Zanzibar is an idyllic beach holiday island with wonderful charisma, coconut palms and powder-soft coral sands washed by shimmering clear sea.

Zanzibar beaches are among the best in the world and have a very special charm; views from the palm-fringed sands reveal the hand-sewn sails of traditional wooden fishing dhows, and ocean explorers discover the glorious depths of thriving coral reefs all around.

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Best Zanzibar Beaches

The best beaches on Zanzibar Island are to the North and East, where the sun shines on luminescent clear waters in a range of striking turquoise blues, and the sand is clean and bright and fine.

The Zanzibar archipelago is surrounded by rich coral reef, which protects the shoreline and also results in wide flat shallows that are invariably subject to tidal extremes.

Stone Town

Zanzibar’s Stone Town is a fascinating a living monument to the culture and histories of its curious mix of East African, Arab, Indian, Persian and European conquerors, traders and seafarers. This is the heart of Zanzibar, alive with all the secrets of this charismatic Indian Ocean island.

A stay in Stone Town allows a glimpse of the essence of Zanzibar, the sights, sounds and smells of the market, restaurants, harbour and mosques, a very real and unsanitised view! The Stone Town street markets rely on tourism to thrive, although it is possible to find genuine artworks and antiques amongst the more mass-produced creations.

Exploring the maze of Stone Town

Stone Town is an extraordinary place to explore; the ancient maze of narrow streets is a romantic hotchpotch of historic old stone buildings built close for cool respite from the tropical island sun, and shaded by elegantly carved balconies, loggias and verandas that cling precipitously overhead.

History Abounds

A short stay in Stone Town allows time to see the Sultan’s Palaces, and experience the sights and sounds of this idiosyncratic centre. There are a number of fine buildings to see, some, such as the House of Wonders and the Arab Fort, have been restored to create areas for coffee and relaxation within. Generally the best way to explore Stone Town is simply to meander the streets, window shopping and absorbing the atmosphere.

Key to Zanzibari Doors

A walk here reveals a range of elaborately carved doors with delicately executed patterns of lotus flowers, fish and vines or dates, and sometimes inscribed with passages from the Koran to tell of the household within. These are a statement of wealth of the original inhabitant, as the door was usually the only outward expression of the house concealed within the courtyard beyond, and was often even created first.

A Sense of Stone Town

As the sun sets, muezzins in their different mosque towers call the faithful to prayers again, dogs bark and children shout as they play football in open corners or dive into the harbour waters and demonstrate feats of bravery with their friends. A crowd gathers along the harbour front and in Forodhani Gardens, where smoke rises from barbecues at the assorted food stalls and the curio markets assembling by gaslight amid a hubbub of banter and chat...This is a world apart, and it is worth a visit.