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City Break: What to do & see in Stone Town, Zanzibar

Jul 18, 2022

Located in Zanzibar City, Stone Town, also known as Mij Mkongwe, is the area's most popular tourist destination.


An essential cultural crossroads between the Middle East, India, and Europe, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site By UNESCO in 2000. In Zanzibar's Stone Town, the twisting passageways, castles of limestone, and faded villas will dazzle you.


Visiting Zanzibar using Turkey packages offered by Quintrip and spending a few days exploring Stone Town is the best way to experience the idyllic island. The following are the top attractions in the area.


City Break: What to do & see in Stone Town, Zanzibar

1. Wander the Old Fort, One of Stone Town's Most Prominent Attractions

The Old Fort, a 17th-century stone castle, still stands proudly along Stone Town's promenade, housing an art gallery, curio shops, a café, and a theatre. The Omani people initially erected it to protect against the Portuguese. It is one of Stone Town's most prominent attractions and is regarded as the island's oldest construction.

The Old Fort was initially erected as a defense for the Sultanate. Still, later on, it was used for various purposes, including a prison, a railway station, a club, and a theater for the Zanzibar International Film Festival. The fort's 400-year-old theater is still in operation, and if you're lucky, you might see a concert there. 

One of the best free things to do in Stone Town is roaming around, gazing at the ruins, and taking pictures.


2. Visit the House Of Wonders(Bayt el Ajaib), Zanzibar's Most Significant Tower

Because it is one of Zanzibar's most striking and recognizable structures, you must visit the House of Wonders. The Sultan Barghash bin Said al-Busaidi built this house of wonders in 1883, Zanzibar's first advanced tower. It was the first building in the area to get electricity, and an elevator led to its opulent moniker.


3. Visit Prison Island (Also known as Changuu Island) to See Aldabra tortoises

Prison Island, a historic slave prison, may be accessed on a quick 20-minute boat ride from Stone Town. From Stone Town, Prison Island is an ideal day trip for those who want to visit its famous Aldabra tortoises in their natural habitat.

The beach here is beautiful, and you may spend some time snorkeling in the clear seas. The coral reefs of Changuu Island make it a great place to snorkel. In addition, visitors can tour some of the cells that housed inmates in the 19th century.


4. Explore Sultan's History in Palace Museum

During the 19th century, the sultan's palace on the shoreline of Stone Town was a large white building. The palace is now a museum. It is an excellent place to learn about Zanzibar's past and get a good sense of the island's rich history and the diversity of its influences.

It is possible to understand what life was like for the sultan's family by looking at the great thrones, dining tables, and pictures. A particular highlight of the museum is a display devoted to Princess Salme, Sultan Seyyid Said's daughter.

 

5. Shop at the Darajani Markets

Stone Town's commercial heart, the Dajani Bazaar, sells everything from meat and fish to spices and fruit and a vast choice of handicrafts and crafts. It is the place to go if you want to see the heart of Stone Town, Zanzibar, and get a real sense of Zanzibari life.

Visiting the fish section of the Darajani Markets is a fun local tradition that's never dull. Early morning or late afternoon is the most suitable time to visit Darajani Market to catch the fish auction!

Stone Town has a wide variety of souvenirs that make great keepsakes to remember your time there. There are also numerous food stalls here. Let's paln a tour to Stone Town using the Turkey packages offered by Quintrip.


Stone Town was regarded one of the most significant capital cities in the area in the nineteenth century, when Zanzibar was the heart of the spice trade. Today, this is one of the most popular Zanzibar package destinations, particularly for South African visitors.

6. See Most Beautiful Balconies in the Old Dispensary

This historical landmark is a beautiful structure featuring wood-carved balconies and a vast covered courtyard, and stained-glass accents. It is worth a visit, and it's an excellent location for taking photos. It's hard to miss this four-story building across from the ferry terminal, which is widely regarded as having the most beautiful balconies in the city of Stone Town.

In the early twentieth century, a wealthy Indian erected this ornate tower to use it as a benevolent hospital for the underprivileged. It used to be a charity hospital, but it's now a place where local artisans display their handiwork.


7. Visit the Mrembo Spa for a Pleasant Experience

The Mrembo Spa, where you can have a facial, massage, or pedicure, is one of the best places in Stone Town. Always a pleasant experience. You'll look and feel ten years younger when you leave.


8. Visit the Freddie Mercury House, The birthplace of Queen's Freddie Mercury

The home of Queen's Freddie Mercury merits a visit. Before being sent to India for his studies, Freddie Mercury was born in Stone Town and became a renowned British singer and composer.

This location in Stone Town, where he spent his first few years, has now been renamed the Freddie Mercury Museum and opened in 2019. It's a great place to take pictures.

Visitors can glimpse Freddie Mercury's life at this museum. Images in his yellow jacket are displayed on an upright piano to commemorate Freddie's birth and childhood in Zanzibar. Mercury, a restaurant on the seaside, also pays tribute to the artist.


9. Enjoy a Cup of Coffer at Jaws Corner

Jaws Corner is one of the most famous spots in Stone Town, where men gather to drink Arabic coffee, discuss politics, and play board games. In the mornings and afternoons, it's a bustling social center.

 Although it's just a little intersection of alleyways, this is a fantastic spot to relax, have coffee, and watch the world go by. You can overhear the Zanzibari people talking and chit-chatting about city life if you know Swahili.


10. Sail on a Traditional Zanzibar Dhow

Zanzibar still has several Dhows, a classic wooden Arabic sailing boats. Arab traders used these Dhows to go across the Indian Ocean to East Africa

 

It's possible to take a traditional dhow voyage in Zanzibar if you have time and money. Taking a dhow boat is an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful pumpkin-orange sunset in Stone Town. Some of these boats are just one-person boats, while others are enormous, two-story vessels for foreigners.


Our Zanzibar packages will transport you to this beautiful Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanzania. It is made up of three major islands (Unguja, Pemba, and Mafia), as well as other smaller islands. When most people think of Zanzibar, they think of Unguja, the biggest island.

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