Full transcript of “the dark side of Zanzibar nobody talks about! 🇹🇿”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:00 if you've ever heard of a place called Zanzibar then most probably the pictures in your head is this over water Villas honeymoon suites white sandy beaches and a dream destination for millions of tourists we chose to come to Zanzibar first of all because I believe it's one of the most beautiful places in the world millions of dollars are spent by this resort marketing only the luxury side of the island with influencers and celebrities to maintain its reputation but might that be what they want you to think what lies beyond the Instagram perfect pictures of the luxury Villas and the white sandy beaches what if I told you, there's another side to this paradise one that doesn't make it to the Instagram feed this is Zanzibar all of this this is Zanzibar this is also Zanzibar
0:46 this all of this still Zanzibar what differentiates this side from this side you should have seen this viral video on Instagram the only thing they really ever show is their hotel in the beach other than that Zanzibar it gives the trenches it's very much underdeveloped and I feel like I was tricked to be honest she looked like she was really enjoying Zanzibar by the way hahaha I have seen a lot of complaints from tourists saying the island did not meet up to the online hype so today we are pulling back the curtains to explore both sides of Zanzibar and reveal if there's truly a dark side to Zanzibar from the beginning of time Zanzibar's first visitors were not tourists they were Arab Persian
1:32 Indians and Portuguese traders trading spice but also one of the biggest slave trade market in East Africa here in Prison Island The island is called Prison Island it was erected in 1893 meant to be used as a prison it's an island located within Zanzibar as Tanzania opened up economically in the late 1980s adventurous travellers and backpackers began discovering Zanzibar and the name itself Zanzibar comes from two words the first word was zange and zange meant black and bar meant cost so it was basically the cost of the black people it has now gained popularity with tourists from Europe and with the rise of social media travel influencers and digital nomads flocked into Zanzibar boosting its status as Africa's Maldives
2:19 and like they say the rest is history Zanzibar is now marketed as a world class African tropical destination in 50 years over 2,000 new resorts and hotels have opened their doors to tourists offering over 10,000 bed spaces so it literally means every year since the year 2000 more than 25 acres of land is bought by a foreign hotel chain and turned into a resort but then you might think more resorts and more tourists means more money for the island right not exactly after my research I found out most of this establishment are owned by the big hotel chains A lot of upcoming- big chain hotels in Zanzibar like the Four Seasons, Marriott like Anantara that is also a project that's coming up So the money generated from tourists staying in this resort
3:07 does not really stay on the island and profits are flown out What is the future looking like for the locals? Would their land be taken away from them? and turned into resorts an expensive waterfront apartment the locals themselves can afford? like this project it is called Fumba Town and Fumba Uptown it was built to target foreigners as of right now we have the cheapest we start from $3 million asking price- yeah... to $12 million wow it's crazy guys at the moment this goes for 400,000 400,000 yeah OK On resale, yeah Now over to the main issue and our first dark secret Zanzibar is beautiful but the version you see online might be highly curated
3:53 the resorts bring in influencers like me to show you the luxury side of things yes I know I'm guilty of that but we the influencers will not show you the pothole filled roads that leads to those beachfront resorts our car got stuck because the road was actually not so good to go the Villas so sometimes it's actually a problem here at this side of Nungwi or Paje because there's a lot of stones on the land This is the side of Zanzibar you don't see. We're going to a very nice villa here and this is what the road looks like some of the times when you see the photos of those Villas they don't show you the road leading there if you've actually recorded all around here you can see it's all bush We'll never show you the side of Zanzibar we only show you the beach the most beautiful side of Zanzibar is the beach
4:40 that's true but we have to also show you what goes on behind the scenes too so this is it. Welcome to Zanzibar Habibi You're welcome to paradise What makes it a paradise here? This is a paradise Why is it a paradise here? As you can see here this is a paradise here But after driving through the bad roads you kind of like forget what you went through when you get to the accommodation I'm not even gonna lie, it is beautiful Open the room for me. Okay let's see what's inside you're welcome okay nice wow this is nice a lot of people have complained about getting catfished when they visited Zanzibar so I want to show you this video
5:25 this is Zanzibar so if you're like me and you really want to go to Zanzibar cause of what you've seen on social media then once you got there you was catfish, that's what Zanzibar is like literally if you go back and look at those people Zanzibar content the only thing they really ever show is their hotel and the beach because if we being honest that's the only thing pretty in Zanzibar is the beach and your hotel other than that, Zanzibar... it gives the trenches it's very much underdeveloped and so when I got off the plane and headed to my hotel I was so confused. I just feel like y'all content creators definitely catfish us about Zanzibar cause this is Zanzibar. This is Zanzibar
6:12 this is what you don't see on social media and I feel like I was tricked I feel like she is trying to bring western standards to Zanzibar she sounded American that means for example she came from the United States she's expecting the same level of maybe development in Zanzibar if she's trying to say that what they show you on- on social media is the beaches and the hotels but when you come to Zanzibar do you really go to these places that you see online or you choose to go to other places that you've never seen online and Zanzibar does have options for every single person so if you come here you pay 30 dollars you will get what you paid for and when you come here you pay 1500 dollars you will actually receive what you paid for
