Tanzania
Zanzibar
Carved doors, coral-stone walls and alleys too narrow for cars: Stone Town is what a thousand years of Indian Ocean trade left behind, and the beaches are twenty minutes away.
A short history
Stone Town was once the centre of the Indian Ocean spice trade and, more painfully, the slave trade — its position between Africa, Arabia and India made it a required stop for a thousand years of dhow traffic. The islands were ruled from Oman for over a century after 1698, and the architecture still shows that Arab-Swahili fusion: carved wooden doors, coral-stone buildings, narrow alleys. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site today.
Why travellers love it
Turquoise water at a fraction of what comparable islands cost, and a place with real character outside the resorts. You can spend a morning in a 19th-century alley and an afternoon on an empty beach, which is not a combination many islands offer.
Before you go
Tanzania issues visas on arrival and online to most nationalities; yellow fever proof is required if you are arriving from a country where it is present. Time your trip to the dry season — the long rains in April and May genuinely disrupt beach plans.
Highlights
- Stone Town old quarter
- Spice farm tour
- Prison Island
- Nungwi and Kendwa beaches
Complete your trip
Two things worth sorting before you fly.
- Mobile data in TanzaniaAn eSIM you set up before you fly, so you are online the moment you land. Via Airalo.(opens in a new tab)
- Things to do in ZanzibarTours, attraction tickets and airport transfers, booked ahead. Via Klook, in English.(opens in a new tab)
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Flights to Zanzibar
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