12 Things to Do in Zanzibar

A living 19th-century Indian Ocean trading port — the old quarter of Zanzibar City is a dense maze of alleys lined with carved wooden doors, Arab and Indian merchant mansions, mosques and the smell of spice in the air. The House of Wonders, the Old Arab Fort, the Freddie Mercury Museum and Forodhani Gardens night food market are all within walking distance. Getting deliberately lost in the lanes is the best thing you can do here.

The northern tip of Zanzibar is where the Indian Ocean meets the Zanzibar Channel — the result is powdery white coral sand, water in shades of jade and turquoise, and a beach that stays swimmable at all tides. Kendwa is calmer and more local; Nungwi is livelier with restaurants and sunset bars.

Zanzibar was the world's largest clove producer for two centuries — the entire interior of the island is still scented with cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla. A guided spice farm tour takes you through working plantations where you can smell and taste each spice in its raw form. Most tours end with a traditional Zanzibari lunch. One of the best half-days you can spend on the island.

The Mnemba Atoll is a protected marine area off the northeast coast — one of the Indian Ocean's finest dive sites. Hawksbill turtles, spinner dolphins, leopard sharks and enormous schools of reef fish all live here. Snorkellers can see most of it from the surface. Dive operators in Nungwi and Paje run daily trips. Between June and September, dolphins are almost guaranteed.

Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is the only place on earth where you can see the endangered Zanzibar Red Colobus monkey in the wild. These rust-coloured primates are completely habituated to human visitors. The forest boardwalk through the mangroves is an hour well spent.

A 25-minute boat ride from Stone Town, Changuu Island (Prison Island) holds a colony of Aldabra giant tortoises — some over 100 years old — originally gifted from Seychelles in 1919. Walking among them is surprisingly moving. The island also has a beach, snorkelling and the ruins of a 19th-century quarantine station.

Every evening at sundown, Stone Town's seafront gardens transform into an open-air night food market where vendors grill fresh seafood, make Zanzibar pizza and serve urojo soup by lamplight. One of the great street food experiences in East Africa.

The southeast coast gets consistent Indian Ocean trade winds June–September, making it one of the best kite surfing spots in Africa. Even non-surfers come for Paje's beautiful tidal flat and quiet beach bar scene.

The southern tip of Zanzibar is where spinner and bottlenose dolphins gather in the early morning. Boat tours from Kizimkazi offer snorkelling alongside them — success rates are high in season.

Built by Omani Arabs between 1698–1701, this is the oldest surviving building in Stone Town — now a cultural centre with an open-air amphitheatre hosting live music on summer evenings.

Farrokh Bulsara — Freddie Mercury — was born in Stone Town in 1946. His childhood home is now a boutique hotel and small museum. A pilgrimage for Queen fans.

The east coast's shallow tidal flats and reef patches offer accessible snorkelling — particularly at high tide around Pingwe's Blue Lagoon where the coral is close to the surface.