Zanzibar

Zanzibar sits in the Indian Ocean about twenty-five miles off mainland Tanzania. For centuries it was the commercial hub of the Swahili coast, a centre of the clove and spice trade, and — until abolition in the late nineteenth century — one of the largest slave markets in East Africa. That history is why Stone Town looks and feels the way it does.

Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a dense maze of coral-stone buildings with carved doors, mosques, Hindu temples, a cathedral built on the site of the slave market, and the sultans' palaces along the seafront.

The coasts are entirely different: white sand, shallow turquoise water and a tidal range so large that on the east coast the sea retreats several hundred metres twice a day. Nungwi and Kendwa in the north are least affected by the tide; Paje and Jambiani in the southeast are the kitesurfing coast; Matemwe and Pongwe are quieter.

Few places combine a living historic town of this quality with beaches of this quality half an hour's drive away. Stone Town gives a genuinely layered Swahili, Omani, Indian and European history; the coast gives reef, dhows and warm water year-round.

The other draw is what is offshore and inland: Mnemba atoll's reef, the red colobus monkeys of Jozani forest — found nowhere else — and the spice farms that gave the island its old name of the Spice Islands.

• Walk Stone Town without a route. The lanes are too narrow for cars and too tangled for a map; getting lost between the carved doors, the bazaars and the seafront is the correct method.
• The Old Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral. The cathedral was built on the site of the market, with the holding chambers preserved beneath and a memorial by Clara Sörnäs in the courtyard. It is the most important thing to see on the island and the least comfortable.
• Forodhani Gardens at sunset, when the seafront fills with food stalls and boys diving off the wall.
• A dhow trip at sunset or to the sandbanks: traditional lateen-rigged boats, still working vessels as much as tourist ones.
• Snorkelling or diving at Mnemba atoll, a protected reef off the northeast coast with the best marine life around the island.
• Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park: the last significant patch of indigenous forest, home to the endemic Zanzibar red colobus, with a mangrove boardwalk.
• A spice farm tour in the island's interior: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and pepper growing, and an explanation of why the archipelago mattered so much commercially.
• The Rock restaurant and the Paje tidal flats at low tide, when you can walk out across sand where the sea was an hour earlier.

June to October is the main dry season and the best overall window: warm, sunny, lower humidity, and the water clear for diving. It coincides with the mainland safari season, which is why the two are so often combined.

December to February is the short dry season: hotter and more humid, but reliably sunny, and the peak period over Christmas and New Year.

March to May is the long rains, when rainfall is heaviest and some hotels and dive operations close. November brings the short rains, usually as passing showers rather than washouts, with low prices.

Ramadan shifts by about eleven days each year and changes the rhythm of the island significantly: many restaurants outside the beach resorts close during daylight, and Stone Town is quieter by day and lively after sunset. Worth planning around in either direction.

Stone Town for history and atmosphere: converted merchant houses and former palaces, usually with rooftop terraces. Two nights is generally enough.

Nungwi and Kendwa (north): the busiest resort area, with deep water at all tides and the liveliest nightlife.

Matemwe and Pongwe (northeast and east): quieter, closer to Mnemba, more small lodges than large resorts.

Paje and Jambiani (southeast): kitesurfing, a long village strip, a mixture of budget guesthouses and boutique places, and dramatic tides.

Pemba: a handful of lodges, serious diving, almost no crowds.

The tide is the deciding factor for many people. On the east coast the sea can be several hundred metres out for hours; if swimming from the beach at any time matters to you, the north is the safer choice.

Abeid Amani Karume International Airport near Stone Town takes direct international flights from several European and Gulf cities, and frequent short hops from Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Kilimanjaro.

From Dar es Salaam, fast ferries cross to Stone Town in roughly two hours. Book with an established operator and keep the ticket, as it is checked at the port.

Note that arriving from mainland Tanzania still means passing an immigration desk, because Zanzibar administers its own entry procedures. Carry your passport on the ferry and on domestic flights.

Distances are short but journeys are slow. Stone Town to the northern or eastern beaches takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half by road.

Private transfers arranged through your accommodation are the usual method and are straightforward. Shared dala-dalas — converted pickups and minibuses running fixed routes — are the local transport and are very cheap, slow and crowded.

Taxis are unmetered, so agree the fare before setting off. Hiring a scooter or a car requires a local permit obtained on the island in addition to your own licence, and road conditions, livestock and unlit night traffic make driving a genuine risk; most visitors use drivers.

Stone Town itself is walked. The lanes cannot take cars, which is much of their charm.

