Zanzibar travel guide

Peace Memorial Museum

Home to a wealth of Zanzibar's memorabilia, the Peace Memorial Museum is a great place to discover the intriguing history and culture of the islands. With exhibits including traditional carvings and local wildlife displays covering reptiles and birds, visitors can also view relics from the age of the Sultans and early explorers such as Chinese porcelain, an old palm oil-powered bicycle lamp and David Livingstone's medical chest. Built as a peace memorial by British architect J.H. Sinclair, the beautiful spherical design of the museum acknowledges Zanzibar's Arab influence and is reminiscent of the eastern architecture of Istanbul and India. Look out for the cumbersome land tortoises that inhabit the Museum's lush garden.

Those looking for a touch of education on their tropical beach holiday should find a visit to this museum informative.

Northern Beaches of Zanzibar

There are many superb white beaches and picturesque villages around Zanzibar ideal for those wanting to get away from the bustling town life, particularly along the northeast coast. Modestly veiled women make bright splashes of colour along white sandy stretches of beach, dhows with curved sails drift along close to shore, and fishermen offer their fresh catches of the day to the simple seaside restaurants. Miles of pristine beaches are dotted with pockets of guesthouses, particularly around Kendwa and the fishing village of Nungwi, renowned for its tradition of boat building, and one of the most popular locations, particularly with the younger crowd. There is excellent diving and deep-sea fishing off this coast. One of the most beautiful and isolated beaches is at Matemwe, and the small offshore island of Mnemba has a fine coral reef offering some of Zanzibar's best diving.

Old Fort

Built at the turn of the 17th century on the remains of a Portuguese church and crumbling Arab garrison, the burly Old Fort was constructed to fend off the enterprising Portuguese seafarers and Mazrui Arabs of Mombassa keen to gain power of the lucrative 'Spice Islands'. The Mazrui Arabs launched an attack in 1754 coming off unsuccessfully against the stoic Old Fort. The thick caramel walls and castellated battlements later acted as a place of incarceration, detaining local criminals and slaves. In later years the fort functioned as the depot for the Bububu railway, Zanzibar's first railway, which once wound from Zanzibar Town to Bububu, but no longer exists.

Nowadays the Old Fort houses shops and henna painting stores and the Cultural Centre where visitors can marvel at the fine artistry of local craftsmen at work. In the evening local music and dancing at the open-air theatre brightens up the night and occasional film screenings are shown.

Palace Museum

Illuminating the lifestyle of the Sultans of Zanzibar, the Palace Museum (originally called the Sultan's Palace), became the official residence of the Al Busid dynasty in 1911. Built in the 1890s, the extensive white building is situated on harbour road with breath-taking sea views. It is the most recent of the Sultans' palaces and was occupied till the revolution in 1964. The Palace Museum houses an impressive collection of the Sultans' elaborate furniture and possessions as well as a room dedicated to the life of Sultan Sayyid Said's daughter, Princess Salme. Renowned for her manuscript, Memoirs of an Arabian Princess, this significant autobiography is the only known written account of what life was like for Arab women of the Royal court in the 1800s. Excerpts from the book, family photographs and samples of Princess Salme's wardrobe are also on display. Outside the museum is the Makusurani graveyard where some of the sultans are buried.

For those interested in the opulent lives of Zanzibar's Sultans this is a fascinating attraction.

Anglican Cathedral and Slave Market

The colossal Anglican Cathedral in Stone Town is located on the grounds of the island's largest former slave market. The cathedral's altar stands on the exact location of the former whipping post, a tree where slaves were brutalised to show their strength and resilience to potential slave owners. Building began in 1873 to commemorate the end of the slave trade and was conducted by Edward Steere, third bishop of Zanzibar and a fervent abolitionist. The cathedral has a combination of Gothic and Arabic styles and is noted for its Basilica shape and barrel vault roof, which the populace believed would never hold. Taking ten years to build, Edward Steere died of a heart attack during construction and was buried behind the altar. Look out for the stark memorial outside the cathedral, a sculpture of a slave family bound round the neck by a chain.

House of Wonders (Beit el-Ajaib)

The first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and the first building in East Africa to have an elevator, Beit el-Ajaib (which translates into the House of Wonders) was the former ceremonial palace of Sultan Barghash and was built in 1883 on the site of the 16th-century Queen Fatuma's residence. A striking white building, the House of Wonders has housed many influential tenants, used by the British as their local offices and as the headquarters of Tanzania's political party CCM.

While the building is now in disrepair and not open to the public, one can still admire the architecture. The multiple verandas, Arabic arches, heavy wooden door and embossed cannons are all a fascinating sight to see.

