I really enjoyed Stone Town. Probably because it's so different from mainland Tanzania: it has historic buildings, museums, and bustling city life. This all is the result of the very different route in history Zanzibar has taken from its partner Tanganyika, with which it has formed the United Republic of Tanzania since 1964. Its attraction lies in the car-free narrow streets which show the Arabic and Asian influences and did remind me of Kathmandu or Jerusalem. I made three separate visits to Stone Town, which is almost hassle-free to walk around on your own, exploring more and more of the backstreets on every visit.

The bigger late 19th century monuments are located on the main street looking out over the sea. It starts up north with the Old Dispensary, a turquoise coloured ornate building that looks very Indian. The Palace Museum is located in the former palace and shows the life of the Omani sultans that ruled Zanzibar from 1698 until independence. Its interior decoration is a mix of European and Indian styles. Next to it stands the House of Wonders, now a museum of Zanzibar history. The Old Fort is like an old fort everywhere - they do survive quite well due to their sturdy construction, but this isn't more than a set of walls. A lot of the historic monuments in Stone Town are very run-down anyway. The house of notorious slave trader Tippu Tip even looks to be taken over by a family of squatters.

On the bright side, you can see everywhere the wooden carved doors that are the city's trademark.

They often are in better condition than the buildings that they form the entrance to.

In the central part of town, the two churches/cathedrals can be found: Roman-Catholic and Anglican. Both look very foreign in their surroundings. The latter also houses the Slave Monument and the low and cramped dungeons where slaves were kept before being sold at the local slave market.