hand. Greetings come before business here — a simple "Habari" (how are you) or "Jambo" (hello), an "Asante" (thank you) and "Karibu" (welcome) carry you a long way, and even a few words of Swahili are met warmly. Going straight to a question without the greeting reads as abrupt.
Always ask before photographing people. Many Zanzibaris are glad to be photographed, but the consent matters, and mosques or prayer gatherings should not be photographed without clear permission. One more habit worth keeping: the left hand is considered unclean, so give, receive, eat and greet with your right hand.
Money
Tipping: who, how much, which currency
Tipping is appreciated but never obligatory, and small US-dollar notes are the easiest way to do it. As a rough guide: $1–2 for bags or daily housekeeping, $5–10 for a driver on a full-day trip, and around 10% in restaurants if service is not already included. At Matlai many guests prefer to tip the whole team together at checkout, which is common practice and shared fairly — appreciated, never expected, a few dollars where the service made the day.
US dollars are widely accepted and generally preferred, though Tanzanian Shillings are fine; you do not need Euros. Bring small bills — $1, $5 and $10 notes are far more useful than coins, which nobody can change. Two practical notes from our own till: we take Visa and Mastercard, or cash in US dollars and Tanzanian shillings; and the banks and bureaux here are strict about the condition of dollar notes, so bring notes from 2009 or newer, since older ones are often turned away. There is an ATM in Michamvi Pingwe itself, opposite the Karafuu Hotel, and several more twenty minutes south in Paje. The Tanzania money guide has the mainland version of all of this.
Everyday life
Seaweed, boats, food and history
Some of the most memorable parts of Zanzibar are simply everyday life. At low tide along the coast you will see women tending rows of seaweed (mwani) — one of the main sources of income in the coastal villages, and a livelihood that has made Zanzibar a significant global producer. It is striking to watch, and easy to photograph respectfully from a distance. The welcome soaps in your bathroom are bought directly from the Mwani women's seaweed cooperative, which is the same industry seen from the other end.
On the water, two traditional boats define the coast: the ngalawa, a slim outrigger canoe, and the larger dhow, a wooden sailing vessel — both still worked by local fishermen as well as used for excursions. The ngalawa is not a dhow; they are different boats, and locals will gently correct you.
Swahili food carries Arab, Indian, African and Portuguese influences — pilau rice, biryani, chapati, coconut fish curry, octopus curry. The best place to eat it is the Forodhani Gardens night market in Stone Town, and our own kitchen sources from village boats and island farms for the same reason. The island's past runs deep and difficult, too: Zanzibar was a hub of both the spice trade and the East African slave trade, and the Slave Market Memorial in Stone Town is a sobering, important visit. Zanzibar was a British Protectorate until 1963, then joined Tanganyika to form Tanzania in 1964.
Language
A little Swahili goes a long way
Swahili (Kiswahili) is the official language of Zanzibar and Tanzania, and the Zanzibar dialect, KiUnguja, is considered the standard form. English is spoken in hotels, restaurants and tourist areas, and Arabic in some communities. Our team at Matlai speaks English and Swahili, with some Arabic and other languages between them.
You do not need the language to travel here. But a handful of words — Habari, Asante, Karibu — change the temperature of every interaction, and people light up when a visitor tries. Pair that with the practicalities on the getting-around page and the paperwork on the entry requirements page, and you arrive as a guest rather than a tourist.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The questions guests ask before they walk out of the gate for the first time.
What should I wear in Zanzibar?
Relaxed at the hotel — swimwear is fine at the pool and beach. Away from the resort, cover shoulders and knees, and never wear swimwear in the villages. Stone Town asks for a little more: a sarong or shawl over shoulders and knees, and care near mosques.
What is it like to visit Zanzibar during Ramadan?
Ramadan falls earlier each year, so check the dates for your trip. Local staff may fast in daylight and some village shops cut hours, but the Matlai kitchen runs normally. Just eat and drink discreetly in public out of respect.
Is tipping expected in Zanzibar?
It is appreciated but not obligatory — roughly $1–2 for bags or housekeeping, $5–10 for a full-day driver, and about 10% in restaurants if not included. Small US-dollar notes are easiest.
Can I take photos of local people?
Yes, if you ask first. Many Zanzibaris are happy to be photographed, but consent matters, and you should avoid photographing mosques or prayer gatherings without permission.
Do I need to speak Swahili?
No — English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and tourist areas. But a few words like Habari (how are you), Asante (thank you) and Karibu (welcome) are warmly received.
Which currency should I bring for tips?
US dollars are preferred and widely accepted; Tanzanian Shillings are fine too. Bring small bills ($1, $5, $10) — coins are not useful. If you are bringing US dollar cash, bring notes from 2009 or newer, since older ones are often turned away.
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