Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
Zanzibar Island
Zanzibar Island is a jewel in the ocean, surrounded by beaches that rate among the finest in the world. Here you can swim, snorkel or just lounge the hours away, while shoals of luminous fish graze over nearby coral gardens and pods of dolphins frolic offshore.
In the island's capital, Zanzibar Town, sits the historic quarter of Stone Town, with a mesmerising mix of influences from Africa, Arabia, India and Europe.
For these reasons and more, Zanzibar Island (officially called Unguja) is the archipelago's focal point, and the most popular destination for visitors, but choose your spot carefully. While it's easy to find tranquil beauty or party buzz (or both), increasing development threatens the island’s ineluctable magic and fragile community resources.
Latest Stories from Zanzibar Island
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Zanzibar Island.
See
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.
See
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.
See
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.
See
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.
See
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.
See
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.
See
Old Fort
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 Portuguese in 1698, and over the centuries it's had various uses, from prison to tennis club. Today the scale of the fortifications is still impressive, although there has been some modernisation inside, notably a line of souvenir shops and a pleasant cafe that turns into a bar in the evening. Another modern feature is the open-air amphitheatre, used for local shows and major events, such as the Zanzibar International Film Festival and Busara; the tourist information desk at the fort entrance can advise on performance schedules. Also here (in one of the towers) is the Cultural Arts Gallery, connected to the Cultural Arts Centre Zanzibar, where you can meet local artists at work or join a hands-on course.
See
Darajani Market
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, plastic buckets and mobile phones – all set out in a series of covered halls and overflowing into the surrounding streets. If you're buying food, come in the morning when stuff is fresh, although it's much busier then. For a slightly less crowded and chaotic experience come in the afternoon. There are also several stalls catering for tourists selling packs of spice and other souvenirs. In the surrounding streets are shops and stalls selling clothes, shoes, DVDs, electrics and household goods. Especially worth a visit is the area known as Kanga St, where shops sell colourful local prints and fabrics of all kinds.
See
Catholic Cathedral
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, including Goans, Europeans and Tanzanians from Zanzibar and the mainland, it was designed by French architect Berange, whose other work includes the cathedral in Marseilles, and built by French missionaries between 1893 and 1897. Entrance is free but a donation is requested. Mass times are posted on the porch. The main entrance is on Cathedral St, but this is often closed (although you can see the impressive front of the cathedral through the railings). The back gate is usually open, and reached via a small alley branching off the western end of Gizenga St. Look for the small catholic bookshop; the back gate is next to this.
Featured videos
Top 10 best value destinations to visit in 2020
3:00