Stone Town

Zanzibar's captivating Stone Town is probably the best-preserved example of the kind of Swahili coastal trading town that characterised the east African coast in the centuries before European colonisation.

The towns along the coast were typified by a melding of the cultures of the African interior, the African coast, and the Arabian mariners. This was reflected in the architecture of the towns as well as in the Swahili tongue, which evolved into a language of Bantu origins with some distinctly Arabian vocabulary.

Zanzibar was the capital of the east African slave trade, and was also the base for the anti-slavery campaign run by David Livingstone. Its high-profile status may have saved it from the destruction that befell other east African coastal towns when the Portuguese asserted their short-lived dominance in the region.

Today Stone Town is a living memorial to the abolished slave trade, a superb example of the homogenisation of African, Arabian, Indian and European cultures over more than a thousand years, and an architectural testimony to the maritime mercantile history of the region.

As East Africa 's most famous port, the island has cultural and architectural influences from all over the world.

A stay in Stone Town enables you to shop for anything from antiques and gemstones to exotic spices. You can also visit the bazaar where the traders still bargain frantically. Alternatively, simply spend your days walking through the winding streets; discover buildings and hotels with overhanging balconies and huge, intricately carved wooden doors.

For island accommodation, Stone town has a fine spattering of great hotels. These include the Zanzibar Serena Inn, Tembo House Hotel, Dhow Palace Hotel and the Beyt Al Chai.

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