Zanzibar holidays

It doesn’t matter where you are on Zanzibar, every beach is a winner. The entire main island’s surrounded by a shallow shelf, so the water’s at paddling depth for hundreds of metres before turning a darker shade of blue. And with water temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, it’s like floating in a giant bath. If you’d prefer to lounge in the shade, a palm tree’s never too far away, either.

All of Zanzibar’s full of Instagram-worthy beaches. But our favourite is found on the northern coast of the main island. Nungwi Beach is a hit with the locals, who moor their fishing boats a few metres out to sea. The sands here have a vanilla-white shine, which softly blends into the line of palm trees, restaurants and bars behind it.

The remote Mnemba Island’s two miles off the eastern coast of Zanzibar’s main island. And aside from a small wooded area, the island’s made up almost entirely of sand. When the tide’s out, you can wade to even smaller sandbars that look like they’ve been taken straight out of a Pirates of the Caribbean film.

In the centre of Stone Town, you’ll find plenty of souvenir shops selling locally made keepsakes. Expect the likes of wooden carvings, thatched baskets, bags and hats made out of palm leaves. Moto & Dada, on Hurumzi Street, is a great place to start. The shop’s part of a project that helps to support the local women who make the souvenirs sold there.

Lots of women in Zanzibar wear a long colourful sheet called a kanga. They’re traditionally worn around the shoulders, and help to keep you out of the sun when you’re out and about – ideal if you’re prone to sunburn. Throughout the main island shopping areas, like Stone Town and Kiwengwa, you’ll find different handmade versions of these up for grabs. Head over to Darajani Market for a particularly good deal.

Spices, oils and beauty products are all grown and made locally in Zanzibar. Pineapple and banana bath oils are bestsellers, and pick ‘n’ mix-style spice racks are commonplace in shops all over the main island. Red chilli flakes, black pepper and cloves are favourites with the locals. Take some home and spice up your next cooking session.

Zanzibar’s beaches are on a whole other level when the sun starts to go down. And an ideal place to watch the sky turn from blue to orange is the Peace of Mind Restaurant in Jambiani, a small village on the east coast. You can enjoy a large platter of hour-old seafood here, before sitting out on the sand with a cut-open coconut.

On every Saturday that’s closest to the full moon, the locals head down to Kendwa Beach for a full night of music, dancing and drinks. These gatherings are among the bigger events in the island’s calendar, and you’ll often see fire-eaters, acrobats and DJs take to a stage that’s been set up right on the sand.

Zanzibar’s culture is a melting pot of influences, and one of the best ways you can experience this is with a helping of biryani. Wherever you go on the island it’s always different, because the ingredients and spices used change depending on the town or village you’re in. Spiced rice and a meat or fish curry are cooked separately, then combined together in a bowl to make one giant meal.

Ugali’s a popular side dish, often served alongside a bowl of soup, a curry or a plate of grilled meats. Texture-wise, it’s somewhere between porridge and mashed potato, and makes an interesting alternative to rice.

Most English seaside towns offer up plenty of places to grab freshly cooked doughnuts. And on Zanzibar, you can tuck in to an African version of this, too, at the restaurants and street stalls all over the place. Mandazis are just like doughnuts – the dough’s fried in oil and then sweetened with sugar. Cardamom’s often added to give the treats a herby, spicy taste.

As an island surrounded by water that’s full of marine life, Zanzibar’s seafood scene is right up there. And the most popular seafood option by far is octopus. Don’t be surprised to see locals out on the rock pools looking for them when the tide goes out. In most seaside towns and villages, you’ll find it cooked with coriander and turmeric, and then simmered in coconut milk.

Zanzibar pizzas are a lot different to the cheese and tomato varieties dished up at your local Italian. But the locals can’t get enough of them. Instead of being cooked in an oven, raw dough’s spread thinly across a hot pan, where it’s topped with a blend of minced meat, onions, chilli, garlic and mayonnaise. Next, an egg’s cracked right in the middle of it. The whole thing’s then flipped and cooked all the way through, before being eaten whole instead of in slices.