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Zanzibar Archipelago
Step off the boat or plane onto the Zanzibar Archipelago and you’re transported through time and place. This is one of the world's great cultural crossroads, where Africa meets Arabia meets the Indian Ocean.
In Zanzibar Town, the narrow alleys of historic Stone Town meander between ancient buildings decorated with balconies and gigantic carved doors. Meanwhile, on the coast, fishing boats set sail, and in the countryside farmers tend fields of rice or the clove plantations that give Zanzibar its 'Spice Islands' moniker.
Beyond these little-changed traditions, visitors see a very different landscape. The idyllic beaches are dotted with hotels, and the ocean becomes a playground for diving, snorkelling and kitesurfing.
With its tropical tableau and unique culture, plus an active beach-party scene for those that want it, the Zanzibar Archipelago offers a fascinating and highly enjoyable East African Indian Ocean experience.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Zanzibar Archipelago.
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Misali Island
Surrounded by crystal waters and stunning coral reefs, Misali offers some of the best diving in East Africa, while snorkelling is spectacular and easily reached from the beach. Around the island, nesting turtles favour beaches on the western side, while on the northeast coast is Baobab Beach, with fine sand and a small ranger centre (although information here is limited). The island is part of the Pemba Channel Conservation Area, which covers Pemba’s entire west coast. All divers, snorkellers and beachgoers here must pay the admission fee. There are no permanent settlements, though the island is in active use by local fishermen, and camping is not permitted for tourists. Inland from the beaches are caves, believed to be inhabited by the spirits of ancestors. You can get to Misali by arranging a boat from Wesha, but it's easier, and not much more expensive, to arrange excursions through hotels or travel agencies. Coral Tours in Chake Chake, Zanzibar Ocean Panorama hotel in Mkoani and Sharook Riviera Grand Lodge in Wete all charge around US$50 per person (depending on group size), including lunch and entry fees. Trips are also arranged for clients of Fundu Lagoon, Manta Resort and Swahili Divers.
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House of Wonders
An icon of Stone Town, the House of Wonders rises in impressive tiers of slender steel pillars and balconies overlooking the waterfront. Its enormous carved doors are said to be the largest in East Africa, fronted by two bronze cannon with Portuguese inscriptions dating them to the 16th century. Inside, the National Museum of History & Culture has exhibits on Swahili civilisation and the peoples of the Indian Ocean. Built for ceremonial purposes by Sultan Barghash in 1883, in its heyday the House of Wonders boasted marble floors, panelled walls and never-before-seen electricity and running water – hence its name. But in 2012, after years of neglect, a large section of balcony collapsed, closing the building's interior to the public. Restoration has since stalled, and at the time of research there was no date for reopening, but you can still admire the House of Wonders from the outside. Even though the white paint continues to fade to rusty brown, it's still one of the grandest structures on Zanzibar.
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ZALA Park
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 park itself appears forlorn today, as more energy and emphasis goes into tours exploring local woodland, mangrove shoreline and nearby villages, by foot, bike or kayak. Also available are van-assisted walking or cycling tours of nearby Makunduchi, taking in rarely visited caves, animist shrines and historical sites. Zala Park is about 40km from Zanzibar Town, south of Jozani, in the village of Muungoni, on the road to Makunduchi. (Do not confuse it with Zanzibar Park, which is a zoo near Zanzibar Town.) Tours need to be arranged in advance. Some knowledgeable tour companies and Mangrove Lodge can also assist.
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Forodhani Gardens
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 large restaurant jutting into the sea, two small cafes with outside seating, benches under shady trees, a children's play park, and food stalls in the evening. The gardens were originally laid out in 1936 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Sultan Khalifa (r 1911–60); you can still see the domed podium where a brass band would play, while the marooned ceremonial arch at the water's edge was built to welcome Britain's Princess Margaret on a state visit in 1956.
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Old Dispensary
With its peppermint-green latticework balconies and sculpted clock tower, this 19th-century charitable dispensary is one of the most attractive landmarks on the waterfront. It was built by Tharia Topan, a prominent Ismaili Indian merchant who also acted as financial adviser to the sultan and as banker to Tippu Tip, Zanzibar’s most notorious slave trader. You’re free to wander through the interior, which now accommodates offices. In the airy courtyard on the ground floor is the Abyssinian's Steakhouse restaurant.
