Zanzibar, islands and the coast

Tanzania boasts over 700km of fabulous tropical coastline, plus the beautiful islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia.

There are many secret coves and beaches on the mainland but most people travelling to the Tanzanian coast visit the beaches of the spice islands of Zanzibar and Pemba and the fantastic diving and snorkelling off Mafia Island. There is so much history here, the islands are dotted with old omani ruins and beautiful restored old palaces to explore. The island’s guides relay the history of the island’s slave trading past, along with fascinating tales centuries of trade with Oman and the east and David Livingstone’s journeys. However, the main draw are the white sandy beaches and blue azure seas with delicious seafood and a touch of spice.

Did you know?

• Stone town is great to just wander around and get lost in the winding back streets.
• Stone town in Zanzibar was once the capital of Oman.
• Learn where how our spices are grown on fascinating spice tours. 
• Pemba has some great coral reefs and drift diving.
• Mafia has bigger shoals of fish and you can swim and dive with whale sharks, best in October.
• Fanjove island is an exclusive tropical island 20 miles off the coast.
• There are red colobus monkeys on Zanzibar which you can usually see running across the road.
• There are some great dolphin tours and if you are lucky you can even swim with them.
• You must respect the local muslim culture, be discreet and keep yourself covered even if you see other travellers who are not.