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Exotic Legacy Safaris and Tours

Island & coast

Zanzibar

Stone Town, spice farms and white-sand beaches
Turquoise water and white sand at Nungwi beach, Zanzibar

The Zanzibar archipelago lies off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. After a safari, its historic Stone Town, spice plantations and coral-fringed beaches are the perfect place to slow down.

Unguja, the main island, is a short flight from Arusha. Its old quarter, Stone Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2000) of narrow alleys, carved wooden doors, and buildings that reflect Swahili, Arab, Persian, Indian and European history.

Where to stay

  • Nungwi and Kendwa (north): swimming at most tides and sunsets over the sea.
  • Paje and Jambiani (south-east): wide tidal lagoons, seaweed farms and kitesurfing.
  • Kiwengwa and Matemwe (east): quiet beaches close to Mnemba Atoll, the island’s best-known snorkelling spot.

Things to do

  • A walking tour of Stone Town, including the old slave market memorial at Christ Church.
  • A spice farm tour to taste cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
  • Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, home of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey.
  • Prison Island (Changuu) and its Aldabra giant tortoises.
  • Snorkelling or diving at Mnemba Atoll.
Nungwi beach on the northern tip of Zanzibar
Photo: Nina R from Africa, CC BY 2.0
Stone Town seafront and harbour, Zanzibar
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Traditional dhow sailing at sunset off Zanzibar
Photo: safaritravelplus, CC0
Zanzibar red colobus monkey in Jozani forest
Photo: Erasmus Kamugisha, CC BY-SA 4.0

Where we stay

Luxury

Emerson Spice

Restored merchant’s house with a rooftop restaurant.

Mid-range

Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Seafront hotel in two historic buildings.

Mid-range

Kendwa Rocks Hotel

Relaxed beach hotel on one of the few beaches with little tide.

Luxury

Essque Zalu Zanzibar

Luxury resort on the northern tip of the island.

Trips that visit Zanzibar

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