Central Market

A vibrant array of colours and spicy scents lures visitors to the vibrant Central Market in Stone Town. Opened in 1904, the numerous stalls run over with tropical fruits, exotic spices, brightly coloured khangas (worn by local women) and rare provisions such as pomegranates and red bananas. Locals come daily from the surrounding areas to display their subsistence wares, and fishermen display their catch of the day with a pungent array of fresh fish from huge marlins to salty sardines. The market is chaotic and can prove a bit overwhelming for some people, but it is an exciting, colourful cultural experience and worth a quick stroll at least. Foodies will enjoy sampling the rare fruits and local specialities. Speaking of food, the best place for a sampling of traditional street food is the night market by the waterfront of the Forodhani Gardens.

Jozani Chwaka Bay Conservation Area

The largest conservation area in Zanzibar and the only remaining natural mangrove forest on the island, the Jozani Chwaka Bay Conservation Area is renowned for its hairy ape residents, the Red Colobus Monkeys. Endemic to Zanzibar, these entertaining creatures attract visitors from far and wide. The species is highly endangered, now numbering only about 1,500. Due to large-scale cultivation, firewood collection, harvesting building materials and charcoal and lime making, Zanzibar's forests have been largely depleted, making the Jozani Chwaka Bay conservation area a significant natural landscape and well worth protecting. Nature lovers can walk through the 100 different towering tree species and marvel at the rich variety of birdlife and other small wildlife that inhabit the cool woodland area. Exploring the mangrove forest is a refreshing break from the sunny beaches.

Mtoni Palace Ruins

If you are looking for a place to escape the bustle of Stone Town for a few hours, head north to the peaceful Maruhubi and Mtoni Palace ruins. Sultan Said bin Sultan first built Mtoni between 1828 and 1834 after he left Muscat and made Zanzibar his throne and it was also the childhood home of Princess Salme. The decadent Maruhubi Palace was built later in the 1880s by Sultan Barghash, as a harem for his 99 concubines and wife. The structure was mainly wooden and one of the most beautiful of its time, but was gutted by a fire in 1889 and left in ruins. The rolling lawns, bathhouses and water lily ponds are reminiscent of the life of affluence enjoyed by the palace residents over a century ago.

To view a well-preserved Hammam from the 1850s continue north to the Kidichi Persian Baths, constructed by Sultan Seyyid Said for his Persian wife.

Local buses stop near the palace ruins and there is no cover charge to explore, unless there is an event underway - the site is used for concerts and lectures and travellers should find out if anything interesting is happening during their stay in the area.

Old Dispensary

An architectural symbol of the mixed bag of cultures evident in Zanzibar's history, the elaborate Old Dispensary was so named because it long housed a dispensary on the ground floor, with a pharmacy and resident doctor. An affluent Ismaili Indian merchant, Tharia Topan, who financed the building project, laid the first brick 1887 and the building was completed in 1894. One of the most decorative buildings of the time, the Old Dispensary is adorned with ornate carved balconies, stuccowork and stained glass windows. Restored in the early 1990s, the Dispensary housed a small museum which displayed old photographs of Stone Town's waterfront, but the upper floors are now mostly empty. For a stunning view of the harbour, visit the upper veranda, which is open for visitors. There are also some curio shops on the ground floor.

The Old Dispensary is a beautiful building and worth passing by and photographing at the very least.

Mafia Island

Mafia Island, along with Pemba and Zanzibar, form the famous Spice Islands off the coast of Tanzania. While the name conjures images of shady criminals and glamorous heists, the real riches of Mafia Island lie underwater in its magnificent coral reef system. Mafia Island is a top diving destination for those in the know. Limited accommodation means it's a great place to hide from the tourist crowds on Zanzibar, and provides additional opportunities for fishing and swimming with whale sharks. There are also land-based activities, including trips to the bustling village on tiny Chole Island and the ruined one on Juani Island.

Pemba Island

The small and unspoilt Tanzanian island of Pemba is becoming a popular alternative for visitors seeking a quieter, less developed alternative to Zanzibar, located approximately 31 miles (50km) to the north. Pemba is known as 'the green island' in Arabic, and is one of several islands that make up the Zanzibar archipelago. The island trio consisting of Pemba, Zanzibar and Mafia is traditionally referred to as the Spice Islands.

This undulating, fertile island hosts a number of small and large scale farming enterprises. The smaller farms producing mainly rice, coconuts, bananas¸ cassava and (red beans), while the larger farms produce cash crops such as cloves (there are over 3 million clove trees on the island!) This backdrop of cultivated countryside makes for some interesting - and fragrant - sightseeing.

As a tourist destination, Pemba offers some great dive sites with abundant marine life, untouched corals and dizzying vertical drop-offs. The towns of Chake-Chake (the capital), Mkoani and Wete have some interesting cultural and archaeological attractions influenced by the local Arab and Waswahili peoples; the island is recognised as a national centre for traditional medicine and witchcraft. There are also bullfighting events to watch, a throw-back of the island's 16th century Portuguese colonisation.

Getting to Pemba Island isn't too much of a problem - there are regular domestic flights from Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam to Pemba Airport (also referred to as Wawi or Karume Airport), located 4 miles (7km) from Chake-Chake on the east coast of the island. There are also ferries to Pemba from Zanzibar.