Stone Town: UNESCO World Heritage, with the House of Wonders, the Old Fort, the Anglican Cathedral and the Darajani market.

Prison Island (Changuu): a short boat ride from Stone Town, with a colony of introduced Aldabra giant tortoises, some of them very old.

Mnemba atoll: the reef; the island itself is a private resort and is not open to visitors.

Jozani Forest: red colobus monkeys and mahogany forest.

Nungwi and Kendwa: the northern beaches with swimmable water at all tides, and Nungwi's dhow-building yards.

Paje and Jambiani: the southeast coast, kitesurfing, and village life along the shore.

Pemba island: the quieter northern island, greener and far less developed, with excellent diving.

Zanzibari cooking is Swahili coastal food with Indian and Omani influence: fish and octopus in coconut curries, pilau and biryani, cassava, chapati, and the spices grown on the island. Urojo, sometimes called Zanzibar mix, is the local street soup. Forodhani's evening stalls are the sociable version, though prices there are aimed at visitors.

The islands are overwhelmingly Muslim and conservative by comparison with the resorts on their coast. Away from beach areas — and always in Stone Town and villages — cover shoulders and knees; swimwear belongs on the beach and at the hotel only. This is the single most common way visitors cause offence.

Other courtesies: ask before photographing people, particularly women; accept that Friday midday prayers slow everything; and expect a greeting before any transaction, as going straight to business is considered rude. Public displays of affection, and same-sex relationships, are treated very differently here than in Europe, and local law is strict.

Zanzibar spans a wide range. Stone Town guesthouses, local food and dala-dalas are cheap; the beach resorts on the north and east coasts are priced internationally and in high season are not a budget destination.

The costs that catch people out are the compulsory insurance, the airport and port fees, unmetered taxi fares agreed after the journey, and organised excursions such as Mnemba trips and spice tours, which vary considerably in price for similar content.

What keeps the total down: staying in a guesthouse in Paje, Jambiani or Stone Town rather than a resort; eating at local restaurants away from the seafront; agreeing all taxi fares in advance; and travelling in the shoulder months of November or early June.

Cash matters. The Tanzanian shilling is the currency, US dollars are widely accepted for larger transactions, and card acceptance outside hotels is limited.

Mandatory insurance. This is the requirement that is specific to Zanzibar and that surprises most visitors. According to UK Foreign Office guidance, all visitors to Zanzibar, excluding residents, must hold inbound travel insurance issued by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC); it can only be bought from ZIC, other international travel policies are not accepted for this purpose, and you may be refused entry without it. It does not replace your own travel insurance — you still want a normal policy for medical cover and repatriation.

Visas. Tanzania operates an e-visa applied for before travel, and visas on arrival at main ports of entry; it is no longer possible to obtain one from some overseas missions, so use the official e-visa service. Confirm your own nationality's position with the Tanzanian immigration authority before booking.

Passport. UK guidance states the passport should have at least six months' validity from the date of arrival and at least one blank page.

Yellow fever. Proof of vaccination is required if you are arriving from a country listed as a transmission risk, which includes transiting through one in some circumstances. Check the requirement against your specific routing.

Because these rules have changed recently and may change again, verify each of them on official government sources shortly before you travel.

Buy the ZIC insurance before you arrive. It is the most common cause of trouble at the border for visitors to Zanzibar.

Malaria is present. Take medical advice on prophylaxis well before departure, use repellent, and sleep under a net. This applies on the islands as well as the mainland.

Dress modestly away from the beach. Shoulders and knees covered in Stone Town and villages; swimwear only at the beach or hotel.

Do not drink the tap water. Use bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth, and be careful with ice outside established hotels and restaurants.

The tide dictates the day on the east coast. Check tide times when planning swimming, boat trips or a walk to a tidal restaurant.

Agree taxi and excursion prices in advance, in writing where possible, and be wary of unofficial guides who attach themselves to you in Stone Town.

Respect Ramadan if you travel during it: eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight is inappropriate outside tourist areas.

Seven days: two nights in Stone Town — the cathedral and slave market, Forodhani, a spice farm, a sunset dhow — then four or five nights on one coast. Choose the north for swimming at all tides, the southeast for kitesurfing and a quieter village setting.

Ten days: the same, plus Jozani forest on the transfer day, a day at Mnemba, and two or three nights on Pemba for diving and a much less developed island.

Combined with the mainland: Zanzibar works best as the second half of a trip — northern Tanzania's safari circuit first, then flying direct from Arusha or Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar to finish at the coast.