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Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town

Stone Town was constructed during the 19th century...

...and hasn’t changed much since then.

You can enjoy beautiful views of the ocean...

...and discover what remained...

...from its rich history.

Stone Town is something of a labyrinth...

...with small alleys that offer places to shop and eat.

The atmosphere is unique and romantic...

...and you can watch some beautiful sunsets over the ocean.

Stone Town

Reviews of trips to Stone Town

354 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Stone Town.

Showing 51-60 of 354
Duration
Arrival date
Miss A
Harrogate

"My Zanzibar break in Jan 18"

I visited Zanzibar and 1 other country between 17 Jan 2018 and 23 Jan 2018
"Actually rather disappointing. The trip notes were inadequate and despite assuring me that my coeliac condition had been passed to both Chumbe Island and Kholle Hotel, this was not the case. On the island that was not a problem as the food was mainly fish and salads but at the hotel it most certainly was a problem.

The Kholle House is a lovely boutique hotel but was not the most relaxing. see me earlier comments. Not what i expected. Very disappointed.

However the Lazizi hotel was a lovely but I did feel that the charges by Expert Africa for arranging this were high to excessive when looking at the hotel website." Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Poor
Ms W
Kenora

"Everyone needs to experience Africa!"

I visited Tanzania and 1 other country between 31 Oct 2017 and 14 Nov 2017
"I applied for a job in Tanzania some time ago so i bought the guide book and book on safaris just in case I got the job. Well i didn't get the job but the book really got me excited about Africa. When i found a travel partner, some years later, while re reading my books i was inspired by the fact that the authors had travelled to this area frequently and consequently I was drawn to contact the affiliated company regarding trip planning.

Lyndsey was excellent. She started off by asking what kind of trip we wanted and from there guided us through planning a trip that would meet our needs and expectations. She answered our questions, wasn't pushy and was open to my suggestions of things i wanted to work into our trip, like visiting fish markets and seeing some of Dar es Salem. The adventure was exactly what we wanted and more.

Travelling as two older women it was important to feel safe and at the same time experience the opportunity of adventure. Keeping the costs down and not going to high end camps was important as well as avoiding the crowds. We met other travellers who had been further north and when they showed up at an animal sighting there where 50 jeeps already there, everyone lined up. We knew we didn't want that nor travel in an enclosed vehicle so again great direction from Lyndsey.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

We were not charged the $30 fee to leave Tanzania and I'm not sure if this is because we left from Zanzibar or not.

The Stone Town Airport does not open until midnight for a 2am flight so there is no point going out there early. If u do the toilet outside the airport building costs money and the one inside is free. You need TZ shillings.

The booklet is confusing on tipping in the camps and we received different information from the different camp managers. If two people are travelling together do they pay their guide as one person or do they people double the recommended amount? We paid our driver, the guide, the boat guide all separate from each of us and then half that amount at the second camp. Other people we talked to seemed confused as well.

I brought a black head net and was really glad I did as the flies at the second camp were fierce in some areas. Burning elephant dung helped somewhat. Green head nets interfere with your vision clarity but the black ones work great.

Thanks Lyndsey for all your help in planning our wonderful adventure!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs S
france

"My Sep 2017 trip"

I visited Tanzania and 1 other country between 6 Sep 2017 and 18 Sep 2017
"both James Denny (who was my initial contact and helped me to choose safari location and camps) and Lyndsey Marris (who organised our two stays in Zanzibar, and made all our reservations) were very helpful, and extremely knowledgeable. Overall the trip was amazing on every level,and incredibly well organised, thank you!

The only slight negative is that we were a little disappointed with Mwagusi Camp in terms of service and food, especially after staying at Siwandu which surpassed our expectations and was just excellent on every level. Maybe if we'd stayed at Mwagusi before Siwandu, we wouldn't have noticed so much!

We are definitely keen to explore more of Africa as a result of this trip, and will definitely return to Expert Africa to do so!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms I
Oakland

"Tanzanian Adventures September 2017"

I visited Zanzibar and 1 other country between 3 Sep 2017 and 19 Sep 2017
"James did a fantastic job of organizing this trip for us. His suggestion of adding Kichaka to our plans was spot on, and we never would have known about them without his advice. Arrangements were all smooth, service everywhere was great, and the plan he shared was exactly what we got. I think if I could change anything about the trip, it would have been the Pongwe part. While the resort was fine, it wasn't totally our style. I think we would have been happier at one of the places with a stronger environmental orientation and better access to good snorkeling. That's on me, not James - I didn't share that this was a priority, and I was thinking too much about the expense.

