Zanzibar City

Zanzibar City is the capital of Zanzibar, made up of two distinct halves: the ancient Stone Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the newer commercial district of Ng'ambo (literally "the other side"). Stone Town is a labyrinth of narrow alleys, coral-stone buildings with ornate carved doors, bustling markets, and centuries-old mosques and churches. It was the heart of the Omani spice and slave trade empires and remains the cultural soul of the Swahili coast.

By plane: Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) is 5 km south of town.

By ferry: Frequent ferries from Dar es Salaam (2 hours). Also from Pemba and Tanga.

By road: From the airport, taxis cost TZS 15,000–25,000.

Walkable — but easy to get lost in the alleys (that's part of the fun). Taxis for Ng'ambo and the north coast beaches.

• House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib) — the largest and tallest building in Stone Town, a former sultan's palace.

• Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) — an Omani fort built in the 1690s, now a cultural centre.

• Forodhani Gardens — the waterfront park and nightly food market.

• St Monica's Cathedral & Former Slave Market — built on the site of the last slave market in the world.

• Zanzibar Palace Museum — a museum of Swahili life and Zanzibar's history.

• Darajani Market — the main produce and spice market.

• Stone Town walking tour — a guided walk covers all major sights.

• Spice tour — half-day tour on the outskirts of town.

• Prison Island day trip — 20 minutes by boat, giant tortoises and a small beach.

• Sunset dhow cruise — sail the harbour on a traditional dhow.

• Forodhani Night Market — Zanzibari pizza, grilled octopus, urojo soup, sugarcane juice (evenings).
• Lukmaan Restaurant — excellent Swahili food (biryani, curries, samosas).
• The Silk Route — Indian and Zanzibari fine dining.
• Mercury's — seafood and drinks on the waterfront.

Fresh sugarcane juice, passion fruit juice, coffee with ginger (kahawa ya tangawizi). Alcohol at hotels and restaurants.

• Budget: Jambo Guesthouse, Zanzibar Palace Hotel.
• Mid-range: Dhow Palace, Tembo House Hotel.
• Luxury: Park Hyatt Zanzibar, Serena Inn, Zanzibar Queen Hotel.

Spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper), Zanzibar fabric (kitenge, kanga), carved wooden chests, and paintings.

Bububu (10 km north, beach). Paje (40 km southeast, kite-surfing). Nungwi (60 km north, beaches). Jambiani (45 km southeast). Prison Island (20 minutes by boat). Pemba Island (3 hours by ferry). Dar es Salaam (2 hours by ferry).