Zanzibar was a fascinating place. The culture is very different from mainland Tanzania, and the views were incredible. I've put together a picture tour of the island to give you sense for just how unique it is.
Stone Town is the biggest town on the island, and it is famous for is its architecture. Zanzibari doors like these are everywhere, and the shape of the door can tell you if the building was originally Arabic or Indian. Both cultures are extremely influential on this Indian Ocean island. Historically Stone Town served as the primary port for all of East Africa, opening an entire side of the continent to Middle Eastern and Indian traders.
We ate lunch our first day in Stone Town at Mercury's, named for Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. Little known fact - Mercury was actually born on Zanzibar!
The view from the Old Fort, one of the many places we visited on our tour of Stone Town.
Enjoying the sunset from the roof of the Africa House Hotel was one of the most fun things we did in Stone Town. We liked it so much that we went back every night we were there!
The markets in Stone Town were particularly bustling and colorful. Zanzibar is famous for its spices, and you could definitely tell in the market - they were everywhere.
Another view of the market....
Stone Town is filled with winding streets and narrow alleyways. I was glad we had a guide the first time we walked around. We would have gotten hopelessly lost without one.
This picture includes images strongly associated with Zanibar's history and with the present culture. As the main port for East Africa, Zanzibar was one of the major sites for the slave trade and later the ivory trade. The church on the right was built on top of the world's last open slave market, and the altar stands where the whipping post used to be. Today Zanzibar is 95% Muslim. There are over 40 mosques in Stone Town alone, and several within a stone's throw of this church.
A view of the water from one of the many alleyways in Stone Town.
Kids playing on a boat right off shore... looks like they were having a good time!
During our trip we took a sunset cruise on a dhow, an Arabic-style sailboat used by many of the local fishermen on Zanzibar. Seeing Stone Town from the water was a treat.
Another view of Stone Town from the dhow.
Sailing the dhow was tough work... there wasn't exactly any technology on board to make it easier!
Sunset from the boat - absolutely breathtaking.
Evening overlooking the water in Stone Town. There wasn't much light left... hence the double mast in this photo.
The night market was one of our favorite places in Stone Town. A popular meeting place for locals, everyone gathered there in the evenings to socialize and sample the day's catch. All the food was served by men in chef hats, with the Indian Ocean rolling behind them. It was quite a scene!
The water at the beach in Zanzibar was the most beautiful I've ever seen. The otherworldly shades of green and turquoise were incredible.
Craig and Raphe enjoying a massage during our time at the beach.
A great night at dinner. The restaurant at our beach hotel was built on a low cliff overlooking the water, and because it was high tide in the evenings, the waves would roll under us while we ate.
An after dinner beach walk with Craig and Raphe.
This was a typical view during our time at the beach... beautiful water scattered with dug-out canoes anchored by local fishermen.
One of the best aspects of our beach hotel was the horizon pool. I spent a lot of time there!
A closer view of the dug-out canoes used by many Zanzibari fishermen.
Its hard to describe the stunning color of the water, but this picture gives you an idea.
A dug-out canoe at low tide. The water was crystal clear and very shallow, and the tide went out for nearly a mile. Walks at low tide through water like this were definitely a highlight of the trip.
The view from my usual perch overlooking the water. Not bad, right?
The classic Zanzibar scene - a dhow at sunset.
Zanzibar was a fascinating place. The culture is very different from mainland Tanzania, and the views were incredible. I've put together a picture tour of the island to give you sense for just how unique it is.
Stone Town is the biggest town on the island, and it is famous for is its architecture. Zanzibari doors like these are everywhere, and the shape of the door can tell you if the building was originally Arabic or Indian. Both cultures are extremely influential on this Indian Ocean island. Historically Stone Town served as the primary port for all of East Africa, opening an entire side of the continent to Middle Eastern and Indian traders.
We ate lunch our first day in Stone Town at Mercury's, named for Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. Little known fact - Mercury was actually born on Zanzibar!
The view from the Old Fort, one of the many places we visited on our tour of Stone Town.
Enjoying the sunset from the roof of the Africa House Hotel was one of the most fun things we did in Stone Town. We liked it so much that we went back every night we were there!
The markets in Stone Town were particularly bustling and colorful. Zanzibar is famous for its spices, and you could definitely tell in the market - they were everywhere.
Another view of the market....
Stone Town is filled with winding streets and narrow alleyways. I was glad we had a guide the first time we walked around. We would have gotten hopelessly lost without one.
This picture includes images strongly associated with Zanibar's history and with the present culture. As the main port for East Africa, Zanzibar was one of the major sites for the slave trade and later the ivory trade. The church on the right was built on top of the world's last open slave market, and the altar stands where the whipping post used to be. Today Zanzibar is 95% Muslim. There are over 40 mosques in Stone Town alone, and several within a stone's throw of this church.
A view of the water from one of the many alleyways in Stone Town.
Kids playing on a boat right off shore... looks like they were having a good time!
During our trip we took a sunset cruise on a dhow, an Arabic-style sailboat used by many of the local fishermen on Zanzibar. Seeing Stone Town from the water was a treat.
Another view of Stone Town from the dhow.
Sailing the dhow was tough work... there wasn't exactly any technology on board to make it easier!
Sunset from the boat - absolutely breathtaking.
Evening overlooking the water in Stone Town. There wasn't much light left... hence the double mast in this photo.
The night market was one of our favorite places in Stone Town. A popular meeting place for locals, everyone gathered there in the evenings to socialize and sample the day's catch. All the food was served by men in chef hats, with the Indian Ocean rolling behind them. It was quite a scene!
The water at the beach in Zanzibar was the most beautiful I've ever seen. The otherworldly shades of green and turquoise were incredible.
Craig and Raphe enjoying a massage during our time at the beach.
A great night at dinner. The restaurant at our beach hotel was built on a low cliff overlooking the water, and because it was high tide in the evenings, the waves would roll under us while we ate.
An after dinner beach walk with Craig and Raphe.
This was a typical view during our time at the beach... beautiful water scattered with dug-out canoes anchored by local fishermen.
One of the best aspects of our beach hotel was the horizon pool. I spent a lot of time there!
A closer view of the dug-out canoes used by many Zanzibari fishermen.
Its hard to describe the stunning color of the water, but this picture gives you an idea.
A dug-out canoe at low tide. The water was crystal clear and very shallow, and the tide went out for nearly a mile. Walks at low tide through water like this were definitely a highlight of the trip.
The view from my usual perch overlooking the water. Not bad, right?
The classic Zanzibar scene - a dhow at sunset.
