Stone Town is unlike any other place in Africa. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a living museum of Arab, Persian, Indian and African cultures woven together by centuries of the spice trade. But the best way to experience it is not through an organised tour.
How do you get there?
From the north of Zanzibar (Nungwi, Kendwa) it is an hour's drive. From Paje in the south also. A dala-dala (local minibus) costs a few hundred Tanzanian shillings. A private taxi costs €10–€15. Take a taxi if you have luggage.
The Forodhani Night Market — unmissable
Every evening as the sun goes down, the waterfront square at Forodhani transforms into an open kitchen. Local cooks grill seafood, rolls, mishkaki and urojo soup. Everything fresh, everything tasty, everything for a few dollars. It is noisy, colourful and delicious. Go before 18:30 to get the best spot before it gets too crowded.
The Darajani Market
Darajani Market is the largest covered market in Zanzibar — fresh catch on one side, spices, vegetables and meat on the other. Go early in the morning when the fish is still coming in. The smells are overwhelming but the energy is real.
Freddie Mercury's birthplace
Yes, Freddie Mercury — singer of Queen — was born in Stone Town in 1946. His birthplace on Khumalo Street is now a small museum. Not impressive as a building, but it gives you perspective on Zanzibar as a place where worlds converged.
The best coffee: Zanzibar Coffee House
On the edge of the market sits the Zanzibar Coffee House — a narrow, old-fashioned café with the best spice coffee on the island. Order your coffee with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. That's how it should be.
Get lost in the narrow alleys
The best advice I can give: leave the map in your pocket. Just walk. The alleyways are narrow, old and tell stories that no guide can recreate. You will inevitably get slightly lost. That is exactly right.
Practical
Stone Town deserves at least one full day, ideally two. Start early with the market, spend the hot afternoon in a restaurant or café, and end at the night market. Clothing: respectful, shoulders and knees covered — it is a Muslim community. Bargaining at the market is customary and accepted.