Zanzibar Stone Town
Description: Stone Town is said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa. It was an ancient trading port of the sultans of Oman in the 19th century.
During your stay you can take a tour (self-guided or guided) of the historic sites such as the Arab Fort, the House of Wonders and the Palace Museum – all taking you back in time. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings.
This neighborly rivalry is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors – there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork. Most people enjoy ‘getting lost’ in the maze of Stonetown’s narrow, winding and criss-crossing streets.
Location: Off the coast of Tanzania, a 2 hour ferry ride from Dar es Salaam or fly in to Zanzibar via the Northern Parks, Arusha, Dar es Salaam or the Southern Parks
Things 2 Do:Spice Tour, Museum Visits, Visit Jozani Forest, and Visit Changuu Island’s Giant Tortoises
Time: Requires at least one day to see most of Stone Town.
Accommodations
$$
236 Hurumzi
Africa House
Chavda Hotel
Dhow Palace
Mbweni Ruins Hotel
Seyyida Hotel and Spa
Tembo House Hotel
Zanzibar Coffee House
Zanzibar Hotel
$$$
Beyt al Chai/ The Stone Town Inn
Swahili House
Zanzibar Palace Hotel
Zanzibar Serena Inn
“Excellent planning and preparation. So many things could have gone wrong. Thanks to Access 2 Tanzania’s tireless work in paying attention to detail everything worked very smoothly. From the time we met Maningo at the airport in Kilimanjaro till we took off in a 14 seater airplane from the Serengeti plains there was not one snafu. We were greeted at every camp site by someone who knew who we were. We were given lodging instructions and checked in with out a problem. The food was very good and even though we ate salad greens no one got sick. Our driver/guide, Maningo always had bottles of water for us on game drives. Maningo washed the land cruiser every night so we never had a dirty vehicle.”