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Zanzibar's Stone Town from the air: white houses, rooftops and the waterfront beside a turquoise sea

Sample journey · 9–11 days

The clove islands: Zanzibar and quiet Pemba

Stone Town, a spice farm, Jozani Forest, the north-east coast & Pemba

Photo: Javi Lorbada / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

In most Tanzania journeys Zanzibar is a few days by the sea after a dusty safari. This one turns that around: here the islands are the point. First comes Stone Town, where Swahili, Arab, Persian, Indian and European influences have layered over centuries: carved wooden doors, markets smelling of dried fish and cardamom, and evenings in the Forodhani Gardens by the sea. Then a spice farm, Jozani Forest with its red colobus monkeys found only on this island, and a few slow days on the north-east coast, where the falling tide uncovers kilometres of shallows.

The second half belongs to Pemba, the island to the north: hillier, greener and far quieter. Most of the archipelago's clove trees grow here, there are more bicycles than cars on the roads, and the coral reefs around it are valued by experienced divers. The journey suits couples, honeymooners and anyone who likes a slow rhythm: transfers are short, stays run to three or four nights, and the places to stay, from a restored house in the old town to a small lodge above a reef, would be chosen around how you want to spend your days.

The route

The journey

  1. Stone Town
  2. A spice farm
  3. Jozani Forest
  4. The north-east coast
  5. Pemba
  6. Misali Island
  7. Zanzibar (departure)
  1. An old weathered building with a palm tree in front of it in Zanzibar's Stone Town

    01Days 1–3 · Stone Town

    Doors, markets and the sea breeze

    The first three nights are in Stone Town, the UNESCO-listed old town whose lanes are so narrow that only people and bicycles fit through. On the first morning, a walk with a local guide: carved doors studded with brass, the Old Fort, Darajani market and the site of the former slave market, where an Anglican cathedral and a memorial now stand. It's a hard but essential part of the story, and the guides speak about it openly. The afternoon heat is best spent indoors, in a courtyard under a fan or on a rooftop terrace, and as the sun goes down the food sellers' lamps light up in the Forodhani Gardens while local children leap from the sea wall into the water. One evening it's worth sailing out on a dhow to see the town from the sea.

  2. Two Zanzibar red colobus monkeys sitting on a branch in Jozani Forest

    02Days 3–4 · A spice farm & Jozani Forest

    Cloves, nutmeg and red monkeys

    On day three, half a day at a spice farm outside town. The farmer shows you what a nutmeg looks like inside its red lace, how vanilla climbs and how cinnamon bark peels straight from the tree, then invites you to taste fruits whose names you've often never heard. It's also a lesson in the island's history: in the nineteenth century cloves made Zanzibar one of the great trading centres of the Indian Ocean. On day four, on the way to the east coast, we stop at Jozani Forest, the national park at the heart of the island. With a park guide you follow shady paths where you'll usually see Zanzibar red colobus, monkeys found only on this island, and a boardwalk through the mangroves shows where sea and forest meet. From the forest to the coast is less than an hour.

  3. A white-sand beach with palm trees and thatched roofs on Zanzibar's coast

    03Days 4–7 · The north-east coast

    When the sea draws back

    Three nights on Unguja's east coast, between Matemwe and Kiwengwa. Here the tide sets the rhythm of the day: in the morning the sea may reach the terrace, and by afternoon it has drawn back so far that you can walk the shallows among seaweed plots tended by local women and look for starfish. That's why we choose where to stay with care: in some places swimming is easy only part of the day. One morning, a dhow or boat to Mnemba Atoll, a marine conservation area where snorkellers often see turtles and bright reef fish, and sometimes dolphins. The other days are yours: a walk along the shore to a fishing village, a book in the shade and dinner from the day's catch. It's the resting part of the journey before quieter Pemba.

  4. 04Days 7–11 · Pemba

    The green island

    On day seven, a short flight north in a small plane to Pemba, which Arab sailors called the Green Island. Four nights here: hills covered in clove and mango trees, mangrove creeks, and villages where, in the harvest months, cloves dry on mats outside the houses and scent the whole street. With a local guide, the market at Chake Chake, the clove growers and the ruins at Ras Mkumbuu, where the remains of a medieval Swahili town's mosque and tombs stand among the trees. Another day, a boat to Misali Island, a marine conservation area with shallow reefs for snorkelling. The Pemba Channel is known for its steep reef walls, but the currents are strong, so deeper dives suit experienced divers only. On the last day, a flight back to Zanzibar and your connection home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Stone Town on foot

    Carved doors, markets and the hard history of the slave trade, told by a local guide.

  2. 02

    Red colobus

    Monkeys found only on Zanzibar, often seen in Jozani Forest.

  3. 03

    The tidal coast

    Walks across the shallows among seaweed plots, and a morning at Mnemba Atoll.

  4. 04

    Pemba's cloves and reefs

    Villages scented with drying spice, Swahili ruins and the reefs of Misali Island.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • At a slower pace

    One more night in Stone Town or on the coast lets you plan each day around the tide and the heat, with no hurry at all.

  • For a honeymoon

    A restored house with a rooftop terrace in the old town, dinner aboard a dhow and a secluded lodge above a Pemba reef.

  • For divers

    On Pemba, more days can go to diving the Pemba Channel, with a carefully checked dive centre and matched to your experience.

  • With a safari

    Before the islands you could fly to Tarangire and the Serengeti, or to the southern parks, and the journey naturally grows to two or three weeks.

Practical considerations

  • The driest months are usually roughly June to October and December to February. The long rains generally fall from March to May, especially April and May, when some places to stay, particularly on Pemba, close and the sea is often less clear.
  • Zanzibar and Pemba are usually linked by small planes with tight baggage allowances, so a soft bag is best. We check schedules and routings before you travel.
  • The islands are largely Muslim: in the old town and in villages it's good to wear clothes covering shoulders and knees, and the rhythm of the day changes during Ramadan. Swimwear is normal on the beaches.
  • We arrange diving and snorkelling with responsible local centres; currents in the Pemba Channel are strong, so we check your experience and the conditions. We check current travel requirements and advice before you go.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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