I also wasn't prepared for the aggressiveness of some of the street hustlers in Stone Town. While in most places, they would respect a polite "Hapana, Asante," in the Forodhani Gardens area, they were so aggressive it made it unpleasant to walk over there - sometimes escalating to physical contact and insults from them although we stayed polite. This isn't something that Expert Africa controls of course! It would be something that it would be helpful to add to the next Bradt guide update.

I also need to note that at the beginning of our trip, things went off track due to a problem with Turkish Air. Because of their delays, we missed our Istanbul connection, and had to stay the night in Istanbul. This was clearly not Expert Africa's fault, but it was very frustrating that I couldn't get through to anyone on the 24 hour emergency number. I called four times. Each time, a recording would tell me that someone would be with me in a minute, and then the phone would start ringing. I would let it ring 100 times before I gave up. Maybe I should have had faith and let it ring longer?

I guess I'm used to hold music playing if I'm in a queue of calls, and then the ringing starting when I'm actually being connected. Is the ringing what happens when you're in queue on your line? Because all this happened during the 36 hour stretch that no one is on your office, folks at Lake Manze camp were quite concerned that we had disappeared without a word, and we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to reconnect with our trip. We spent a scary 4 hours sitting outside the Dar airport hoping we'd be able to figure everything out at sunrise, which we did with the help of a friendly cab driver and the staff at Coastal Aviation." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Excellent
Williams family
UK

"My Aug 2017 trip"

I visited Zanzibar and 1 other country between 11 Aug 2017 and 22 Aug 2017
"Excellent - a memorable trip and lifetime experience." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Excellent
Miss R
Barnsley

"My Aug 2017 trip"

I visited Zanzibar and 1 other country between 5 Aug 2017 and 18 Aug 2017
"We would highly recommend Expert Africa to anyone-they are extremely knowledgable and are true experts! It is obvious that they have personally visited the hotels and places of interest and have used the airlines which meant that they could provide insightful information based on experience which was greatly appreciated.

When we required a slight detour, the team at Expert Africa organised this and ensured that our trip still ran as smoothly as it could have. Every part of our trip was extremely well organised, considered and exactly what we wanted.

We really could not have wished for better service." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Excellent
F, N & I
UK

"Holiday of a lifetime. Practically perfect."

I visited Tanzania and 1 other country between 29 Jul 2017 and 13 Aug 2017
"A wonderful trip. It was like having four different holidays as we had two contrasting safaris, two days in Stone Town, and four days at the beach in Zanzibar. All very memorable and enjoyable.

The organisation by Expert Africa was exceptional - everything happened as we had been told and there was only one glitch which our rep had sorted out in hours." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs S
Vienna

"Zanzibar trip 2017"

I visited Zanzibar between 13 Jul 2017 and 21 Jul 2017
"it turned out to be a very good choice to come to Zanzibar and stay at Qambani and the Hyatt. Everything worked out very well, we loved it!" Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Excellent
TC & K
London

"A truly memorable honeymoon"

I visited Zanzibar and 1 other country between 4 Jul 2017 and 16 Jul 2017
"Our trip with Expert Africa was a honeymoon, and our aim when deciding what to do was to try to find a holiday which would be extra special. From start to finish Expert Africa were a pleasure to deal with, and thanks to their insight and advice we ended up with exactly what we wanted.

The clue is in the name - both Liz and Lyndsey were able to tell us exactly what we could expect from each different camp in Tanzania, and each resort in Zanzibar. Their expertise made it very easy to make decisions, when otherwise you mind spend days pouring over reviews, second guessing yourself at every turn.

What we appreciated the most was at no point did we ever felt like we were being 'sold to'. They were extremely honest about every single detail, allowing us to piece together a trip which would suit the kind of people we are.

For example, Ruaha in Tanzania is a staggeringly beautiful place, perfectly combining our desire to see a good degree of game, but without being surrounded by dozens of other vehicles viewing the same things as us at the same time. Yet once there we appreciated it wouldn't suit everyone, as some people may want a higher density of game at their fingertips every moment of every day. That's exactly how Liz described it to us in our very first conversation, even if the place itself exceeded our already lofty expectations.

