Situated on the western coast of Zanzibar’s Unguja Island, UNESCO-listed Stone Town is the oldest part of Zanzibar City and is the cultural heart of the island. The town’s photogenic winding alleys are fringed by grand historic buildings, bustling bazaars, a glorious sultan’s palace, and the intriguing House of Wonders - named as such for exhibiting running water and electricity as never before in 1883. Stone Town also boasts numerous sacred buildings - over fifty mosques, six Hindu Temples, a Catholic, and an Anglican Cathedral - all of which are beautiful in unique ways. Other highlights include sunset dhow cruises; spice tours to aromatic distilleries; and neighbouring Changuu Island, home to stunning sandy beaches, a historic prison, and dozens of giant, ancient tortoises.
Mafia Island forms part of the famous Tanzanian Spice Islands, situated in the Indian Ocean. This wonderful landmass features mangrove thickets, coastal moorlands, and lowland forest. The Mafia Archipelago’s coral reefs, sandbars, lagoons, and beaches form part of the Mafia Island Marine Park - Tanzania’s first national marine park. This spectacular, unspoiled area offers visitors rich, colourful reefs with over 50 hard and soft corals, over 460 species of fish, and a variety of marine life, making this area excellent for diving. Visitors can spot whale sharks and sea turtles in the clear waters, watch hippos wallowing in the reed-lined lakes of the interior and discover the many rustic fishing villages scattered around the island.
