Pemba
Surrounded by crystal waters and stunning coral reefs, Misali offers some of the best diving in East Africa, while snorkelling is spectacular and easily…
Must-see attractions in Zanzibar Archipelago
Zanzibar Town
An icon of Stone Town, the House of Wonders rises in impressive tiers of slender steel pillars and balconies overlooking the waterfront. Its enormous…
Zanzibar Island
ZALA (Zanzibar Land Animals) Park was founded as a project to help local people appreciate the value of wildlife, with funds raised by tourist visits. The…
Zanzibar Town
One of the best ways to ease into Zanzibar life is to stop by this waterfront public space. It's a social hub for tourists and locals alike; there's a…
Zanzibar Town
With its peppermint-green latticework balconies and sculpted clock tower, this 19th-century charitable dispensary is one of the most attractive landmarks…
Zanzibar Town
Carefully curated by the renowned historian Said al Gheithy, this delightful little museum tells the story of Princess Salme, a sultan's daughter who…
Zanzibar Town
The tall spire and grey-yellow walls of the Anglican cathedral dominate the surrounding streets in this part of Stone Town, while the dark-wood pews and…
Zanzibar Town
Occupying several large buildings along the waterfront, this was the palace of Sultan Seyyid Said from 1828 until it was largely destroyed by the British…
Zanzibar Island
Jozani Forest is the largest area of indigenous forest on Zanzibar Island. Situated south of Chwaka Bay on low-lying land, the area is prone to flooding,…
Zanzibar Town
With its pale-orange ramparts overlooking Forodhani Gardens and the ocean beyond, the fort was built by Omani Arabs when they seized the island from the…
Pemba
In far northeastern Pemba, dense and wonderfully lush Ngezi is one of the last remaining areas of indigenous forest that once covered much of the island,…
Zanzibar Town
Zanzibar's main market is a hive of activity, with everything – from spices, fresh fish, slabs of meat and huge baskets full of live chickens to sandals,…
Pemba
Kidike Sanctuary is home to a spectacular colony of Pemba flying foxes, a large bat indigenous to Pemba (called popo in Swahili). About 4000 individuals…
Zanzibar Town
One of the first sights travellers see when arriving by ferry are the twin spires of the Roman Catholic cathedral. Serving the local Catholic community,…
Pemba
The ruined palace of Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, who ruled Pemba prior to the arrival of the Portuguese (late 15th to early 16th centuries), is an…
Zanzibar Island
The aim of this community initiative is to help local people benefit from tourism and conservation. In three large pools you can observe sea turtles and…
Zanzibar Town
Sultan Seyyid Said built this bathhouse at Kidichi (11km northeast of Zanzibar Town) in 1850 for his Persian wife, Scheherezade. The royal couple would…
Pemba
Pemba is well known for its clove industry, and this distillery is where the clove stems are turned into essential oil. It's operated by the Zanzibar…
Pemba
Ras Mkumbuu is the headland at the end of the thin strip of land jutting into the sea northwest of Chake Chake. It's also the name given to the ruins of…
Zanzibar Town
Overlooking the coast, away from the heat and hustle of Zanzibar Town, Mtoni Palace was built for Sultan Seyyid Said in 1828. It was home to the sultan’s…
Zanzibar Town
Maruhubi Palace was built outside Zanzibar Town in 1882 for Sultan Barghash to house his impressively large harem. A few years later it was destroyed by…
Zanzibar Island
Protecting numerous butterfly species indigenous to Zanzibar, this centre is a huge tropical garden with net walls and roof. You can see the various life…
Pemba
Stepping onto Vumawimbi, you may need to rub your eyes to check you haven’t gone to heaven, so idyllic is the view. Stretching along the east side of the…
Zanzibar Town
Freddie Mercury, the former lead singer of Queen, was born in Zanzibar in 1946 where his name was Farrokh Bulsara. His father worked for the British…
Pemba
Located on the headland (ras) at the far northern tip of the Kigomasha Peninsula, this lighthouse was built by the British in 1900 and is still actively…
Pemba Channel Conservation Area
Pemba
The waters and islets along the entire west coast of Pemba are officially protected as the Pemba Channel Conservation Area (PECCA). The aim is to benefit…
Zanzibar Island
This dark cell cut into the coral rock was used as a holding pen to hide slaves after the legal trade was abolished in the late 19th century. From here it…
Pemba
Filling an 18th-century Omani fort, which was probably built on the remains of a 16th-century Portuguese garrison, this small museum has well-organised …
Zanzibar Town
In the Kiponda area of Stone Town, this mosque is one of the largest in Zanzibar, catering to the Ismaili community since 1905. The beautifully detailed…
Zanzibar Island
This large natural cavern with a freshwater pool was originally used as a source of drinking water for local people and is rumoured to have been used in…
Pemba
Spread out amid palm trees and cassava fields, Chwaka Ruins consist of two separate sites, the Mazrui Tombs dating back to the 17th century, and the main…
Zanzibar Town
The upmarket suburb of Mbweni, 5km south of Zanzibar Town, was a Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) base and settlement for former slaves in…
Pemba
Down on the beach beyond Tumbe village, the sands are covered in fishing boats and tackle, and lined with a motley collection of huts where fishers gather…
Zanzibar Island
Although this mosque is thought to be one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the East African coast, it has been extensively restored and appears…
Pemba
This fairground was established in Pemba’s socialist days, and completely renovated (a gift from China) in recent years. The gleaming big wheels and…
Pemba
This is where the Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC) buys cloves in bulk from local farmers (usually between July and February). To get here, go…
Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve
Zanzibar Island
Set back from the main road between Kiwengwa and Pongwe, this reserve protects a swathe of indigenous forest and its wildlife, including groups of the…
Zanzibar Town
Built by Sultan Barghash in the late 19th century, these were the first public baths on Zanzibar. The various rooms were renovated in 2017 and, although…
Zanzibar Town
This lovely Arabesque-style mosque is one of the largest in Stone Town. As an Ijumma (Friday) mosque, the faithful come to pray here, rather than at their…
Zanzibar Town
This domed building, formerly the Peace Memorial Museum and now an archive, dates to 1925, when it was inaugurated as a memorial to the accords ending WWI…