I'd also add Lyndsey was extremely helpful answering each and every question we had in advance, no matter how small a detail it was. If, like us, you've never done a safari before, it's surprisingly easy to make assumptions about what you'll need, which will probably be completely wrong in reality. Therefore that level of assistance, expertise and detail was really appreciated.

Thanks guys, it was a brilliant trip." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs A
Highgate

"Honeyjune"

I visited Zanzibar and 1 other country between 8 Jun 2017 and 19 Jun 2017
"We usually book everything on our trips ourselves but as it was our honeymoon, we decided to get some back-up from a travel agent should things go awry.

We chose Expert Africa from two other companies for our safari and beach trip to Tanzania. All the other agents we approached were very knowledgable about Africa, but we felt that Lyndsey at EA was more down-to-earth, friendlier and open to our ideas of what we wanted.

The process of booking the holiday was actually good fun and most importantly we really did have a honeymoon that was memorable for all the right reasons.

Plus, the fact I've spent a good chunk of my day writing up all the feedback on this website must tell you that we thought it was worth telling someone about it! Just don't ask to see the photos, or you'll be here all month ;)" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday
Overall trip
Excellent
Showing 51-60 of 354
98%
354 reviews of Stone Town by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
338
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Where to stay in Stone Town

Our suggestions for places to stay in Stone Town


Zanzibar Coffee House

Zanzibar Coffee House

The Zanzibar Coffee House is a small quiet hotel tucked away in the back streets of Stone Town, with lovely, simple rooms.


84% (65 reviews)
Serena Inn

Serena Inn

Now trumped by the nearby Park Hyatt, the Serena Inn, in its historic building, was formerly Stone Town's only international-style hotel.


91% (63 reviews)
Zanzibar Palace Hotel

Zanzibar Palace Hotel

The Zanzibar Palace Hotel is a highly regarded boutique hotel with very personal service and just nine rooms, all of them Zanzibari in style.


89% (51 reviews)
Beyt al Salaam

Beyt al Salaam

The Beyt al Salaam is a pleasant, boutique hotel with only six rooms and atmospheric and stylish Zanzibari décor.


82% (44 reviews)
Dhow Palace Hotel

Dhow Palace Hotel

The Dhow Palace is a very good-value, mid-range hotel, full of Swahili character, and the pool makes it appealing to families.


79% (40 reviews)
Emerson Spice

Emerson Spice

Emerson Spice is a beautiful small hotel in the heart of Stone Town with individually designed rooms adorned with gorgeous fabrics.


91% (26 reviews)
Kholle House

Kholle House

Kholle House offers an atmospheric Stone Town stay in a historic building, and is very good value for money.


82% (19 reviews)
Jafferji House

Jafferji House

Jafferji House is a converted old house that blends modern facilities with traditional style. The ten, unique rooms are show great attention to detail.


81% (19 reviews)
Swahili House

Swahili House

Swahili House is a traditionally styled boutique hotel furnished to a high standard with a convenient location in the centre of Stone Town.


82% (11 reviews)
Tembo Hotel

Tembo Hotel

The Tembo Hotel is a good-value, family-friendly hotel right on the seafront in Stone Town, with 36 rooms and a good-sized swimming pool.


63% (8 reviews)
Emerson on Hurumzi

Emerson on Hurumzi

Emerson on Hurumzi was Stone Town's first boutique hotel, featuring antique furniture, unique, stylish rooms and a superb rooftop restaurant.


80% (7 reviews)
Mbweni Ruins Hotel

Mbweni Ruins Hotel

Mbweni Ruins Hotel is very convenient if you want to stay on the beach, but very close to Stone Town, or visit Chumbe Island.


92% (5 reviews)
Maru Maru Hotel

Maru Maru Hotel

In the heart of Stone Town, Maru Maru combines contemporary style and creature comforts with a Zanzibari twist.


80% (2 reviews)
Park Hyatt

Park Hyatt

The Park Hyatt Zanzibar is a high-quality example of this group, with excellent facilities and service.


100% (2 reviews)
Kisiwa House

Kisiwa House

Kisiwa's central location in the heart of Stone Town's Shangani area makes it a great base to explore this fascinating town.


No reviews yet
The Seyyida Hotel

Seyyida Hotel

The Seyyida is a characterful old hotel near the seafront in Stone Town, with the rare bonus of a swimming pool.


No reviews yet

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