{"id":1973,"date":"2025-12-27T10:06:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T10:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/?p=1973"},"modified":"2025-12-27T10:36:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T10:36:44","slug":"5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/2025\/12\/27\/5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Things To See And Do In Zanzibar Besides Heading To The Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_11185\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thegotofamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/zanzibar-beach.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"The people of Zanzibar, Tanzania\" class=\"wp-image-11185\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People of Zanzibar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The island of\u00a0Zanzibar\u00a0is the main island in the archipelago of the same name, lying off the East African coast of Tanzania. Known for its gorgeous beaches and crystal clear waters, the island is also home to Zanzibar City. The city has many fascinating historic places to explore in its winding streets. These include Stone Town, an ancient spice trade center, with its palaces, mosques and old fort. Read on to find out the five best things to do on vacation in Zanzibar, Tanzania besides heading to the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/2025\/12\/27\/5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach\/#1_Visit_Stone_Town_Zanzibar\" >1. Visit Stone Town, Zanzibar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/2025\/12\/27\/5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach\/#2_Forodhani_Food_Market_Stone_Town\" >2. Forodhani Food Market, Stone Town<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/2025\/12\/27\/5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach\/#3_Visit_the_Freddie_Mercury_Museum\" >3. Visit the Freddie Mercury Museum<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/2025\/12\/27\/5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach\/#4_The_Rock_Restaurant_Michamvi\" >4. The Rock Restaurant, Michamvi<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/2025\/12\/27\/5-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zanzibar-besides-heading-to-the-beach\/#5_Changuu_Island_Zanzibar\" >5. Changuu Island, Zanzibar<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Visit_Stone_Town_Zanzibar\"><\/span><strong>1. Visit Stone Town, Zanzibar<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" id=\"attachment_11187\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C686&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1921\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C686&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C201&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C514&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1028&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1371&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=18%2C12&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stone-town-2042778-1-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C134&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stone Town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The capital of the island is Zanzibar City, which hosts\u00a0Stone Town\u00a0(Mji Mkongwe), an ancient trading post in the history of the island. Here in the old days, spices were traded and even today, the air is scented by the wares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, local mosques sound the call to prayer as you explore the winding alleys, sipping chai or coffee from street vendors. Dining in the local restaurants allows a taste of catch-of-the-day fish laced with coconut. Moreover, Stone Town is a mixture of cultures, including Arabic, European, Persian and Indian from its old trading days. Read on for more best things to see and do in Stone Town, Zanzibar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Forodhani_Food_Market_Stone_Town\"><\/span><strong>2. Forodhani Food Market, Stone Town<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" id=\"attachment_11191\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-640\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy-scaled.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/shutterstock_585817274-Copy-scaled.jpeg?resize=200%2C133&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Forodhani Food Market [Image by @baleineunjour.baleinetoujours\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While in Stone Town, as the afternoon heads towards evening, head to Forodhani Food Market. This is Zanzibar\u2019s most famous night food market, full of chefs busy cooking and selling their wares. With so many great aromas wafting around you, you might have trouble deciding on the evening\u2019s fare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the taste temptations are great big falafels, kebabs full of tandoori lobster, or fishplates served with samosas, naan bread and fried potato balls. Make sure you build up a hearty appetite before venturing here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Visit_the_Freddie_Mercury_Museum\"><\/span><strong>3. Visit the Freddie Mercury Museum<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_11195\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thegotofamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/freddie-mercury-museum.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Freddie Mercury Museum, Stone Town, Zanzibar\" class=\"wp-image-11195\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Freddie Mercury Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This option is a must for any Queen and Freddie Mercury fans visiting the island. Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946, Freddie Mercury went on to become the flamboyant frontman of Queen. While he went on to fame before passing away, his family\u2019s former home has been transformed into a museum dedicated to the island\u2019s most famous son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, visitors can view family photos, see some of the singer\u2019s costumes and even the first piano Mercury ever played. Visiting here will rock you, indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_The_Rock_Restaurant_Michamvi\"><\/span><strong>4. The Rock Restaurant, Michamvi<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" id=\"attachment_11189\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8.jpg?resize=1024%2C653&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1235\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C653&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C191&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C490&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C980&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1307&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=18%2C12&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/sha8-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C128&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rock Restaurant, Michamvi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Going back to the subject of delicious food, one unique place to enjoy a dish is the Rock Restaurant in Michamvi. This unassuming diner might look like a rickety shack, but it is an icon of culinary excellence \u00a0in all of Zanzibar. Meanwhile, the restaurant began as an aid to subsistence fishermen to sell their wares. Since then, however, it has turned into the best dining option in all of the archipelago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you can enjoy dishes like fish carpaccio with coconut sauce, or tambi (spaghetti) served with stir-fried fish. As an added extra, wash down the meal with an excellent South African wine. Meanwhile, there are only 12 tables in the restaurant and usually, it is fully booked. However, if you can get a reservation, it will be well worth the wait. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Changuu_Island_Zanzibar\"><\/span><strong>5. Changuu Island, Zanzibar<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" id=\"attachment_11198\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1774\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C575&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?resize=768%2C431&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?resize=18%2C10&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?resize=200%2C112&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Africa-Tanzania-Zanzibar-mnemba-atoll-0044-1400x786-1.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Changuu Island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Also known as Prison Island or Quarantine Island,\u00a0Changuu in Zanzibar has a dark history. The small island was first used by the Arabs as a prison for rebellious slaves. In 1893, the British First Minister of Zanzibar, Lloyd Mathews, purchased the island and constructed a prison complex. However, from that time, no prisoners were housed on the island and it became a quarantine station for yellow fever cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More recently, Changuu is a popular beach and snorkeling destination where visitors can spot endangered Aldabra giant tortoises. These were gifted to the island by the British governor of Seychelles and have flourished here.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The island of\u00a0Zanzibar\u00a0is the main island in the archipelago of the same name, lying off the East African coast of Tanzania. Known for its gorgeous beaches and crystal clear waters, the island is also home to Zanzibar City. The city has many fascinating historic places to explore in its winding streets. These include Stone Town, [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_4721-scaled.jpg","brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1973"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1975,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973\/revisions\/1975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/excitedexpedition.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}