Author

Tim Hennig

Founder & Editor

Lives on Zanzibar’s east coast year-round · General Manager, Boutique-Hotel Matlai

Runs Boutique-Hotel Matlai · Michamvi Pingwe, Zanzibar

Tim Hennig runs Boutique-Hotel Matlai in Michamvi Pingwe and has lived on Zanzibar’s east coast year-round since [VERIFY year]. He started WildToSea to share first-hand, honest guidance on Tanzania and Zanzibar — the kind you only get from someone who is actually here.

Find Tim: hotelmatlai.com · instagram.com/wildtosea · pinterest.com/wildtosea

Guides by Tim

ZanzibarZanzibar: When to Go (Seasons, Wind, Rains)When to visit Zanzibar: cooler dry Kusi (Jun-Oct), hot Kaskazi (Dec-Feb), the two rains, plus first-hand wind notes for beach, kite and diving.Read →Getting aroundZanzibar Taxis and Transfers: Fares and TipsHow Zanzibar taxis really work: no meters, agree the price first, plus rough airport fares to Stone Town and the east coast and when a hotel transfer wins.Read →ZanzibarStone Town, Zanzibar: A Practical GuideHow to spend half a day to a day in Stone Town: UNESCO alleys, Forodhani night market, the old slave market, and where it fits a Zanzibar trip.Read →Zanzibar activitiesZanzibar Spice Tour: Honest Guide & What to ExpectWhat a Zanzibar spice tour actually is, what you taste and smell, half-day timings, rough prices, and how to pick a good one without the tourist traps.Read →East coast activitiesKitesurfing in Zanzibar: The Honest Wind GuideWhen to kite Zanzibar, why Paje is the hub, how the low-tide lagoon works, and the real difference between learning and riding here. From the east coast.Read →HoneymoonZanzibar Honeymoon: A Resident's Real GuideWhich Zanzibar coast for seclusion vs swimmable water, tide logic, best months, boutique stays and beach-dinner reality, from a hotelier who lives here.Read →Zanzibar · PracticalZanzibar Entry Requirements 2026: Visa, Insurance & ArrivalCurrent Zanzibar entry requirements — tourist visa (USD 50), mandatory travel insurance (USD 44), passport validity, and what actually happens at the airport. Kept up to date by a resident.Read →Zanzibar divingDiving in Zanzibar: Honest Guide to the Best SitesWhere to dive in Zanzibar, when visibility peaks, what you actually see, certification options and a rough two-tank price, from someone who lives on the east coast.Read →ZanzibarBest Things to Do in ZanzibarA local hotelier's pick of the best things to do in Zanzibar: Stone Town, Mnemba snorkel, Safari Blue, Jozani, spice farm, kitesurf and a honest skip-this note.Read →Zanzibar beachesBest Beaches in Zanzibar, Compared by CoastAn honest, coast-by-coast guide to Zanzibar's best beaches: Nungwi and Kendwa for swimming, Paje for kite, plus the tide truth on the east coast.Read →Zanzibar · East CoastWhy the East Coast of Zanzibar (and the Truth About the Tides)An honest guide to Zanzibar's east coast — Paje, Jambiani, Michamvi Pingwe — versus the busy north, plus how the tides really work and why low tide is an opportunity, not a problem.Read →Tanzania planningBest Time to Visit Tanzania: Month-by-MonthWhen to visit Tanzania: dry June-October for game viewing, green-season value Mar-May, plus migration timing and a clear month-by-month weather guide.Read →Tanzania practicalTipping in Tanzania: Safari, Camp & KilimanjaroHow much to tip in Tanzania: driver-guides, camp staff and Kilimanjaro porters, with per-day USD ranges, when to hand it over and which currency to carry.Read →Northern CircuitTarangire National Park: Elephants, Baobabs & When to GoTarangire guide from a Zanzibar-based hotelier: dry-season elephant concentrations, baobab country, why it beats Serengeti for value, and how to slot it into the northern circuit.Read →TanzaniaSerengeti National Park: A Complete GuidePlan the Serengeti properly: ecosystem zones, where the migration sits month by month, how many days you need, camp types and how to get in and around.Read →Tanzania safari costsTanzania Park Fees Explained (2026 Guide)How Tanzania safari park fees actually work: per-park, per-24-hour rates for Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire, plus why your safari costs what it does.Read →Northern TanzaniaNgorongoro Crater: The Honest GuideHow to do Ngorongoro Crater well: one night, a 6am descent, black rhino odds, crater-floor rules, costs, and how it pairs with the Serengeti.Read →Practical TanzaniaTanzania Money: Cash, Cards & Daily CostsHow money works in Tanzania: when to use TZS vs USD, where cards and ATMs work, daily budgets, safari price bands and how much cash to actually carry.Read →Family travelTanzania Family Safari: Honest Planning GuidePlan a Tanzania family safari with confidence: best parks for kids, lodge age rules, private vehicles, malaria reality, and realistic drive times by age.Read →Tanzania practicalTanzania Entry Requirements: Visa, Passport, RulesTanzania visa, passport validity, eVisa vs visa-on-arrival, yellow-fever rule and Zanzibar insurance, explained plainly so you clear immigration without stress.Read →Tanzania safariBest National Parks in Tanzania, RankedTanzania's six best national parks ranked, with who each suits: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Ruaha, Nyerere and Lake Manyara compared honestly.Read →Shop · GearSafari Packing List: What to Actually BringA first-hand safari packing list for Tanzania and Kenya — what gets used on a real game drive, what to leave home, and the few things worth spending on.Read →Tanzania · SerengetiGreat Migration Calendar: Where the Herds Are, Month by MonthA month-by-month guide to the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti — river crossings, calving, and exactly where to be when, so you book the right camp at the right time.Read →Plan your tripTanzania + Zanzibar: 10-Day ItineraryA day-by-day 10-day Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary: northern circuit safari, fly to the coast, then 4-5 nights on Zanzibar east coast. Real timings, costs.Read →Zanzibar · PracticalGetting to Zanzibar: Flights, Ferry & Transfers (2026)How to get to Zanzibar — direct flights, connecting via Dar es Salaam or Nairobi, the ferry, and realistic airport-to-hotel transfer times, including the safari-to-beach connection.Read →Safari planningSerengeti vs Masai Mara: Honest ComparisonSerengeti vs Masai Mara compared by size, river-crossing timing, crowds and cost, with a clear verdict on when to pick which, plus how to do both.Read →Zanzibar safetyIs Zanzibar Safe? An Honest Local AnswerIs Zanzibar safe? A resident hotelier on petty theft, solo-female travel, dress codes, Ramadan, road and sea risks, and the scams to ignore in 2026.Read →