What budget for activities and outings Zanzibar Archipelago?

Museums don't cost much, but sea trips are quite expensive. Try to form a group to negotiate a price for the whole boat with the fishermen directly.

Day safari charters from Zanzibar to the mainland (charters exist for Saadani, Mikumi, Ruaha, Serengeti and Selous national parks) can be booked locally. Last-minute promotions are always available. It's best to arrange this at the start of your trip, so you have some leeway on dates and can negotiate prices.

For kitesurfing in Zanzibar. If you want to try kitesurfing, take a multi-day package, including lessons + equipment (or even accommodation for some hotels with clubs). It's much cheaper than trying it one day at a time. In Pajé and Jambiani, the smaller clubs are cheaper than the bigger ones, so if you're on a tight budget, negotiate! In Zanzibar, everything is negotiable.

The Masai Mara and Kendwa Rocks organise electro-boat trips, where the sound is laid on a sandbank, which only scares the fish away! A good plan to party.

What budget to eat Zanzibar Archipelago?

Local restaurants have long existed in Stone Town (Lukmaan and Mashallah are the best), and have multiplied along the coast. The best way to devour grilled lobster and slipper lobster, at a better price than in stuffy hotel restaurants. Today, freshness is flawless (unlike a few years ago), and these new addresses have their produce delivered directly by their fisherman friends in the village. The cuisine is authentic, full of flavors and spices, the plates gargantuan and the prices rock-bottom.

Many fishermen offer sandbar outings all around Unguja (Nakumpenda in Stone Town, next to Mnemba, Safari Blue), as well as in Mafia (towards Chole Island) and Pemba (on Missali), including a seafood barbecue on the beach. Here again, prices are negotiable directly with the fishermen, and the more you go, the better the deal. You're guaranteed a wonderful Zanzibar picnic day.

What is the budget for accommodation Zanzibar Archipelago?

There are a growing number of excellent, more affordable addresses opening up in Zanzibar (Pemba and Mafia remain confidential islands, reserved for wealthy divers), particularly in Stone Town, Nungwi, Jambiani, Pajé and Michamvi, but it's fair to say that they can now be found all along the coast. In recent years, however, prices have risen to a minimum of US$60 for a double room with breakfast, and as low as US$40 with shared bathroom, but with spartan comfort. These are usually woven palm-leaf bandas on the sand. You'll also find plenty of well-designed, clean hostels in the same towns, again under vast bandas, or air-conditioned hard-standing hostels in Stone Town for US$25 a bed in a dormitory.

If you're staying on the coast, remember to book a hotel with a swimming pool, so that you can swim easily at low tide, if you can afford it. When the barrier reef rears its ugly head, there are only "swimming channels", but you have to walk a long way down the beach to reach them. At Kendwa and Nungwi, there is no barrier reef, only sand, and you can swim at low or high tide.

Travel budget Zanzibar Archipelago and cost of living

A small bottle of water: 500 to 1,000 TSH.

A beer: 3,000 to 5,000 TSH.

A dish in a local restaurant: from 10,000 TSH.

One meal in an international restaurant: from 20,000 TSH.

One night in a hostel or guest house for 2 people: US$30-50 (with private bathroom), including breakfast. In a dormitory, between US$12 and US$20, again with breakfast.

One night in a mid-range hotel with swimming pool: between US$65 and US$120, including hearty buffet breakfast.

One night in a resort, boutique hotel or luxury hotel: from US$150 to US$400, with all services, sometimes half board, full board or all inclusive.

Gratuities included. Prices are inclusive of VAT and service in restaurants, but don't forget to tip: a 5,000 TSH bill is only €1.87, salaries are not high in Zanzibar, and thanks to the very advantageous euro/dollar exchange rate and the Tanzanian shilling indexed to the dollar, you'll eat like a pope for a reasonable price.

Shopping. In souvenir stores, prices are rarely indicated, and sometimes they are special mzungu ("White" in Kiswahili) rates. So, for any item, the price is often doubled or even tripled. But this is not a general rule. In any case, everyone has to make a living... The Memories store in Stone Town has reasonable prices, giving you an idea of the prices of items sold everywhere else. It's up to you to negotiate equal or lower prices with the vendors in the small stores... Taxis are negotiated at around 30-50% of the official price in the mid to low season, particularly with those parked in Stone Town who wait all day for customers and if you're making the round trip. At the airport, it's more complicated: official prices are fixed.