7 days Sojourn In Stone Town

When your plane touches down at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, you’ll be met by a friendly representative from Chalema Tanzania Safaris for the short drive to Stone Town. Also known as Zanzibar City, this is the biggest town on the island—and we’ll be staying at the Dhow Palace Hotel, right in the heart of the action. The hotel is a former mansion which has retained its stately elegance and historical character, making it the ideal place to call home for the next few days. After getting checked in, you’ll have the afternoon at your leisure to explore the nearby markets and try your first real taste of Zanzibar’s famously spicy cuisine.

After watching the sunrise from the rooftop terrace of the Dhow Palace Hotel, we’ll join a walking tour of Stone Town to get a firsthand look at its distinctive mosques, historical forts, lively marketplaces, and narrow streets lined with colorful shops. In the absence of most traditional vehicle traffic, Stone Town is one of the most rewarding cities in the world to explore on foot. Later this afternoon, we’ll take a short cruise to nearby Changuu, or Prison Island. The island gets its name from a prison once built here by the British, although it was ultimately used instead as a medical facility. The island now serves as a protected refuge for Zanzibar’s endangered giant tortoises, and our visit to the island will afford you the opportunity to photograph and feed these colossal reptiles.

Our adventure in Zanzibar continues this morning with a quick jaunt to the fishing town of Kizimkazi, where we’ll hop aboard a small boat to search the waters for bottlenose dolphins. Watching these intelligent mammals at play is always a treat—and you might even get the chance to swim with them! After we dry off, we’ll head north to the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park. Better known simply as the Jozani Forest, Zanzibar’s only national park is a prime example of what makes this Tanzanian paradise so special. In the company of an experienced guide, you’ll trek through the rainforest in search of brightly colored birds, striking butterflies, and red colobus monkeys. This evening, we’ll return to the Dhow Palace Hotel for one last night in Stone Town.

On our final morning in Stone Town, we’ll embark upon one of the island’s most popular activities: a cruise in a traditional Arabian dhow. These distinctive sailboats can be identified by their triangular sails as they skim the waters just offshore. We’ll join up with a local tour operator called The Safari Blue to enjoy our own sailing excursion, visiting nearby deserted islands, drifting through atmospheric mangrove swamps, and snorkeling amongst stands of coral teeming with fish. To cap off the tour, we’ll enjoy a mouthwatering seafood buffet—prepared and cooked right on the beach. Later this afternoon, we’ll bid a fond farewell to Stone Town and strike out for the northernmost tip of Unguja: the tranquil fishing village of Nungwi. Our accommodations for the next few nights will be at the ocean-facing Amaan Beach Bungalows.

Enjoy the stunning location of your beachside bungalow to its fullest today. After a hearty breakfast, take your leisure on the white sands of Zanzibar’s most beautiful coastline, soaking up the sun and watching the elegant dhows drift back and forth across the waves. If you’ve come to this island looking for rest and relaxation, Nungwi is a dream come true. Of course, if you prefer something more exciting to do, we can arrange a scuba diving or snorkeling tour from Jambo Square. There is an entire world of coral reefs and colorful fish waiting just beneath the water, and especially lucky swimmers may even encounter dolphins and humpback whales. After dinner, take an evening dip in the pool or watch the sun set over still waters of the Indian Ocean.

With no prearranged activities, this is another languid, unhurried day on Tanzania’s Island of Spice. You can spend your time reading a book by the water or watching residents and visitors alike strolling across the sands. To break up the day, we can always book another sailing or snorkeling expedition, but another option exists here in Nungwi: touring a local spice farm. Aromatic and tasty spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom, and lemongrass are cultivated on a variety of farms on the outskirts of town. We can pay a visit to one of them to learn how these spices are grown, harvested, and cooked—ultimately becoming an indispensable part of Zanzibar’s cuisine. However you choose to spend the day, we’ll return to the Amaan Beach Bungalows for one more night in the evening.

After watching a final sunrise from the northernmost point of Unguja, it’s time to take our reluctant departure from the glittering beaches of Nungwi. Your guide will transport you to the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in time for your outgoing flight. We hope you’ve enjoyed your sojourn in Zanzibar with Chalema Tanzania Safaris, and we can’t wait to welcome you back once again.