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Zanzibar Stone Town

Stone Town: An Introduction

Zanzibar's Stone Town is a fascinating living monument to the history of East Africa. Once the centre of the ivory, gold and slave trade, the town itself is an extraordinary place to explore; numerous markets, shops and craft centres are found down the ancient maze of narrow streets that make up Zanzibar's 'Old Town'. Stone Town's beaches are poor in comparison to the rest of the island however day trips from the beach are encouraged and if possible a night staying in the heart of Old Town is highly recommended. A night or even two is all you need here and as much as the town is fairly run down in parts, a visit to the island would not be the same without a brief visit here.

Zanzibar Stone Town: An overview of where to stay

The most famous hotel in Stone Town is the The Serena Inn. Often put down as one of the more commercial, western hotels in Stone Town, visitors would be surprised to hear that the Serena is actually one of the towns oldest buildings. We have always been fans of the Serena due to it having the best location in the town.

Tucked away down the myriad of little streets lie a number of smaller Moroccan'esq riads, the most famous of which being 236 Hurumzi (formerly Emerson and Green) as well as the Zanzibar Palace Hotel and Beyt Al Chai. Nowadays it seems that a new similar styled hotel opens every week but we suggest sticking with the old favourites above rather than trying something new or unheard of!

Click here for detailed Stone Town hotel reviews

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Zanzibar Stone Town: Our View

We highly recommend visiting Stone Town, especially if you are interested in the history of the area. Taking a guide around Stone Town will reveal things that you would without doubt miss on your own. At night the Forodhani Gardens come alive with barbecues and a party atmosphere. This area is reason enough to visit the town at night. However, and this is a big however, Stone Town is run down in parts tourists get a lot of attention from the locals hawking curios, dolphin safaris and sunset cruises. You have to know what to expect from Stone Town, and you have to be ready for it!

Zanzibar Stone Town: What to do in Stone Town

There is no doubt that the best way to get about Stone Town is with a private guide. Some say the best way to explore Stone Town is to meander the streets, window shopping and absorbing the atmosphere...but we believe you will simply spend the day getting lost in the town! Hiring a guide will help you get the most out of a day in the town and you won't get hassled if you are with a guide! There are many fine buildings to visit including the House of Wonders, the Arab Fort, various ruined Sultan's Palaces and a superb museum.

Stone Town Lodges

We have included all the lodges below ordered by our ranking, and by price. Clicking on any of the links will bring up more information; our detailed view of the lodge, video, photos, key facts etc.

Ranking

- Outstanding

- Very good

- Good

- Average

- Poor

Zanzibar Serena Inn
There are no hotels in Stone Town truly worthy of 5 paws but the Serena comes close. It is certainly the best hotel in town. It has a great pool area in which to relax, along with a selection of bars and restaurants. The rooms are slightly too small, hence a 4 not 5 paw rating... but it is elegant, peaceful and we love it!

$300pp

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Beyt al Chai
Beyt al Chai is a big favourite, it epitomises all that is wonderful about Stone Town. With only 6 rooms, it is small and charming, well-priced and well-positioned. The location is much better than other Stone Town choices in terms of security, and the restaurant is superb. Beyt Al Chai continues to get rave reviews. Our top choice!

$200pp

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Zanzibar Palace Hotel
The Zanzibar Palace is taking on Emerson and Green for best small hotel in the west of Stone Town?and we would certainly agree that this hotel has better quality rooms. A good option worthy of 3 paws, however for Stone Town accommodation we prefer Beyt al Chai for both its location and great restaurant.

$150pp

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Emerson & Green
Emerson/236 Hurumzi was superb years ago, but is now a shadow of its former self. We used to agree that the best rooms were worth going to, even though the hotel was old and in need of some serious refurbishment. However, over recent years this area of town has become increasingly less appealing, which sadly impairs the experience of staying here.

$120pp

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Dhow Palace Hotel
The fact that the Dhow Palace is used by overland trucks and large companies trying to force down price means that we tend not to book this hotel. A cheap, backpackers hotel.

$110pp

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Tembo Hotel
Considering for only a little more you can stay in either Beyt al Chai or the Zanzibar Palace we tend to use the Tembo increasingly less. Tembo's redeeming quality is its refreshing central pool, but, with poor service, shabby rooms and no alcohol it is in need of a re-think!

$110pp

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