Zanzibar

Stone Town is the historic heart of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encapsulates centuries of Indian Ocean trade, cultural exchange, and architectural innovation. Its labyrinth of narrow alleyways, over 1,700 intricately carved wooden doors, and coral-rag buildings blending Arab, Indian, Persian, and European influences create one of Africa's most atmospheric urban landscapes. The town was once the commercial capital of the Swahili coast and a major hub for the spice and slave trades, and this layered history is visible in every ornate balcony, crumbling palace facade, and waterfront promenade. Key landmarks include the House of Wonders (Beit-al-Ajaib), the first building in East Africa to have electricity; the Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe), built by Omani Arabs in the 17th century; and the former Anglican Cathedral, constructed on the site of the last open slave market, where the altar stands where the whipping post once was. The Forodhani Gardens night market on the seafront is a nightly spectacle of grilled octopus, Zanzibar pizza, and sugar cane juice. Guided spice tours depart from Stone Town to the island's interior, where clove, vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper, and nutmeg plantations perfume the air. Two to three days in Stone Town provides a rich cultural immersion before or after a beach retreat.

Paje has emerged as East Africa's premier kitesurfing destination, thanks to its consistent trade winds from June to October and December to March, combined with a vast, shallow lagoon that creates ideal flat-water conditions for beginners and freestyle riders. At low tide, the lagoon drains to ankle depth, revealing a kilometres-wide expanse of white sand dotted with seaweed farms tended by local women — a scene that has become one of Zanzibar's most photographed landscapes. Beyond kitesurfing, Paje offers a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere that attracts a younger, more independent traveller than the resort-heavy north coast. Beachfront boutique hotels and eco-lodges line the shore, interspersed with open-air restaurants serving freshly grilled lobster and Swahili curry. The east coast's proximity to Jozani Forest — Zanzibar's only national park, protecting the endemic red colobus monkey (estimated population 5,800) — makes for an easy half-day excursion. Diving on the nearby reefs at Kizimkazi reveals dolphins, coral formations, and the underwater caves of Chumbe Island Coral Park, a globally recognised marine conservation success story.