Wearing Shorts in Zanzibar – Here’s Why You Shouldn’t.

One of the questions that are frequently asked by tourists is whether Shorts are appropriate when visiting the East African island of Zanzibar.

Most locals in Zanzibar are used to seeing tourists dressed in shorts and other clothes that may be considered revealing. However, Zanzibari locals are conservative Muslims and may find shorts that expose a lot of skin above the knee offensive. To avoid causing offense, avoid wearing revealing clothing like short shorts in public.

In this article, I’m going to talk about what kind of shorts are appropriate in Zanzibar and places you should avoid when wearing shorts.

Why are shorts offensive to locals in Zanzibar?

There are no written rules or restrictions about shorts in Zanzibar but they are generally frowned upon by the local Muslim culture. They are considered too revealing and provocative and though the locals are too polite to tell you, they will take offense in silence.

This is especially true if you’ll be around children who they try to guard against any perceived negative influence.

What do local women in Zanzibar wear?

Most african clutures including Zanzibar value modesty and find it culturally unacceptable to wear clothes that expose their bodies. This informs the kind of dressing that they will have both when they are in public and also in private.

The women in Zanzibar wear the Kanga and Kitenge. These are loosely fitting dresses that are made of beautiful African pattern. These dresses go all the way to the feet and do not also expose the torso. They will usually cover up their hair using shawls or other traditional headgear.

Some of the more conservative Tanzanians will completely cover up their hair in keeping with the Muslim traditions.

What do local men in Zanzibar wear?

With the majority of the population in Zanzibar been muslim,  the men here will wear traditional Muslim clothes refered to in Swahili as Kanzu. These are long tunics worn with trousers underneath

The young boys wear shorts, especially when going to school and this is a big reason why men in East Africa wear shorts. Calling an adult man a child is very insulting and they avoid anything that would insinuate this reference.

Places you can wear shots in Zanzibar

Some of the following places would have fewer restrictions for shorts when in Zanzibar

1. Your Hotel:  typically, hotel staff are accustomed to tourists and would not be offended by you wearing shorts within the hotel premises.
2. Beaches: when on the beach, the rules are more relaxed and you will not be out of place when wearing shorts there ( I have written a more in-depth article about wearing shorts in Tanzania. ).

What length of short is acceptable in Zanzibar

If you would still want to go to Zanzibar with a few shots here is how long they need to be.

1. As a general rule, avoid shorts that expose the knees and thighs.
2. The shorts also need to be loose fitting and not too tight.

Places you should avoid when wearing shorts

There are places you should avoid when wearing any kind of shot when in Zanzibar. These are;

1. Stone town. the rules are stricter in stone town than in other places in Zanzibar. The people living there are generally more conservative and religious.
2. Mosques or religious buildings: it goes without saying that you should avoid getting into religious buildings with anything that would be considered remotely offensive. this means that you need to avoid any clothing that will be considered remotely revealing. These include shorts, sleeveless shirts, and tops that expose shoulders or torso