Zanzibar Destination Guide

This is the best place to taste local food and buy souvenirs to take back home, both at very affordable prices. Calamari steaks, crab claws, or just chips - it's all here. The local sugarcane juice is worth a try too. After eating, walk over to the curio market just next to the food market. The best way to shop here is to first walk through the market, look at all the wares and compare their prices. Haggling and bargaining is the accepted mode of shopping here. It ensures that you get the best price since each vendor will try to outdo the other while trying to sell his/her wares.

Designed by J.H. Sinclair, this museum is a treasure house for historians. It houses most of Zanzibar's memorabilia. In fact, even Livingstone's medical chest can be found here.

In Swahili, Kelele means "noise". The name is believed to have come from the noisy slave market that existed at the site. A beauty salon stands at the site today!

There are three mosques in East Africa with an unusual conical shape and this is one of them. It is one of the oldest mosques in Zanzibar. You may require a guide to show you the unusual minaret. There is a mausoleum just across the front door of the mosque. It is one of the last few still standing in Stone Town.

A huge congregation of Hindus worshipped at this temple till the revolution of 1964. Unfortunately, many of them fled, fearing for their lives at the time of the revolution. Ask a guide to take you to the temple since it is rather difficult to locate without help. 

If you wish to go back in time to the age of the Sultans, a visit to this museum is a must. Furniture and paintings from those days are on display here.  It even has a room dedicated to the daughter of Sultan Said the Great of Zanzibar, Princess Salme. The palace is a little dusty and not in the best of conditions now.

The museum charges an entrance fee.

The Omanis built this fort in 1780. Attacks were often expected from the mainland and the fort was built for protection from such attacks. It was later turned into a prison and barracks. During the Portuguese rule, it was also used as a church. Remnants of the church are still visible. These days, the fort houses a small restaurant and a few shops.

Tanzanite bought here can be rather expensive, so take care. If going on a safari interests you, Arusha is a more economical option.

This was the first building in Zanzibar to be powered by electricity and the first building in East Africa to install an elevator! The building was constructed in 1883 on the site of Queen Fatuma's residence. The building was damaged in 1896 during the 40-minute war, better known as "The Shortest War" in history. The British later used the building as their local offices. This lasted till the revolution in 1964.

These days, the building contains old cars that belonged to President Karume and not much else. Recently, there have been a few attempts to renovate the place. During the day, you will find a craft market on the verandah.

These baths were built for the public by Burgash bin Said, the son of Said the Great. Since both men and women used the baths at separate times during the day, care was taken to maintain the decorum of the place. There were changing and socialising rooms at the front. The warm room with underground hot water aqueducts was frequented by the wealthy. The old tubs are still there, although quite dry now.

The architect of the cathedral in Marseilles, France, designed this cathedral too. It was built around 1895.

Today's Stone Town Cultural Centre was originally a dispensary, now referred to as the Old Dispensary. It was built by one of Zanzibar's richest men, Tharia Thopen. Although he started the construction in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, it was completed many years later, in 1894. The Aga Khan Foundation renovated the building to its present form. 

The cathedral was built in 1873. A fascinating belief about the cathedral is that the altar's location was the spot where slaves were once whipped and auctioned. The local people will take you underground to see the rather eerie slave holding cells. Entry to the cathedral requires a fee. Take a guide, if available, to show you around and explain everything.

We strongly recommend the Spice Tour. It involves a fascinating exploration of spice plantations. Walk among cinnamon trees, vanilla trees, nutmeg trees, taste and smell different spices, and watch coconut harvesters at work. They climb the tall coconut trees without any harnesses or protection. You will discover many more delights on this tour.

Sultan Burgash built this as his retreat in 1880. It was also home to some of his concubines, of whom there were many. The Persian Baths here are the only part left with a roof.

The Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) built this in 1871. It originally served as a school for freed slaves and was known as the St. Mary's School for Freed Slave Girls. In an effort to educate freed slaves, David Livingstone established the UMCA along with members from four Universities of England. The place is now known as the Mbweni Ruins Hotel.

This protected forest is home to the Red Colobus monkey, an endangered animal. Guided nature walks through the forest are the best way to see the monkeys and other fauna. It is important to dress carefully while on the walk since there is little or no protection from the sun.

This was Sultan Said the Great's main residence. Unfortunately, it is in ruins now. Described as Eden by his daughter Salme, this was one of the Sultan's favourite places and he spent a lot of time here. Several hallways and rooms with alcoves can be seen in the back.

The Mangapwani Coral Caves are not particularly interesting but the Slave Chambers are interesting for their role in history. Situated not too far from the Coral Caves, traders used these underground chambers to hide slaves while waiting for their ships to move the latter out of Zanzibar. This was just after slave trading was abolished in 1872. The underground chambers could be a little suffocating for some visitors.

Sultan Said built these famous baths for his wife Sherehezade in 1850. Sherehezade used the baths to freshen up after day-long hunting trips or long journeys.

Creating images of any living beings is completely against Muslim beliefs but these baths have pictures of birds and animals on the walls. Persian craftsmen were brought from Zanzibar to build the baths. Today, an entrance fee must be paid to enter the baths and a guide will show you around.

With extremely good reefs at several locations, diving in Zanzibar is reputed to be excellent. The Pemba Reefs offer the best location for serious divers and deep divers. These reefs are breathtaking and display a lot of variety too. Mnemba Island, a little away from Zanzibar, offers great diving too. Another popular diving spot is the Stone Town area with some exciting wreck dives.

Zanzibar is the perfect destination for a beach holiday. Swaying coconut palms, powder-soft coral sands, magical atmosphere, and clear waters - idyllic is the only word to describe the atmosphere here.

The rich coral reef surrounding the Zanzibar archipelago protects the shoreline. The reef also results in wide and flat shallow water spots which are easily affected by extreme tides.

World's Best Beaches

Beaches in Zanzibar are charming and easily counted as some of the world's best. Looking out from among the palm lined sandy beaches you can see the traditional fishing dhows with their hand-sewn sails. The thriving coral reefs offer ocean explorers wonderful opportunities for underwater exploration.

Best Zanzibar Beaches

North and East Zanzibar have the best beaches. Here the sun shines on crystal clear waters - waters that display a dazzling array of turquoise blues - and the sand is clean and fine.

The Northern Beaches

Zanzibar's northern peninsula is breathtakingly beautiful and will make any traveller gasp in awe and admiration. With expansive views across the Indian Ocean and clear waters washing over the coral sands it is truly paradise. The air carries the freshness of the sea with it, the fine sand piles up, and the beach changes shape every now and then, depending on the movement of the tides.

The Eastern Beaches

The east coast beaches are unending carpets of soft sand gently rolling down to the sea, which is quite shallow here. During low tide, when the waters recede, you can walk a long way on the exposed sand and swim in the little pools. You can see crabs running around among the scattered collection of shells and beautiful coral. You can enjoy the chatter and songs of the colourful local fisherwomen as they survey their fishing nets and collect the day's catch.