Zanzibar Guide
Zanzibar's main island, Unguja, blends centuries of Arab, western and Indian influences. Its capital, Stone Town, is a maze of crumbling Arab palaces, mosques, bazaars and ornately carved wooden doors. Little sister Pemba is a green hideaway and diving mecca.
Unguja is fringed with white sand beaches. Take in spectacular sunsets on the west coast at Chuini, Fumba or Mangapwani. Relax on sweeping stretches of near-deserted beach at Bwejuu or party in Paje, Kendwa and Nungwi.
Book a spice tour around one of Unguja's spice farms, and ramble around the ruined Persian baths of Kidichi. Darajani mixes a traditional African market and an Arab souk. The Chake Chake Museum on Pemba brings you up to date with a potted history.
Meet the evolutionary parents in Jozani Forest, where there is a healthy population of red colobus monkeys. Hide away in one of the back-to-beach-basics hotels in Bwejuu. Visit Chumbe Island, a marine park just off Zanzibar and explore untouched forest and coral reef, or take a day trip to Misali Island, a conservation area and former pirate hideout off Pemba.
Book yourself in for Safari Blue, a laid-back day trip around sandbanks and uninhabited islands. Zanzibar is famous for its diving and snorkelling – the east and north coasts of Unguja and the island of Pemba are highly recommended. To explore Zanzibar's ruins, hire a guide in Stone Town or Chake Chake.
Sample traditional Swahili dishes such as rice and beans or chicken in coconut sauce. Visit outdoor food market, Forodhani Gardens, on Unguja for seafood kebabs and spice tea.
For classic Zanzibar decadence, look out for posters advertising monthly full-moon parties at Kendwa and beach parties in Paje and Nungwi. Pemba is quiet but on Unguja you can grab a late-night drink and dance in bars around Stone Town. Locals hang out at Bawani for Tanzanian hip-hop and African pop.
Find vintage jewellery and Victorian brass knick-knacks in Stone Town's antiques shops. For a more African feel, pick up polished wooden sculptures and colourful scarves known as kikoi, and try Kanga Kabisa in Stone Town for stylish locally made clothes. Zanzibar made its name as the Spice Islands: buy saffron and vanilla for foodie friends.
