Where to stay in Stone Town
Shangani by the sea, Malindi by the market, or a house with a roof terrace in the middle of the maze — in Stone Town you choose how much noise you want under the window.
- First visit
- Shangani
- For price
- Malindi and around the market: cheaper
- For atmosphere
- A house in the middle of the maze
In Stone Town you do not choose a hotel but a street: the town is small enough that everything is on foot, but the difference between a room by the sea and a room above the market is three hours of sleep. The thing to look for in a listing is not a pool but a roof terrace — that is where breakfast and the sunset happen.
Shangani — the western tip, by the sea
The quietest part of town, with hotels in former merchant houses, Forodhani and the Old Fort five minutes away and the sea under the window. The dearest rooms are here, and most of the restaurants with tables. For two nights in town before the beach this choice needs no thinking about.
Malindi and the market — for price and the ferry
The north-eastern part, by the Darajani market and the terminal: cheaper rooms, crowds from five in the morning, and nearest the boat to Dar es Salaam. Anyone arriving by ferry from the mainland and moving on tomorrow sleeps here; anyone who wants to sleep until eight does not.
The middle of the maze — a house with a courtyard
Old Swahili houses turned into small hotels: an arcaded courtyard, rooms around it, a roof terrace for breakfast. No sea view, plenty of town — the call to prayer at five, cats, children. For anyone who came for that, this is the only option; for anyone who wants quiet, it is not.
What to avoid
- A beach hotel out of town for two nights in town. An hour each way eats both days; the beach comes afterwards, from Nungwi.
- A room without air conditioning 'because it is by the sea'. The humidity here is constant and a night without it is not slept through, however hard the fan works.
- A booking without an address. 'In the heart of Stone Town' can be behind the market; ask for the street name and check the map before paying.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which part of Stone Town is best to sleep in?
Shangani on the western tip: by the sea, the quietest, with Forodhani and the restaurants five minutes away. Malindi by the market is cheaper and louder, and the houses in the middle of the maze have a courtyard and a roof but also the whole town under the window.
Is there a beach in Stone Town?
Not a real one. There is sand below Forodhani where children swim, but Zanzibar's beaches are north and east, an hour away. The town is done in two nights, then you go to the beach.
Do you need air conditioning?
You do. The humidity is constant and does not drop at night; a fan alone does not solve it. Check that it runs all night, because some small hotels cut the power after midnight.
Ready for Stone Town?
Where to next
What to eat in Stone Town
→Grilled fish at Forodhani, clove-scented pilau in a local place and urojo for lunch — Zanzibar cooking is…
Nungwi · 50 km
→The northern tip of Zanzibar, the one stretch of coast where you can swim at every tide — and a dhow-building village that became the densest hotel strip on the island
How well does Stone Town suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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