Stone town

Stone town
Stone town is the capital of Zanzibar an archipelago in Tanzania East Africa. The town is also often known as “Mjo Mkongwe” a Kiswahili word to mean “old town” then the name of the town was later changed to Shangani fishing village and then later called Zanzibar.
The first inhabitants of Zanzibar were the local Bantu people and their remains are evident dating back to the 6th century at Fukuchani. There is evident of early inhabitants being agriculturalists and fishing community. The town later became a center for slave trade in East Africa attracting different ethnicities to settle on the islands for hundreds of years.
One of the interesting things about Stone town is its architecture, almost all doors of Zanzibar have different designs originating from Indian, Persian, African, British and Arab designs. Most stone town streets are very narrow and you will need to explore on foot or with a donkey.
There are a lot of things to do while in stone town and we can look at some below:
Arab old fort
One of the historical places you can explore in Stone town is Arab old fort, the fort was built by Omani Arabs in 1699 after expelling Portuguese from the islands. The fort was later used as a prison during 19th century and also turned to a Zanzibar railway terminal. Today tourist’s visit Arab old fort to learn more about its history and you can also find locals selling some items from the courtyard.
House of wonders
House of wonders also known as palace of wonders is the largest and tallest building of stone town built by Barghash Bin Said, this was the first first building to have electricity in Zanzibar and the first to have an elevator in East Africa. The sultan made sure that the main door was too wide so that he could ride an elephant through it, he also chained up animals for display in front of the building.
Forodhani gardens
The Forodhani gardens also known as Jubilee gardens is situated in stone town, this gardens look like just any other place but come alive at night time. If you’re a lover of delicious cuisine then this place should be on your bucket list while in stone town, both locals and tourists gather here in the evenings to enjoy continental cuisines. Don’t forget to try the yummy Zanzibar pizza!
Visit Old slave market
The old slave market of stone town is now a world heritage site and funded by UNESCO. Stone town was the center of slaves brought from different parts of East Africa. From the 18th to the 19th century, over 50,000 slaves were sold in this market every year. Today the slave market has been turned into an Anglican Cathedral.
Palace museum
The current place replaced the old one that was destroyed on the Anglo Zanzibar war, it later served as a residence for the Sultan’s family then changed as a government seat in 1964. Its now a museum showing exhibits of the royal Zanzibar family and gives tourists an insight to what Zanzibar’s life was like in the 19th century.
Freddie Mercury’s house
Freddie Mercury was a famous singer and song writer known world wide for his talent. Although he relocated to Europe, He was born and raised in Zanzibar. If you’re a fan of his music then you have the opportunity to learn about his early childhood life and see where he grew up from.
Prison island
Prison island also known as Changuu island located about 6 kilometers from stone town, was a place for rebellious slaves in 1860s, A British minister later bought it and built a prison complex on the island but no slaves were imprisoned there, it was later used to quarantine people who suffered with yellow fever were quarantined. Its now home to very giant tortoises.
Spice tour
Zanzibar as always been known as spice islands because the spice industry contributes to the economy of Zanzibar. Spices have been grown on the island for very many years, tourists cam now visit spice plantations in Zanzibar to learn how deferent kinds of spices are grown. Some of the spices grown on the island include; Nut meg, cloves, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, black peppers, red pepper and many others.
Coastal beaches
Zanzibar’s white sand beaches and turquoise blue waters are a perfect place to relax after a long safari holiday in Tanzania and also an ideal place for honeymooners. There are several beaches and resorts you can go to relax from while in Stone town.
Persian baths
The Persian baths in stone town were built in 1870 and 1888 by the Sultan Bin Said to be used for public baths, the building had several rooms, restaurants and shaving areas. The Persian baths were open for both men and women and only wealthy Zanzibari’s could access the baths because it required a fee to access.
Old dispensary
The old dispensary in Stone town was built in the 18th century to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden Jubilee, Ismaili Indian didn’t finish the work as he passed on before the building was complete, his widow resumed his work but also didn’t finish. Ismaili’s aim of building was to use it as a Charity hospital to treat the poor. A prominent Indian later on bought the building and turned the lower floor to a dispensary and the upper floor to apartments.
Snorkeling
One of the most exciting activities that most travelers look up to while in Zanzibar is Snorkeling, there are many spots where tourists can snorkel from at the indian ocean. Some of the marine life you will see are; green turtle, sea horse, crocodile fish, octopus, humpback whale, trumpet fish, porcelain crab, white tip reef shark, mantis shrimp, frog fish, dolphins, cuttle fish, harlequin shrimp, napoleon wrasse, lion fish, stone fish, Bluefin trevally, Mauritius scorpion fish, ghost pipefish, indian ocean walk man, blue spotted ray and flying gurnard among others.
Scuba diving
Divers visiting stone town shouldn’t miss an opportunity to do scuba diving in Zanzibar islands. Some scuba diving spots can be accessed by boats off the shores while others are close to the shores.
Sunset Dhow cruise
Zanzibar is known for outstanding sunsets over the Indian ocean and this is one of the activities you can do while in stone town, you can enjoy sunsets on a traditional dhow cruise on the Indian ocean. While sipping a sun downer.
Souvenir shopping
There a lot of local shops selling African hand made crafts in Zanzibar, support the locals by buying some of these items as souvenirs or as gifts to take back home for your loved ones.
Getting there
Tourist’s can get to Stone town through 5 port by boats or ferries, alternatively you can fly in to Abeid Amani Karume international Airport from Nyerere international Airport or Kilimanjaro international Airport.
Best time to visit
Stone town can be visited all year round but it also depends on the activity you want to do while in Stone town like going to Jozani Chakwa Bay national park, Scuba diving, Snorkelling will need you to visit at a certain time of the year but exploring the town historical places can be done all year round.
Jozani Chakwa Bay national park
Jozani Chakwa Bay national park is the only national park in Zanzibar covering an area of 50 kilometers. The unique national park is home to some 40 species of birds, 50 species of butterflies, and several species of animals.
The Zanzibar red colobus monkey also known as Kirk’s red colobus monkey is endemic to Zanzibar islands, it was named after Sir John Kirk who first brought it the knowledge of zoological science. The Zanzibar leopard also lives in the park although it was claimed to be extinct some evidence of an American documentary television series footage confirmed the animal might still exist.
Jozani was first established as a forest reserve by colonial government in 1952 and later gazetted as a nature reserve before upgrading it to a national park in 2004.
Tourists visiting the park can take nature guided walks or do a mangrove walk in Jozani forest, the walks normally take 45 minutes to 2 hours meaning you can visit within a day trip. Entry fee is paid at the entrance to the park then you walk a short distance to the reception where you will be assigned a tourist guide who will take you for the walk, you will learn a lot about birds, plants and wildlife during the walk with an experienced and knowledgeable guide.
Birding in Jozani
Jozani has been designated as a birding area by bird life international. Bird enthusiasts can spot species like; long tailed cormorant, African jacana, African darter, crested francolin, fulvous whistling duck, lesser flamingo, greater flamingo, white backed duck, helmeted guinea fowl, African palm swift, ring necked dove, little swift, emerald spotted wood dove, African pygmy goose, square tailed night jar, African crake, golden plover, Madagascar cuckoo, water thick knee, African swamp hen, black bellied plover, Senegal lapwing, pacific golden plover, African wood owl, black headed heron, white headed vulture, African sacred ibis, cattle egret, squaco heron, masked booby, white tailed tropic bird and broad billed sand piper to mention a few.