Zanzibar Uncovered: 5 Bucket-List Experiences You Can’t Miss

Zanzibar – also known as the Spice Island – is a sensory explosion of haunting history, warm turquoise waters, and vibrant culture.

This Tanzanian archipelago offers an escape like no other – whether you are a sun-seeker, a foodie or a history bluff. Here are five essential things to do in Zanzibar to make your trip to East Africa even more unforgettable! 

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All Aboard the Traditional Spice Tour

Zanzibar isn’t called the Spice Island for nothing! To step into a market in Zanzibar, particularly in the narrow alleys of Stone Town or out near the rural plantations, is to experience an atmosphere that is heavy, humid, and deeply aromatic. The air doesn’t just carry scent; it feels textured by it. 

On tour you will learn how cinnamon, clovers, black pepper and nutmeg are grown and harvested. For instance, when cloves are drying on mats in the sun, the scent is warm, sweet and slightly numbing to the nose. And because the markets are often near the shore, there is always an underlying scent of sea salt and damp wood, acting as a backdrop for the spices. You will also learn of the medicinal properties of local herbs.

Beyond the heavy perfume of cloves of vanilla pods, the fruit markets of Zanzibar offer a visual and olfactory explosion. One of the most notable markets is Darajani Market in Stone Town. Many of these exotic fruits are varieties you rarely see in Western supermarkets. You will get the opportunity to tantalize your tastebuds when indulging in them.

A Rare Encounter With the Red Colobus Monkeys

Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is the last indigenous forest in Zanzibar and is home to the incredibly rare Red Colobus Monkey. These playful, white-maned creatures are found nowhere else on Earth, and acts as a biological crown jewel for the island.

Unlike other monkey species, they are famously relaxed around humans and surprisingly photogenic – so keep your camera ready for that perfect close-up shot! As you explore the park and watch the monkeys swing through the canopy, follow the wooden boardwalks into the ethereal mangrove forests. The silence and the winding roots create an arcane atmosphere that separates you from the modern world.

Calling All Foodies to Forodhani Gardens Night Market

As the sun sets over Stone Town, and the waves softly crash along the shore, follow the scent of grilled seafood and woodsmoke to Forodhani Gardens. This nightly street food market is the heart of Zanzibar’s culinary scene. It offers the best value for your money on the island! 

Feast your eyes, nose and tastebuds to Zanzibar Pizza – a local delicacy that is like a stuffed crepe, filled with sweet combinations like banana and chocolate, or savory combinations like minced meat, cheese, and egg. Stalls are piled high with lobster, prawns, octopus, and various fish, often marinated in local spices and grilled to order. If you’re feeling adventurous, try Urojo (Zanzibar mix) – a popular street food bowl featuring a tangy, yellow flour-based soup filled with boiled potatoes, crispy bhajias and spicy chutneys. And to wash it all down, sip on fresh refreshing sugar-cane juice that is usually flavored with a zingy hit of lime and ginger. 

The fun does not stop after your meal. The gardens provide a scenic spot to watch the Dhow Races, where local youth perform acrobatic dives into the ocean against the setting sun. 

Reflect on the Past

To truly understand Zanzibar, acknowledging its complex past is a great start. The East Slave Trade Exhibition and the Cathedral Church of Christ is a chilling and moving experience. It is a somber and significant historical landmark, serving as a powerful memorial to the hundreds of thousands of people who were trafficked through the island during the 18th and 19th centuries.  You will begin your descent, guided by expert historians, into the chilling underground holding chambers where people – men, women and children – were kept before being sold. These hauntingly preserved chambers are small with low-ceilings, which show the cramped and suffocating conditions people were kept in.

Within the cathedral now stands a high altar intentionally placed where the main whipping tree once stood. A white marble circle at the altar marks the exact spot. It serves as a direct rebuke to the violence once committed there. You will find a famous memorial sculpture outside in the courtyard of life-sized figures of enslaved people standing in a pit. Created by Clara Sörnäs, the sculpture shows figures bound by the original iron chains from the 19th century. It creates a visceral representation of the trade’s inhumanity.  A wooden cross carved from the tree in Zambia lies within the cathedral. It is here that the heart of the abolitionist David Livingstone was buried. 

Escape to Paradise

Forget the over-trodden paths of the Maldives or Malaysia—the true soul of the Indian Ocean lives along the African coast. Zanzibar doesn’t just offer beaches; it offers a sensory escape that defies comparison.

Imagine sinking your toes into sand so white and powdery it feels like crushed silk, stretching endlessly toward a horizon of impossible, neon-bright turquoise. At Nungwi, the vibe is electric and sun-drenched, while at Kendwa, the sight of traditional dhows silhouetted against a lavender sunset feels like a scene pulled from an ancient maritime legend.

The water here is a constant, warm embrace, inviting you to dive into technicolor coral reefs or simply float and let the modern world dissolve. Whether you’re an adrenaline-seeker or a professional lounger, Zanzibar’s coastline isn’t just “postcard-perfect”—it’s a living, breathing paradise that stays with you long after the sand has been washed away.

This is why everyone wants to visit Zanzibar Island, Tanzania

Whether you’re tracing the echoes of history in Stone Town’s stone-walled alleys or basking in the glow of a gold-leaf sunset on its northern shores, Zanzibar is more than a destination—it is a rhythm that settles in your soul and a fragrance that lingers long after you’ve returned home.

N.B: This blog was first written by Bronwyn Paxton on October 17, 2013.  It was rewritten and republished by Faatima Suliman on March 12, 2026.