Zanzibar Archipelago
Spice coast
From - $2,300
per person, sharing
Destination Overview
Zanzibar is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, twenty five kilometres off the Tanzanian coast, made up of the main island of Unguja, the smaller island of Pemba and dozens of inhabited and uninhabited islets. For more than a thousand years it has been a meeting place of Arab, Persian, Indian, African and European traders, and the result is the most layered cultural destination in East Africa, with Swahili at its centre and influences from every coastline the trade winds touched.
Stone Town is the historic heart of Unguja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great Swahili coast cities. Narrow alleys wind between coral rag buildings with carved doors and overhanging balconies, the call to prayer rises from a dozen mosques five times a day, and the markets sell spice, cloth and fish exactly as they have for three centuries. A guided half day walk takes in the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the slave market memorial and the Forodhani Gardens night food market.
Beyond Stone Town the island opens out into spice farms in the interior, the Jozani forest with its endemic Zanzibar red colobus, and a coastline of white sand and turquoise water. The east coast beaches, from Paje and Jambiani in the south to Matemwe and Kiwengwa in the north, sit behind a reef that protects long stretches of swimming water at high tide. The north tip of the island at Nungwi and Kendwa has the only beaches not affected by the tides and is the busiest of the resort areas. Off the north east is Mnemba Atoll, the best snorkelling and diving on Unguja.
Western Bridge Africa pairs Zanzibar with the end of every classic safari, with a 1 hour flight from Arusha or the Serengeti dropping guests onto the island in time for lunch. We split nights between Stone Town for the culture and the east or north coast for the beach, and we book the boats, the spice tour and the dolphin trips through trusted local operators who pay their captains and guides fairly.
Related Tours
Tours that visit Zanzibar Archipelago
9 days
9-Day Safari & Zanzibar
Five days of safari followed by four nights on the Indian Ocean, our most-requested combination, with an internal flight included.
From $2,300
4 days
4-Day Zanzibar Beach Escape
A short, soft landing on the spice coast, three nights on Zanzibar's east coast at a boutique beach property, perfect as a safari extension.
From $950
6 days
6-Day Zanzibar Extension
A longer, slower stretch on the spice coast, Stone Town heritage, east-coast beach, a sunset dhow, spice farm and Mnemba snorkelling.
From $1,300
6 days
Coral Kingdom: 6 Days Mafia Island Marine Safari
Six unhurried days on Mafia Island, Tanzania's southernmost marine reserve, built around the reef, the whale sharks and a working fishing community that has kept its rhythm for centuries.
From $1,500
6 days
Emerald Isle Quest: 6 Days Pemba Island Exploration
Six days on Pemba, the greener, hillier and more traditional sister of Zanzibar - clove plantations, the Ngezi rainforest, and the drop-off diving of the Pemba Channel.
From $1,500
8 days
Historic Lanes to Turquoise Seas: 8 Days Zanzibar Isle of Wonders Tour
Eight days across the whole of Zanzibar - two nights of Stone Town heritage, a spice plantation and a Jozani forest morning, then five nights on the north-east coast with Mnemba snorkelling and a dhow sunset.
From $1,700
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