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Zanzibar
The shortest war on record was fought here in 1896 and lasted about 38 minutes.
On 27 August 1896 the Royal Navy shelled the sultan's palace in Stone Town over a disputed succession, and the fighting was over in roughly 38 minutes — the shortest war anyone has recorded. It was a small episode in a long relationship: the Sultanate of Oman had moved its capital here in 1840, and the archipelago spent the nineteenth century as the hub of the Indian Ocean clove and slave trades.
Stone Town is what that history left behind — coral-stone houses, carved doors and a street plan you navigate by landmark rather than map, on the UNESCO list since 2000. The clove and spice farms are still working, dhows still sail on the monsoon, and Jozani forest holds the red colobus monkey found only on these islands.
Quick facts
Currency
TZS
Tanzanian shilling
Language
Swahili
+ English
Power
—
Driving
Left
UK-style
Airport
ZNZ
Abeid Amani Karume International
Emergency
—
Police · Fire
When to go
Monthly breakdown
Storm risk: LowJan
—
Feb
—
Mar
Rain
Apr
Rain
May
Rain
Jun
Best
Jul
Best
Aug
Best
Sep
Best
Oct
Best
Nov
—
Dec
—
Major events
Sauti za Busara
Four days in the Old Fort in Stone Town, one of the most respected live music festivals in Africa, with a strong bias toward East African and Swahili coast acts.
Zanzibar International Film Festival
The largest film and arts festival in East Africa, screening in the Old Fort and the House of Wonders since 1998, focused on films from the Dhow countries.
Mwaka Kogwa
Makunduchi's Shirazi new year, in which men settle the year's grievances with a ritual banana-stalk fight and a hut is burned to carry off the old year.
Hidden gems
Kizimkazi Mosque
A Kufic inscription above the mihrab dates this mosque to 1107, making it the oldest surviving Islamic building in East Africa. It is still in daily use, so visits fit around prayer times.
Kuza Cave
A freshwater limestone cave near Jambiani where you can swim in water that stays cool through the hottest part of the day. The Swahili cultural centre on site runs cooking and drumming sessions.
Mtende Beach
A small cove on the southeast coast wedged between coral cliffs, with no hotel frontage and no beach sellers. Swimming depends entirely on the tide.
Local food
Urojo
A turmeric-yellow soup, called Zanzibar mix, built at the stall from bhajia, potato, coconut chutney and crisp cassava; every vendor makes it differently.
Pweza wa nazi
Octopus simmered in coconut milk with cardamom, clove and cinnamon, all grown on the island.
Zanzibar pizza
A thin dough folded round egg, minced meat and cheese and fried flat on a griddle at the Forodhani night market; a local invention, not Italian.
Safety tips
Cultural-Etiquette
Stone Town is a conservative Muslim town, and covering shoulders and knees away from the beach avoids most friction. During Ramadan, eating and drinking in the street during daylight causes offence.
Health
Malaria is present year round and prophylaxis is standard advice for the archipelago. Mosquito activity peaks at dusk, when most people are out on the seafront.
Water-Safety
The east coast tide range is extreme and the lagoon empties completely twice a day. Swimming windows are set by the tide table, not by the time you feel like going in.
Sustainability
Eco rating
Reef: At riskJozani forest reserve protects the endemic red colobus
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