01
Overview
Two very different holidays share one island: the old trading town, and the reef coast.
Stone Town is a UNESCO-listed maze of coral-rag buildings, carved doors and a history that runs through Omani sultans, the clove trade and the slave trade. It deserves at least one full day and a guide who will tell you the difficult parts.
The coasts are a separate decision. The east has the reef, the white sand and the dramatic tides; the north-west has calmer, deeper water and better swimming at any hour; the south-east is quieter and less developed.
What you see
- Stone Town
- The reef
- Spice farms
- Dhows
- Beaches
What you actually see
Stone Town’s doors and alleys
Carved Indian and Omani doors, and a street plan with no logic that rewards getting lost on purpose.
The reef
Snorkelling and diving off Mnemba atoll and the east-coast reefs, with good visibility much of the year.
Zanzibar red colobus
Endemic to the island, easy to see in Jozani, and one of Africa’s rarest primates.
Spice farms
Clove, nutmeg, cardamom and vanilla — the trade the island was built on, and still worked.
02
Choosing your coast
Paje, Jambiani, Michamvi
Reef offshore, extraordinary tides — at low water the sea withdraws several hundred metres and the seaweed farmers walk out. Kitesurfing centres on Paje.
East coast
Nungwi and Kendwa
Deep water close in, so swimming works whatever the tide is doing. Busier, livelier, more resorts.
North
Quieter alternatives
The south-east is undeveloped and slow. The west is where the sunsets are and where Stone Town sits.
South-east and west
03
Where to stay
Beach hotel, north coast of Zanzibar
On the sand, bed and breakfast.
Beach hotel, east coast of Zanzibar
On the sand, bed and breakfast.
Hotel in Stone Town
Chosen for your month and your budget.
The kind of place and the area are fixed by the route. The property itself is chosen for your dates and budget, and named in your quote.
04
Getting there
Getting there
A short flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam, or the ferry from Dar es Salaam.
Combine with
Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park
05
Trips that end on the coast
10-Day Honeymoon Safari & Zanzibar
9-Day Bush & Beach
4-Day Zanzibar Beach Extension
06
Best time to go
Best months · Dec–Feb, Jun–Oct
Dry and cooler
The most settled beach weather of the year.
Hot and dry
Warm sea and long days.
The long rains
Heavy showers, and some small hotels close.
07
Practical
08
More places to go
Ngorongoro Crater
A collapsed volcano with a resident population, including black rhino.
Tarangire National Park
Baobabs and the densest elephant concentrations of the circuit.
Pemba Island
Quieter than Zanzibar, and the better diving.
