Zanzibar - Stonetown

Hot, hot, hot and humid!

It didn’t take us long to exit the airport and there was Sulaimon with a sign saying Christopher Smith, ready to take us to our hotel, the Golden Tulip Stonetown Boutique Hotel in Stonetown.

He made arrangements for us to go on a walking tour of Stonetown the next day at 9 a.m.

We were pretty tired but went up to the rooftop on the 4rth floor, where there was a breeze and a great view over the port, and had dinner. Bed came shortly afterwards.

The next morning, we went up on the rooftop and had an amazing buffet breakfast with a view of the comings and goings of the busy port. Sneaky crows would steal food off people’s plates when they weren’t looking.

A guide met us and took us on a 3 hour tour of the old city of Stonetown. We are in a great location for exploring the city and the hotel has everything that we need or want including a big pool in a garden.

Stonetown is so different from any place we saw on the mainland- bustling with friendly people. There was a multicultural feeling as tourists mingled with the local people.

The people of Zanzibar are predominantly Muslim, with Islam being the dominant religion for about 98-99% of the population. Islam has a long history on the islands, dating back to at least the 10th century, and has deeply influenced the region's culture.

Our first stop was at the Foradhani Gardens along the main seawalk of Stone Town, just in front of two famous buildings - the House of Wonders and the Old Fort.

The House of Wonders was built in 1883 for the second Sultan of Zanzibar. It was intended as a ceremonial palace and official reception hall, celebrating modernity. It was named "House of Wonders" because it was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity, and also the first building in East Africa to have an elevator.

Close to the palace, is the Old Fort, one of the oldest buildings in Stonetown, built by the Portuguese in the 17th century. There is an amphitheatre that still holds theatrical a d musical concerts in it and old bullring within the walls. Now this area has several little touristy shops in it.

The old town was a labyrinth of streets full of shops and living quarters.
One of the buildings was Freddie Mercury’s house when he was a child.

The old Zanzibar slave market was historically the largest slave trading center in East Africa, a key hub in the Indian Ocean slave trade that saw thousands of people trafficked from the African mainland. We did a little tour of where slaves were housed and sold. There was also an area that had several posters with information and photos from the times. Not pretty…

The doors…

Stonetown is most famous for its wooden doorways. Often they are the only thing left standing when the buildings they belong to collapse.

The carved doorways, many of which do remain, blend African styles with Indian and Arabic designs and were brought to the island by traders and migrants over the centuries.

The designs on the door are lovely. Chains are said to protect the building from evil spirits, but they also mark the mansions of wealthy Arab slave traders. Flowers at the top of the door tell how many families used to live inside, whereas vines refer to the spice trade. Geometric shapes, like squares, refer to accountants.

It was an interesting tour but we were so hot and tired that we were happy to return to the hotel for a nap in our air conditioned room and a swim in the pool.Read more