Overview
Across the islands
A True Taste of Zanzibar
Food that tells the history of the islands — spices, fruit and seafood, 100% fresh.
View detailsRafiki Adventures
Taste, rhythm and celebration
Cuisine, festivals and culture — how the islands and the mainland eat, gather and celebrate.
01 / Cuisine
A true taste of Zanzibar
Zanzibar food tells much about the history of the islands, reflecting influences from many different places around the world — and the spices, fruits and seafood are 100% fresh.
Overview
Street food
Forodhani Park, Stone Town
Forodhani Night Market
Grilled food and cold drinks by the sea, every evening as the sun goes down.
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Spice tour
Kizimbani · Kidichi
Spices & Tropical Fruit
Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, cloves and black pepper, straight from the garden.
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Market
Darajani, Stone Town
Fruit, Spice & Food Market
Built in 1904 on Creek Road — scented spices, seafood and fresh farm produce.
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Seafood
Across Zanzibar
Seafood & Swahili Cuisine
The catch of the day with coconut, lime and charcoal — the island table at its best.
View details02 / Festivals
The island comes alive
Zanzibar is never short of festivals and celebrations — it is one of the places with the highest number of festivals in East Africa, from ZIFF and Sauti za Busara to Mwaka Kogwa and the Eid celebrations.
July
Old Fort & Forodhani, Stone Town
Zanzibar International Film Festival
The Festival of the Dhow Countries, held in the first two weeks of July.
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February
Old Fort, Stone Town
Sauti za Busara
East Africa’s largest and best-loved music festival, every February.
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19 July
Zanzibar
Zanzibar Cultural Day
Held every 19th of July with dances, road shows, Taarab and craft exhibitions.
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Eid
Across Zanzibar
Eid el Fitr
Four days of celebration at the end of Ramadhan — the biggest festival in Zanzibar.
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Eid
Across Zanzibar
Eid el Hajj
Also known as Eid al-Adha — four days of feasting, prayer and visiting.
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July
Makunduchi
Mwaka Kogwa
A four-day New Year celebration of Zoroastrian origin, held at the end of July.
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Sports
Mfumbwi Beach, Jambiani
Zanzibar Beach & Watersports Festival
Three days of beach life, culture and music on the south-east coast.
View details03 / Culture
The rhythm of home
Beyond the ruins and relics, the history of these islands and the mainland is alive in the people, languages, music, festivals and crafts.
Living heritage
The Swahili coast
Swahili Culture
A coastal culture blending African, Arab, Persian and Indian influences over centuries.
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Music
Zanzibar
Taarab Music
Zanzibar’s most popular music, performed in the Old Fort amphitheatre and at every Eid.
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Art
Across Tanzania
Art & Crafts
Sculpture, weaving, beadwork and carving, from Maasai markets to Arusha’s galleries.
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Communities
Mainland Tanzania
Maasai, Chagga & Hadzabe
Communities offering immersive cultural experiences across the mainland.
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Communities
Mwanza
Sukuma Culture
Dance, storytelling and heritage of Tanzania’s largest ethnic group.
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Traditional sport
Pemba Island
Pemba Bullfighting
A traditional annual sport, a relic of the Portuguese era — and the bull always survives.
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Sport
Mangapwani · Stone Town
Golf in Zanzibar
From the 1890s Zanzibar Golf Club to an 18-hole course opened at Mangapwani in 2015.
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