Where Is Zanzibar, Map, Routes, And First-Timer Tips

Where Is Zanzibar, Map, Routes, And First-Timer Tips

Introduction

Where is Zanzibar? The question sounds simple, then you look at the map and feel a small thrill.

Zanzibar sits in the Indian Ocean, about 35 to 50 kilometers off mainland Tanzania. Known for it’s incredibly warm water and slow tides. Zanzibar is a horizon that looks like a promise you almost forgot you made to yourself. If this is your first African safari trip, Zanzibar gives you an easy landing, or a soft finish after the bush.

Breathe in clove, lime, and sea salt as you hear bicycle bells in narrow alleys, then the call to prayer drifting over Stone Town’s rooftops.

You hold a coconut with both hands, take a sip, and let time step down a gear. I think this is the moment you realize travel can be both gentle and vivid and at that moment the question of Where is Zanzibar becomes less a geography quiz and more a doorway.

You walk the seafront at sunset, dhows leaning into the wind like old friends. The night market wakes, grills hiss, and you point at skewers with a beginner’s confidence. Maybe you dribble a little hot sauce on your wrist. Small mistakes make good memories.

Family in Zanzibar

History of Zanzibar

Zanzibar is an archipelago with deep Swahili roots. For centuries, traders crossed these waters by monsoon winds. Persia and Arabia left languages, doors, and spices that still stand till date.

In 1840, Sultan Said bin Sultan moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar, and the islands grew into a global hub for cloves and other spices.

The islands served as a major node in the Indian Ocean slave trade, and that history still stands in Stone Town at the old Slave Market site. Walk through with a guide. To get the best of Zanzibar, listen more than you speak. Acknowledge what happened. Then step back outside to a city that keeps moving, cooking, praying, laughing.

Britain declared a protectorate in the late 19th century.

Zanzibar is also known for the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896, often called the shortest war in history, ended in under an hour.

In 1964, the islands joined with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania and till today, Zanzibar is semi-autonomous, with its own government, its own daily rhythm, and a strong Swahili identity. The past lingers in carved doors and in cinnamon steam. The present is kids playing football at low tide.

Attractions in Zanzibar

You want clear pictures in your head. Here are the scenes to carry.

Stone Town

A UNESCO-listed old quarter with winding lanes, coral-rag houses, balconies that lean a little, and hundreds of carved doors. You get lost, by design. A tailor waves you in to see fabrics.

Take a sunset dhow cruise from Forodhani Gardens, then eat grilled seafood and sugarcane juice at the night market. I once spent half an hour choosing between octopus skewers and Zanzibar pizza. The indecision felt like a holiday in itself.

Nungwi and Kendwa, north coast

Nungwi is known for it’s long beaches, swimmable at most tides, and a wide sky that glows pink before breakfast. Snorkel trips head to nearby reefs. The mood mixes barefoot ease with a little buzz around sunset. If you want the classic swim, sand, and book day, this is where time slips.

Sea turtle of Zanzibar

Paje and Jambiani, east coast

Trade winds pull kites across the lagoon like watercolor strokes. At low tide, the sea pulls back to reveal pools clear as glass. Walk the beach, watch seaweed farmers tend neat lines, then eat a plate of coconut curry under a palm roof. The water returns, slowly, as if the island is breathing.

Mnemba Atoll

Off the northeast coast, Mnemba offers bright reef fish, hawksbill turtles, and that moment when you lift your head and realize the boat looks far. Guides handle the currents. You focus on the parrotfish nibbling coral, the damselfish flashing close, the way your heartbeat calms when you kick less.

Prison Island, Changuu

Short boat rides from Stone Town reach a little island dotted with history, a clear lagoon, and giant Aldabra tortoises. You will smile without meaning to when one leans toward a leaf in your hand. Go early before day boats crowd the jetty.

Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park

Home to the Zanzibar red colobus, a playful primate with a punk-rock hairstyle. Walk boardwalks under mangrove shade and forest paths with a ranger. The colobus care more about each other than about you, which feels healthy.

Spice farms

Cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, clove buds drying on mats like tiny brown stars. The tour feels touristy on paper, then the aromas win you over. You taste a slice of starfruit and grin at your own surprise.

Pemba Island

Quieter and greener than Unguja, which most people call Zanzibar Island. Pemba has deep channels for divers, clove farms, and villages where greetings still take their time. If you like the idea of fewer choices and calmer, Pemba answers that.