Zanzibar Excursions

If relaxing on Zanzibar’s stunning beaches gets a bit much for you and you feel the need to explore the island, there are a number of excursion options you may want to consider.

Stone Town

This historic trading town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. The old town is built on a triangular peninsula of land on the western coast of the island. The oldest part of the town consists of a warren of narrow alleys to houses, shops, bazaars, and mosques. Cars are often too wide to drive down many of the maze of winding streets.

Here you can see the central market, former slave market, Palace museum and much more. Two large buildings dominate the main front of Stone Town. One is Beit-El-Ajaib or the House of Wonders, which was built by Sultan Seyyid Barghash as a grand palace for ceremonial purposes. The other is the Arab Fort which stands on the site of a former Portuguese settlement and was converted to a fort during the 18th Century.

It is also the birthplace of Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury.

Jozani Forest

Most of Zanzibar’s forests have been lost to agriculture or construction but the Jozani Forest in the centre of the island has been declared a protected reserve and covers about 3% of the island. The Jozani Forest has a large mangrove swamp and a tract of natural forest which is home to a number of unique species including the Red Colobus Monkey. The forest may also be home to the Zanzibar Leopard which, depending on the source your read, is either critically endanged or extinct.

Spice Plantations

Zanzibar’s reputation as the ‘Spice Islands’ comes from the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices that are found here. There are numerous spice plantations on the island which make for an interesting visit. Friendly and informed guides will escort you on a walking tour of the spice farms, picking bunches of leaves, fruit and twigs from bushes and trees, inviting you to smell or taste them to guess what they are.

Almost all the ingredients of the average kitchen spice rack can be found on this tour. Local children weave small 'gifts' from palm leaves as they follow you around and will quickly scamper up a coconut palm to cut a fresh coconut for you.

This is a great opportunity to find out why Zanzibar is known as the 'Spice Islands'.

Prison Island

From Stone Town, you can take a local dhow over to Prison Island which is famous for its prison and giant tortoises. The prison from which the island takes its name was built to detain unruly slaves. It is also an ideal place to relax on the beach or for a bit of snorkeling.