Visit the Most Beautiful Spot in Africa

Take a tour of stunning Zanzibar, a place of crystal-blue water and striking white beaches, fragrant spice farms, and an array of new five-star resorts.

By Andrew Parks | April 21, 2016

Photographs by Adrian Gaut

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Zanzibar, the small collection of islands 23 miles off the coast of Tanzania, wears its influences well. At the center of the spice trade for centuries, the archipelago has been occupied by Swahili tribes, Indian settlers, and European colonialists, but none left as indelible a mark as the sultans from the Arabian Peninsula. Their lavish mansions, baths, and forts are centered primarily in Stone Town, the largest city on the island of Unguja and a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The “majestic spice island” of the Indian Ocean is regaining its status as a high-end destination. Zanzibar’s airport completed a renovation in December to accommodate more direct flights from Dubai, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, and Rome. The palaces are being converted into luxury retreats: Last year, Park Hyatt restored Mambo Msiige, a 17th century mansion that takes up several blocks of the city’s waterfront. Five-star boutique Per Aquum, a luxury brand from the Maldives, is taking over a resort in Nungwi on the northernmost tip of Unguja. Nearby, fishermen catch fresh marlin, octopus, and tuna every morning, and dhow makers repair boats before returning them to the sea. The past and the future are never far apart in this mostly Muslim country, where calls to prayer echo over the sapphire-blue water, mingling with the clink of cocktail glasses along chalky-white beaches. We sent renowned photographer Adrian Gaut to capture Zanzibar’s dazzling mix of old and new.

A view of the welcome center at Essque Zalu Zanzibar at night.

The Old Dispensary, with its elegant layout and ornate, cross-cultural mix of Indian, Arab, and neoclassical architectural influences, is one of the most striking buildings in Stone Town. On the second floor, an oceanside hookah bar called the Three Bees serves about 70 varieties of shisha tobacco.

Dhow makers work on Nungwi Beach.

Hamamni Persian Baths, the first public baths in Stone Town, built by Sultan Barghash bin Said in the late 19th century.

Indian-inspired balconies in Stone Town.

Dried lemon peels to be used as part of a “Singo” body scrub, the traditional beauty regimen local women undergo weeks before their wedding.

An arch of the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral in Stone Town, built on the former site of Zanzibar’s largest slave market.

Muslim women in brightly colored hijabs on Nungwi Beach.

Every door in Stone Town tells a story, especially the hand-carved history lessons that line Baghani Street and the labyrinthine lanes of the Shangani district. There are two primary types: Indian doors, also known as Gujarati, which have square shutters, brass knobs, and intricate images of animals. And Arab doors, which are often rectangular or semicircular and brim with baroque patterns and inscriptions of key passages from the Quran. Symbolic details such as fish scales and vines, chains, and beads signify the social status of the owner behind each entryway.