"A scented isle" Top 5 Page for this destination Zanzibar Island by toonsarah

Zanzibar Island Travel Guide: 415 reviews and 947 photos

Stone Town

Zanzibar
~ just the sound of that name is magical.

And the island lives up to the images that the name conjures up – not only in its sights and sounds but in the scent of exotic spices that hangs over the island, and indeed was the first thing to strike us as we stepped off our small plane on a warm evening.

Roof-tops of Stone Town

We spent the first part of our stay among the atmospheric, crumbling buildings of the island’s capital, Zanzibar Town, staying in, and exploring, its historic centre, often known as Stone Town.

We made several excursions in the surrounding area – a wonderful day spent visiting various spice plantations, and another exploring several of the islands that lie just off shore. We ate spicy seafood curries in rooftop restaurants, and drank cold beers in the iconic Livingstone’s Bar and Africa House Hotel.

Beach at Breezes

Our remaining time was spent on the island’s east coast at a rather luxurious resort, Breezes – the perfect place in which to unwind after the dust of our safari drives and the heat and chaos of Stone Town.

Pros and Cons

In a nutshell:A feast for the senses - sights, sounds and scents

Last visit to Zanzibar Island: Oct 1999
Intro Updated Dec 24, 2011
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Reviews (23)

Picking coconuts (by Chris) - Zanzibar Island

Falling coconuts Warnings and Dangers (2)

If you spend some time on a beach in Zanzibar (and almost every visitor does), be careful where you sit. A palm tree... more travel advice

No hassle from this sugar cane seller :-) - Zanzibar Island

Hassle from would-be guides Warnings and Dangers (2)

The least-appealing aspect of our stay in Stone Town was the amount of hassle we were subjected to by touts, would-be... more travel advice

A Stone Town crafts shop - Zanzibar Island

Typical souvenirs Shopping (1)

The winding streets of Stone Town contain plenty of shops to distract you in your wanderings, many of them selling... more travel advice

Sunset from Africa House - Zanzibar Island

Africa House sunset Nightlife (1)

One of the most popular places to end a day in Stone Town is on the first floor roof terrace of the Africa House... more travel advice

Local Customs (6)
See All Swahili dancing
Things to Do (7)
See All Jozani Forest
Restaurants (3)
See All Village lunch on spice tour

Hotels (2)
See All A great stay by the sea
Transportation (1)
Flying to Zanzibar
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Comments (14)

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LoriPori Jul 4, 2011 at 3:42 AM

Very interesting read on Zanzibar Island. The beaches look beautiful. The Spice Tour sounds intriguing to me. Coral structures - how cool is that!
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hunterV Jun 6, 2010 at 2:23 AM

I see you had a great stay there... Your story is very interesting and detailed, the pictures are splendid! Thanks!
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deecat Dec 21, 2009 at 1:30 PM

Wow, Sarah, so glad I chose this page to read. What a learning experience about a place I've not visited and knew so little about. Brilliant photographs, concise, evocative, exotic, and oh, so interesting.
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scottishvisitor Oct 4, 2009 at 2:04 PM

Nice & exotic page Sarah - loved Bawe Island & the spice tour sounds interesting
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richiecdisc Sep 24, 2009 at 2:38 PM

I'm a sucker for coconut curry myself. Spice Tour sounds great.KoKooKaGoo. Great local customs. Nice lens work, especially Stone Town dwellers and monkeys. Dhow Palace Hotel really looks charming. Is that Chris??
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volopolo May 19, 2009 at 9:13 AM

Excellent pictures! i like the Stone Town blue pic!!!
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HORSCHECK May 15, 2009 at 2:31 AM

Sarah, fantastic page with amusing commentaries. Of course I like the story about the rip-off football shirts. Oh well, I have never though about death by a fallen coconut. These would-be guides really seem to be a nightmare. Gorgeous page.
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Yaqui May 9, 2009 at 6:22 PM

Zanzibar looks a magical place. The House of Wonders is wonderful. It is nice to know that have restored it. Wonderful hp photo.
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Nemorino May 6, 2009 at 2:49 PM

Fine texts and tips! That's a great story of those men who heard your English voices and wanted to show you the English football results in their newspaper. That's really hospitality! Whatever became of that Bububu Railway Line? Does it still exist?
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yumyum May 3, 2009 at 12:28 PM

Great page, Sarah! Never been here but heard about it before. Looks like an amazing place to discover.