6:59 it's not like they were catfished but their budget was the problem just like any island destination in the world if you have money you are going to live like a king but if you don't you would experience a completely different island but at the moment the island has from a 40 dollar room to a $45,000 room so depends on which kind of luxury you are looking for I think Zanzibar has the whole variety. Yeah Catfish? I will say no With her, maybe the expectation was quite higher higher? -than what she was expecting it to be. yeah and that happens in all Africans She needs to understand that the culture here is different so the way of living is different The island of Zanzibar is filled with resorts
7:45 both high end resorts entry level and very low budget just like any other island destination so your experience lies in how much money you have and you're willing to spend let's pay a visit to a $1,500 per night resort and a $50 per night resort to prove a point This is what one of the luxury suite would get you here in Ycona. So I'm gonna give you guys a tour and then you're gonna tell me if truly this is catfishing you do have your own private walk entrance into the property 1,200 m² all by yourself and you can see we are covered by vegetation and greenery Guys take a look at this. This is what you have at the outdoor you have a lazy pool on here you can just lie down here and you have the proper pool
8:32 you can lounge here and relax You see? This is the side of Zanzibar that you're probably not going to see because it is top tier premium so when you step into the property you do have yourself a kitchen now this kitchen is fully equipped with everything that you need to prepare your own meal if you want to but then the question is why are you gonna stay in a property like this and have to get into the kitchen Aren't you on a vacation? So you can use one of their many restaurants actually but for the few people that even want a chef to come in here and make something for them can be arranged I guess and right here we do have the living room lots and lots of like look at the views man Are we in Miami? Are we in Ibiza?
9:19 Are we in Italy? Are we in Greece? I'm gonna show you the room there are two rooms here This property can sleep naturally four people but they said if you want more beds they can bring in more beds here they can bring in bed that can sleep an additional two people that's making it six Think about this six friends going on a vacation in Zanzibar paying around $1,500 in low season so 1,500 divide by 6 people for a night now do you think that is catfishing? So this is the accommodation I would be staying in I paid at around $50 for this for a night. So this is what the room looks like it's really small, budget friendly
10:04 and right here I have roaches on my leg that's how you know it's affordable there you go. This is a very small room you know a very small bed on here got a desk to do some work it's close to the beach this is the wardrobe right here and the bathroom and this is what the exterior looks like so they all have like these chalets on here and if I go this way I go directly to beach and this way you have the restaurants really quiet once again it's a low season so there are not so many people here the luxury side obviously offers premium and customized service privacy and exclusivity while the fifty dollar room is the direct opposite and I see no reason why someone would pay 50 dollars
10:52 in a tropical paradise like Zanzibar and complain when the budget itself is catfished it's just like buying a Honda Fit and asking for Rolls Royce features Come on! I even visited this resort here it's called Xanadu with 7,000 dollar Villas people staying here would never complain about being catfished So, you cannot expect paying maybe $50 and expect a 5,000 dollar service each place around the world not just in Zanzibar is unique in its own way and luxury can mean differently to every single person for some people luxury is simplicity for some people luxury is authenticity and for some people luxury is just a simple way of living Second dark secret all-inclusivity madness this is the experience you get staying in a luxury resort you'll be picked up in a luxury car with a tinted glass
11:39 most likely straight from the airport into the resort now from the moment you land the experience is designed to keep you inside a bubble now let me explain how this works I slept in a luxury resort owned by a foreign hotel chain they organised my breakfast lunch and dinner all for an inclusive price so I don't need to step my foot outside of the resort when I visited I went on excursions arranged by the hotel itself so what then happens is you spend your money inside of the resort and none of it reaches the local community it is called all inclusive but really it is all exclusive because it excludes the very people and culture that makes Zanzibar unique but the truth is the real Zanzibar is not found in those sponsored Instagram post
12:26 of the luxury resort and beaches it is found in the voices the streets the faces that most tourists never see you know we're just outside of our resort so usually most people are just gonna stay in the resort and they never get to go out so I I just wanna show you guys the local people so usually when most tourists come here they never get to experience like - life with the local people eat the local street food because most of these resorts would offer you all inclusive you know breakfast lunch dinner and in between so you are local you from here yes I'm from here do a lot of tourists come here No? No, they just passing around they never stop to talk to you? no no no hey man you know and that this is This is travel This is travelling Most people visit Zanzibar and never walk the streets
13:13 never talk to the locals most never taste the real local food or even dance to the local music or even understand the island's soul many tourists leave thinking they have experienced Zanzibar when in reality they only experienced the resort version of it it is not your fault you were actually tricked that is why today's video is sponsored by Lepole Dides a locally owned consultancy firm that helps foreigners set up businesses in Zanzibar Zanzibar draws a lot of attention the island gets over 1.8 million online searches every single month that's about 600,000 searches per week and it has welcomed almost 800,000 visitors just last year Zanzibar isn't just a stunning tourist destination it is an investment opportunity waiting to happen
