Zanzibar — the "Spice Island" — is an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania that combines one of the Indian Ocean's finest beach experiences with an extraordinary layering of history: Arab sultanate grandeur, Portuguese fortifications, the dark legacy of the East African slave trade and the colonial architecture of the British Protectorate period all coexist in Stone Town, the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Zanzibar City. The island was the birthplace of Freddie Mercury, the hub of the East African spice trade for centuries, and the launching point for most of the great 19th-century European explorations of interior Africa.
For most Tanzania visitors, Zanzibar functions as the essential "beach add-on" to a mainland safari — a 25-minute flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam to turquoise water, white sand and some of the finest seafood in East Africa. But the island rewards more than a few days of beach recovery: the labyrinthine lanes of Stone Town, the spice plantations, the dolphin-watching off Kizimkazi and the world-class snorkelling and diving at Mnemba Atoll all deserve exploration.
Stone Town
Stone Town's UNESCO World Heritage listing recognises the unique cultural fusion of Arab, Persian, Indian and African influences in its architecture — a maze of narrow lanes lined with coral-stone buildings, carved wooden doors (over 500 survive, many with brass studs and chains representing wealth and status), mosques, Hindu temples and the former slave market (now a cathedral). The house where Freddie Mercury was born (at 26 Kenyatta Road, now a small museum) is a pilgrimage site for fans.
The old Arab Fort and the Palace Museum (Beit el-Sahel) — the former palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar — provide historical context. The waterfront evening, with the sunset dhow silhouettes and the Forodhani night market (an excellent outdoor food market with fresh seafood, sugar cane juice and local specialties), is the best introduction to Stone Town's atmosphere.
Beaches
Zanzibar's east coast beaches — Paje, Jambiani, Bwejuu — are the finest on the island: powdery white sand, turquoise water and the extraordinary phenomenon of the tide going out to reveal vast sandbars and shallow pools where seaweed farmers work at low water. Nungwi and Kendwa in the north have calmer water and are better for swimming at low tide. The north is where most high-end resorts are concentrated; the east coast is cheaper and more independent.
Mnemba Atoll, accessible by boat from the northeast coast, has some of the finest snorkelling and diving in the Indian Ocean — a small circular reef where green turtles, dolphins, spinner sharks and extraordinary coral life are found year-round. Day trips are available from most beach areas.
Spice Tours
Zanzibar's role as the East African spice capital — cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and black pepper were all produced here — lives on in the spice plantation tours offered in the island's rural interior. Half-day tours take visitors to working farms where guides demonstrate the plants that produce familiar spices, explain their history and preparation, and provide generous samples of fresh coconut, mango and jackfruit along the way. Excellent value and genuinely educational.
