Stone Town

Stone Town is effectively the capital of Zanzibar Island, and, unlike most African capital cities, is a place that definitely does repay a visit. When visiting Zanzibar, you may of course have little other than relaxation on a tropical beach in mind, but if you do get bored with this you will find that Stone Town, with its labyrinth of narrow alleys complete with palaces, mosques, and tiny shops, is an extraordinary place to explore. Most of the houses are more than 150 years old and were constructed from the island's coral stone by Arab and Indian merchants in the 19th century.

In choosing places where you might wish to stay, we have tended to focus on the smaller boutique hotels - often situated within historic buildings, giving a particularly nice feel - over the larger chain hotels. We have also included an out-of-town option, for those who might like to avoid the bustle of a town centre, whilst remaining within easy reach of same, with the added advantage of being able to relax beach-side.