01 Food tours
Original food tours, curated with our local tastemakers to showcase the neighbourhood kitchens, markets and family-run eateries that define Zanzibar.
Zanzi Eats
Zanzibar
Discover Stone Town's spice-island table — urojo, mishkaki skewers and coconut curry.
Zanzi Nights
Zanzibar
Discover Zanzibar's spice-island trade routes — urojo, Zanzibar pizza and coconut curry.
02 Meet the tastemakers
The local food experts who help us research, refine and lead every A Chef's Tour.
Urojo mishmash soup, mishkaki charcoal skewers, Zanzibar pizza layered thin, coconut curries scented with cloves. The spice island still cooks like the entrepot it used to be.
04 The pantry
- Cloves, harvested from the spice-island plantations
- Nutmeg and mace, from Pemba's plantations
- Cardamom, whole green pods for pilau and coffee
- Coconut milk, pressed fresh for curries and rice
- Tamarind, sour pulp for chutneys and marinades
05 In the kitchen
- Slow-simmering pilau rice with clove, cardamom and cumin
- Grilling mishkaki beef skewers at Forodhani gardens
- Layering Zanzibar pizza paper-thin with egg, meat and mayo
- Blending urojo mishmash soup with mango, potato and chutneys
- Roasting cloves and cardamom for the island's kahawa coffee
06 Eat this first
- Zanzibar mix, urojo soup of mango, potato, chutney and crispy bits
- Mishkaki, cumin-spiced beef skewers grilled at the seafront market
- Zanzibar pizza, thin dough griddle-cooked with meat, egg and mayonnaise
- Octopus curry, Zanzibari octopus in coconut and clove sauce
- Kahawa, cardamom-clove coffee poured from copper pots
What happens inside a hammam kitchen
A morning with the cooks who feed the neighbourhood before dawn. Charcoal, dough, the smell of a bakery working its second oven.
10 Field Notes
Quick field notes to help you get accustomed to Zanzibar.
Weather
Tropical island. Hot and humid year-round (27–32°C). Long rains April–May, short rains November. June to October is dry, cool, and perfect for exploring Stone Town.
Currency
The Tanzanian shilling (TZS) and US dollars both circulate; cards in upscale hotels only. Bring small US notes for park fees and tips.
Language
Swahili is the everyday language; English is widely spoken in tourism. Zanzibari Swahili is the language's classical form. Locals love hearing visitors try it.
Etiquette
Zanzibar is Muslim-majority. Cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town, and dress modestly outside beach resorts. During Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public during daylight.
Getting around
Stone Town is walkable and best explored on foot. Its lanes are too narrow for cars. Between towns, dalla-dallas (minibuses) are cheap; taxis and private drivers are the visitor default.
Prayer
Predominantly Muslim. Five calls to prayer daily, and Friday afternoon quiets Stone Town. The call to prayer echoing across the harbour at dusk is unforgettable.