Tanzania

Zanzibar

Zanzibar is the spice island of legend made real: a Swahili crossroads where Omani palaces, Indian merchant houses and African rhythms share the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town, and where the east coast's beaches run white against a lagoon striped every shade of turquoise. The scent of cloves is not a metaphor here.

The island's luxury has matured gracefully, from boutique hideaways on private beaches to barefoot-elegant resorts where dhows deliver guests to sandbank picnics. Paired with a Serengeti safari across the water, Zanzibar completes one of travel's great bush-and-beach itineraries.

The best hotels in Zanzibar

Palms leaning over the quiet beach fronting The Residence Zanzibar

Beach Resort

Zanzibar, Tanzania

8.5

The Residence Zanzibar

A palm-shaded villa estate on Zanzibar's quiet southwest coast, pairing a kilometre of beach with Swahili-colonial style and gentle rates.

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Best areas to stay

Stone Town

The UNESCO-listed old quarter of carved doors and bazaars is the island's cultural heart, best sampled for a night or two.

The Northeast (Matemwe & Kiwengwa)

Powder beaches facing the Mnemba atoll offer the island's best snorkelling and a string of refined boutique resorts.

The Southeast (Paje & Michamvi)

Wide tidal beaches, kitesurfing lagoons and laid-back luxury lodges define the island's breezier southern coast.

Dining & nightlife

Zanzibar's table reflects its spice-route history: seafood grilled with cloves and coconut, Swahili curries and Stone Town's night market skewers. Resort dining ranges from sandbank picnics to rooftop terraces above the old town. Evenings favour sundowner dhow cruises over late nights.

Travelling as a family

Families enjoy calm, reef-protected lagoons, spice-farm tours that play like scavenger hunts and boat trips to see dolphins and giant tortoises on Prison Island. Larger resorts run kids' clubs, and tidal beaches fascinate young explorers at low water.

Travelling as a couple

Honeymooners are Zanzibar's core constituency, courted with private sandbank dinners, dhow sails at sunset and spa rituals scented with island spices. A Stone Town night followed by a beach villa in the northeast makes the classic itinerary.

Cultural highlights

Stone Town's carved doors, bazaars and House of Wonders
Spice farm tours among clove and vanilla plantations
Dhow sailing at sunset
The giant tortoises of Prison Island

When to visit

June to October is the cool, dry season, with clear skies and superb diving visibility. December to February brings hotter, still-sunny weather between the short and long rains. The long rains of April and May see many properties close or discount deeply, making March and November workable shoulder months.

Tropical maritime climate, warm year-round with rainy seasons around April-May and November.

Practical notes

Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS); US dollars and cards accepted at resorts
Language: Swahili; English is widely spoken in tourism
Transport: hotel transfers and drivers are the practical choice; roads are slow
Etiquette: Zanzibar is largely Muslim — dress modestly away from resort beaches

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Follow the journey

Daily discoveries from Zanzibar and beyond.

Stories from Zanzibar

Elephants crossing open savanna grassland with trees on the horizon

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