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Princess Salme Museum
Carefully curated by the renowned historian Said al Gheithy, this delightful little museum tells the story of Princess Salme, a sultan's daughter who eloped with a German merchant in the late 19th century and later wrote Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar. If Said is on duty, his guided tour of the museum adds depth to the story.
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Anglican Cathedral
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 stained-glass windows will remind British visitors of churches back home. This was the first Anglican cathedral in East Africa, constructed in the 1870s by the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) on the site of the former slave market after slavery was officially abolished. Inside the cathedral, the altar reputedly marks the spot of the whipping tree where slaves were lashed with a stinging branch. It’s a moving sight, remembered by a white marble circle surrounded by red to symbolise the blood of the slaves. The driving force behind the construction of the cathedral was Bishop Edward Steere (1828–82), but the inspiration was David Livingstone, whose call to compassion the missionaries answered in 1864 when they settled on the island. One of the stained-glass windows is dedicated to his memory, while the cathedral's crucifix is made from the tree that grew where his heart was buried in the village of Chitambo in Zambia. In the grounds outside the cathedral is the moving Slave Memorial, depicting five slaves standing in a pit below ground level. The poignant figures emerge from the rough-hewn rock and thus appear hopelessly trapped, shoulders slumped in despair. Around their necks they wear metal collars from which a chain binds them. Although nothing remains of the slave market today, the memorial is a sobering reminder of the not-so-distant past. At the entrance to the cathedral compound is the East Africa Slave Trade Exhibit, a series of displays and informative panels. Also here are the former slave chambers where slaves were imprisoned before sale. In the same building is St Monica's Lodge. Services are held at the cathedral on Sunday mornings in English and Swahili. Times are posted on a notice in the porch. The entrance to the cathedral compound is from New Mkunazini Rd. The entry fee gets you into the slave trade exhibit and the slave chambers as well as the cathedral and grounds.
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Palace Museum
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 bombardment of 1896. It was then rebuilt and used until the 1964 revolution when the last sultan was overthrown. Remarkably, much of the royal paraphernalia – banqueting tables, portraits, thrones and water closets – survives to now provide the human-interest story in this museum dedicated to the sultanate in the 19th century. In its day the palace and adjacent harem, Beit el-Hukm, and some other nearby buildings, were a self-contained unit with raised walkways allowing royal personages to avoid city streets. One of these walkways can still be seen crossing above the street behind the Palace Museum. Insights into the life of the palace can be gleaned from Princess Salme’s fascinating book Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar (originally published in 1886, reprinted more recently), which you can buy in the museum and local bookshops, and from a visit to the separate Princess Salme Museum. Getting to know the key players, such as Salme and her brothers Barghash and Majid, helps bring to life the now dusty displays. Outside the museum, you can still see the tombs of various sultans, including Barghash and Majid. Look out for the curious 'double tomb' – apparently this sultan's legs were amputated and buried first, to be joined by the rest of his body when the sultan died some years later.
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Jozani-Chwaka National Park
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, which nurtures a lush swamplike environment of moisture-loving trees and ferns. The whole area is protected as Jozani-Chwaka National Park, and is famously home to populations of Zanzibar red colobus monkey (an endangered species found only on Zanzibar) as well as other monkey species, bushbabies, duikers and more than 40 species of birds. At the park headquarters there's an information centre, and the main activity is following the forest nature trail (it takes about 45 minutes to walk). Nearby is a boardwalk through the creek-side mangroves. The park entrance gate and info centre (plus a small cafe and a scattering of craft stalls) is 35km southeast of Zanzibar Town, just off the road to Paje. Most people come on an organised tour, but you can also get here on bus 309 or 310 from Paje or Zanzibar Town. When observing the monkeys, park staff recommend getting no closer than 3m, for your safety and the safety of the animals. In addition to the risk of being bitten, there’s considerable concern that if the monkeys were to catch a human illness it could rapidly wipe out the already threatened population.
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