If you are on a budget in Zanzibar, or hope to experience local life, or plan to stay here longer, try to find some seafood in the local fish market. Most beachside villa/airbnb rental offers grill equipment, seafood BBQ is always the best meal.
Also it’s the quickest way to get your dinner ready. In most local restaurants you often have to wait more than an hour for food. Plus self-chozen seafood from the daily catch is also the most fresh.
The fish market on the map near Matemwe (probably many other parts of the island) isn’t really a market that I’m used to. It’s basically just some fishermen gathering together and trade their catch of the day with locals. Go there at around 2-3pm you have the best chance to meet fishermen who just return from their fishing trip.
If you can speak a bit of Swahili, it helps to get a good price, otherwise maybe ask someone you know to help. Staff from the villa I’m stayinv are super nice, thanks to his guide, I got fish and octopus.
Red snappers for €14
Locals girls showing us the shells they picked while the staff of airbnb rental helping cleaning the fish (super friendly guy)
€14 for all these 🐙
Beat the head to make the meat tender
My cooking! (thanks to the huge grills provided by the airbnb rental)
