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Zanzibar & the Spice Coast

Destination

Where the wild meets the waves

Zanzibar & the Spice Coast

Overview

Where the wild meets the waves

Why Zanzibar is unmissable

The archipelago (Unguja and Pemba) delivers both culture and coast. In Stone Town, a thousand years of African, Arab, Indian and European trade are stacked in coral-stone alleys alive with haggling, spice and story. On the coast, powdery beaches and reef-protected lagoons offer swimming, snorkelling, kite-surfing and deep-blue dhow sailing. The island's food alone — urojo soup, Zanzibar pizza, octopus curry, fresh mango with chilli — justifies the trip.

Zanzibar is the full stop at the end of every great Tanzanian sentence. Stone Town's labyrinth — carved doors, Persian baths, steel drums of sea air — meets the blinding white sand and impossible turquoise of the island's eastern shores. Add spice farms, dhow sunsets and Mnemba's coral gardens, and the bush-and-beach combination becomes irresistible.

History & heritage

For two millennia Zanzibar fed the Indian Ocean trade winds — gold, ivory, cloves and, tragically, slaves passed through its ports. The Sultanate of Oman moved its capital here in 1840; the British protectorate followed; the 1964 revolution joined Zanzibar to Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Today Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the island's Swahili culture — the blending of all its influences — is its truest treasure.

Wildlife

The cast of characters.

Who lives here

Red colobus monkey (Jozani Forest, endemic)
Dolphins (Kizimkazi)
Green & hawksbill turtles
Reef fish of Mnemba Atoll
Whale sharks (seasonal, Mafia channel)
Fruit bats (Pemba)
Chameleons
Mangrove kingfishers

Where to stay

Beds with a view.

Sleep in style

  • Boutique Stone Town hotels
  • North-east coast beachfront resorts (Matemwe, Pongwe, Paje)
  • Nungwi & Kendwa beach clubs
  • Private-island and villa escapes

Gallery

Postcards, kept wild.

Through our lens

Things to do

Days well spent.

Signature activities

01

Stone Town heritage walk

Doors, forts, markets and memorials with a born-and-raised local guide.

02

Mnemba Atoll snorkelling

Turtles and coral gardens in a protected marine reserve.

03

Spice farm tour

Taste the island's history: cinnamon, clove, cardamom, lemongrass.

04

Dhow sunset cruise

Traditional sailing as the Indian Ocean turns to bronze.

05

Jozani Forest boardwalk

Meet the endemic red colobus among the mangroves.

Travel tips

Insider knowledge.

From our guides

  • 01Zanzibar is conservative — cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town and villages.
  • 02Tides transform the east coast beaches; we schedule swims around them.
  • 03Mnemba snorkelling is best in the calm December–February window.
  • 04Carry small cash for Stone Town's markets — cards rarely travel down the alleys.
  • 05The sunset strip at Nungwi and Kendwa faces the best evening light.
Zanzibar & the Spice Coast — safari mapOpen in maps

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