Stone Town Zanzibar

Stone Town is the old heart of Zanzibar City, a maze of narrow lanes and coral-stone houses built by Swahili, Arab, Indian and European merchants over centuries of Indian Ocean trade. Its UNESCO-listed streets are famous for their massive carved wooden doors, many studded with brass in a style brought from India.

Walk with a guide past the Old Fort, the Anglican Cathedral built on the site of the former slave market and the busy Darajani Market, then join a spice tour in the countryside to see cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla growing. In the evening, the Forodhani Gardens food market fills the seafront with stalls.

Dress modestly in town, with shoulders and knees covered, as Zanzibar is a conservative Muslim society. One or two nights in Stone Town pair well with a beach stay on the north or east coast.