Zanzibar-Stonetown

After an amazing two weeks in Zanzibar, I hardly know where to begin.  Zanzibar is a small island archipelago off the coast of Tanzania.  It consists of two islands: Unguja, the larger and southern island, and Pemba, the small island to the north.  We were blessed to be able to visit both in our two weeks there exploring both on land and under water.  Our trip was full of too many memories and pictures to write about in one blog so I've decided to split it up by location.

The view from the rooftop of our hotel

Stonetown is the heart of Zanzibar and sits in the middle of the larger island, Unguja.  Its a beautiful old city with a maze of alley ways and shops.  At times the streets get so narrow that you can barely fit a motorcycle between them yet alone a car.  Zanzibar has a rich heritage including many ruling sultan's, slave trade, and the site of the shortest war in history (a brief 45 minutes!). Stonetown is the heart of this heritage and has many great historical sites to check out.

Old Fort

Upon our arrival we went straight into the city and checked into our hotel.  The Dhow Palace Hotel was beautiful with amazing views of the city from the rooftop terrace, multicolored stained glass windows and antique furniture dating back to the sultan era.  We set off to explore the town a little making stops at some of the larger monuments.  At the Old Fort we wandered among the ruins and checked out the work being done to get ready for Sauti za Busara, an annual music festival of popular African musicians.  Next door we made our way through the House of Wonders, the Zanzibar National Museum.  The building gets its name for being the first building on the island to have electricity and an elevator, thus making it a "wonder" to the common individual.  We spend a few hours touring the exhibits and reading up about the history of the country. 


View from the top balcony of the House of Wonders

Delicious seafood lunch at Emerson Spice

From there we walked a bit to see the Slave Memorial in the heart of the city.  Zanzibar was a central hub on the slave trade and the memorial consisted of some of the original holding sites before slaves were sold.  We walked underground and saw the small cells that held close to 100 men and women.  It was sad to think that these small rooms were the home to so many individuals and the conditions they had to endure.  From there we walked outside to see the catholic church which was build over the slave auction site.  The founding bishop was a strong supporter of abolishing slavery and was an instrumental part of ending the slave trade in Zanzibar.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the narrow streets and many shops.  We also managed to find some great food and drinks to enjoy.  The end of our day was spent at The African House enjoying the first of many beautiful sunsets.  The dhows, wooden fishing ships, sailed in from a long day of work and anchored themselves right on the beach making the sunset just breathtaking. 

Slave Memorial

The Catholic Church built on top of the slave grounds

It was only the first day of our trip but our time in Stonetown was great.  We managed to do a little exploration and enjoy some fresh seafood.  As most of our trip went, we wondered if it could get any better...On to Chumbe Island!

Josh and I at sunset

At the African House for a sundowner