Spice stalls
Cloves, cinnamon, vanilla.
Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Yann Macherez — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luganosamwel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luganosamwel — CC BY-SA 4.0
Zanzibar's main market and its liveliest place, at the eastern edge of Stone Town where the old town meets the new. At its heart stands an early twentieth-century market hall, surrounded by streets packed with stalls. This is where Zanzibaris shop every day: piles of tropical fruit such as mango, pineapple and durian, fish and meat halls, and the spice stalls the island is famous for, from cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to pepper, cardamom and vanilla. The surrounding streets are full of shops selling colourful fabrics, pots and household goods, with vendors calling, motorbikes and handcarts everywhere, a world away from the calm of the hotels and beaches. Wandering is free, and mornings are best, when the fish and vegetables arrive fresh. Keep your belongings close, bargain over prices, and buy your spices here for less than in the souvenir shops.
Cloves, cinnamon, vanilla.
The morning catch.
Mango and pineapple.
Darajani Road, eastern edge of Stone Town
Stone TownZanzibar's old town, a maze of narrow lanes and coral-stone houses blending Oman2 minutes walk
Old Slave Market and MemorialThe site of the last open slave market in East Africa, closed in 1873 when Sulta2 minutes walk4.3
Hamamni Persian BathsPublic baths built in the late nineteenth century by Sultan Barghash bin Said in4 minutes walk3.5
Palace Museum (Beit al-Sahel)A white palace with crenellated walls on the Stone Town waterfront, home to the 5 minutes walk3.9
Old DispensaryOne of Stone Town's most beautiful buildings, a tall building whose facade is de6 minutes walk4.5Darajani Market is the best place, cheaper than the souvenir shops, with some bargaining.