Zanzibar

What and Where It Is

Unguja covers about 1,464 km², and flights land at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport near Stone Town. Stone Town, listed by UNESCO in 2000, is an old Swahili trading town shaped by African, Arab, Indian and European influences, and it played a central part in the history of the East African slave trade and its end. A half day with a good guide is well spent.

Wildlife and Activities

Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, about 50 km² in the south of the island, protects forest where you can walk among the endangered Zanzibar red colobus. Aders' duiker, a small and rare forest antelope, also lives here.

Out on the water, there is snorkeling and diving on coral reefs, dhow trips and kayaking. Around Mnemba Island off the northeast coast, a marine conservation area protects the reef, green turtles nest on the beaches, and dolphins are often seen.

Best Time to Go

The main rains fall from March to May, with a smaller wet spell in November and December. The rest of the year is the best time for beach weather, which lines up well with the dry season on the mainland parks. See our month-by-month safari guide for safari timing to pair with it.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Scheduled flights connect Zanzibar with Arusha and Dar es Salaam, and light aircraft link it with the safari airstrips. It is about an hour by air from Nyerere National Park. Three or four nights is a good beach stay after a safari, with an extra night in Stone Town if you want to explore it properly.

Where to Stay on Zanzibar

andBeyond Mnemba Island is a small barefoot lodge on a private island less than a mile around, with 12 beachfront bandas and room for no more than 24 guests. Non-guests cannot land on the island, and you can snorkel the house reef straight from the beach. Getting there takes about 90 minutes from Zanzibar airport or Stone Town, by road and then a short boat ride.