Zanzibar Town

Zanzibar town is the heart of Zanzibar island and its main port. The old part of the city is the Stone Town, an intriguing maze of narrow, cobbled lanes hemmed in by Arabic buildings built from coral blocks. Many of the houses have their own wells, and to reduce mosquitoes breeding in them, the residents raise tilapia fish to eat the mosquito larvae.

The best way to see the Stone Town is, literally, to get lost. You can spend hours just wandering the alleys and squares, drinking potent coffee sold by pavement vendors, or buying sweetmeats from scores of tiny cafés. Remember that Zanzibar is overwhelmingly Muslim, so immodestly dressed women (and even men in shorts) will get harassed and cause great offence. Never try to take a photograph without asking permission, as Zanzibaris are very sensitive on this issue.

Zanzibar has scores of guesthouses, many of them in the Stone Town, and most of them immaculately clean. It is accepted practice first to inspect a room before deciding whether or not to stay. Things to look out for are mosquito nets (in working order) and fans, running water (usually cold showers), a roof deck for relaxing in the evenings, and security. There are now several tourist class hotels in the Stone Town, with at least two - the Zanzibar Serena Inn and the Dhow Palace Hotel - in the luxury class.

Some of the sites worth seeing in and around the Stone Town include The People's Palace, the House of Wonders, the Anglican Cathedral and the slave market, the Peace Memorial and Palace Museums, the Old Dispensary, Livingstone's House, the Arab Fort, Tippu Tip's house (Tip was a notorious slaver).

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