13:59 with the influx of tourists and the growing global interest in Zanzibar Lepole Dides can guide you in every step of the way they would first help plan your investment trip to Zanzibar so you can explore opportunities first hand and secondly they would educate you about the island's investment potential and third they would assist in setting up your business on the island taking care of all the legalities and logistics whether you're dreaming of starting a boutique hotel launching a wellness brand or building up your real estate portfolio in Zanzibar Lepole Dides would make the process simple seamless and unforgettable they have the local insight and expertise to remove the guesswork so you can focus on making your dream project a reality check the description of this video for their contact information
14:45 and link to their website No. 3 dark secret the dollar over the shillings Zanzibar has its own currency the Tanzanian shillings but good luck trying to use it in many tourist zones I visited the famous restaurant on water for lunch and to my surprise everything was priced in US dollars if you come into Zanzibar you notice that um most of the things are actually priced in dollars while we have our own currency the reason is all these people that are coming in the country they're using dollars first of all and second the government to make it easy they did not um put a standard to control in this and saying that hey you need to actually change- your money to ours and actually use our money or use Shillings to actually purchase anything around here that's why the culture kind of grew of using dollars
15:31 because it was not really banned or it was not really controlled it's damaging our country I think it quietly reinforce a two-tier economy one for the tourists and one for the locals Dark secret No. 4 There is no fixed prices on things it's just your bargaining power in Zanzibar prices are often made up on the spot and it depends on how you look where you're from or how you negotiate so when you approach a vendor you would be likely asked Where are you from? That question is used to know the economic brackets to put you in if you're from America you're priced different if you're from China you'll be priced different a bottle of water can cost 50 cents or $3 depending on how rich they think you are it is not always scam I think it is survival but it erodes trust and leave many tourists feeling hustled instead of welcome
16:19 Dark secret 5 Security concerns especially for budget travellers I've seen several tweets of bad experiences from tourists when they visited Zanzibar and I'm gonna be honest with you if you're not staying in a luxury resort don't expect the best security some budget accommodation lack proper fencing staff training or emergency protocols if I'm being honest- Zanzibar depends on where you are first of all when it comes to safety there are some areas that are not so good but in every country I think it's the same or am I wrong? and there have been reports of break in petty theft and in rare cases violence so travelers on a budget deserve safety too but in Zanzibar it seems like security often comes with a price tag Another thing that people have- have as a concern when it comes to Zanzibar is they recently introduced a mandatory insurance
17:08 but uh people sometimes don't really understand what things can happen and this has mainly been put in place specifically for emergency reason and there has been cases that people come here with their own insurances from back home they come to Zanzibar they go to the hospitals but these insurance companies that they have from back home they want them to make the payment in the hospitals here and when they go back to get refunded and at the end of the day these individuals cannot do the payments for the kind of services they need here therefore the insurance is not just something introduced to get the money from the people but it's basically something to benefit those who are coming here for their own security at the end of the day Zanzibar is a paradise
17:54 and this video was meant to touch on some of the controversies around the island of Zanzibar the solution I would say is to change the way we experience Zanzibar support locally owned guest houses and boutique hotels not just the 5 star chains So your money can truly impact the locals Visit a place like Forodhani Garden and eat from the local food stores but I warn you here to be very careful because most of the food here aren't fresh and might upset your stomach so people coming here is difficult to know like if the food is from the day or not but there are some types of food that you are 100% sure that uh- it's from the day because they either cook it for you right away or just uh for example if I was to come here I would buy a chicken shawarma which is usually very fresh I would buy a Zanzibar pizza which is cooked right away
18:40 so you order and they make it for you and this I would say is also the No. 1 street food in Zanzibar but just in essence like these type of things are not usually the choices that uh tourists usually go for. So when the tourists come here they usually go for like the seafood stalls and things like this which usually I would say over 80 85% of locals would not buy like seafood from here This fresh, fresh one Yes Today meat? Yes Today? Yeah Really? Really? It's not actually fresh though like he's bring he's bringing it from like the paper so which means it was it's probably leftover Go on tours run by Zanzibaris themselves like Ally Jape buy from the street vendors not just the souvenir shops inside of your resort the real experiences waiting for you are the ones you would never see if you don't step outside of that hotel gate
19:27 go to the Taarab Music Night visit the Fisherman's Village walk the streets of Stone Town with a local guide like Ally Jape and learn about the history and uniqueness of the island and you're gonna leave with something deeper than a fancy room because when we travel with intention we don't just take pictures we make impact. I wanna invite you to join my travel newsletter if you want to discover hidden gems epic travel experience and smart travel tips from around the world I would constantly share exclusive travel guides and destination breakdown I would also share the behind the scenes stories from my global adventures also share insider tips of where to stay what to do how to save money and lastly an opportunity to travel with me on my next adventure
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