Stone Town

With the island's main port and only airport, it's impossible to arrive in Zanzibar without passing through Stone Town. I spent about three days in the small town, wandering through its winding, narrow streets and taking in the incredible mixture of cultures that exist on the island. Arriving in Stone Town is like leaving Africa for some other place in the world, but I can't say which place that would be. The island has been settled by Omanians, Persians, Indians, Portuguese, Italians and so many others that it's difficult to identify with which culture it is most closely linked. The architecture and the style of the town reminded me of Nepal; the omnipresence of Islam reminded me of Bangladesh; the Rastafari culture reminded me of the Caribbean; the women's beautiful clothing reminded me of the rest of Tanzania; the food reminded me of India; and yet street hawkers could speak Italian, English, French and Spanish.

My first real view of the city was on my first morning on Zanzibar (since I arrived so late at night) during breakfast, which was served on the roof of my hotel.
The architecture of Stone Town is an amazing combination of Arab, Persian, Indian, European and African styles. Looking at the buildings throughout the town was probably my favorite part of wandering through its winding streets. (My hotel is the building with the white balconies in the next picture.)
One of the most impressive buildings in town is Beit-El-Ajaib, or the House of Wonders, which was built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace, but is now a museum that displays exhibits about dhow culture, Swahili civilization, nineteenth-century Zanzibar, the history of Stone Town and more.
As impressive as the town is, the clear, bright blue waters that surround it are impossible to ignore.
Wandering through town just wouldn't have been complete without a visit to the local market. I admired the vast selection of fruits and vegetables, haggled over scarves and kangas (printed, cotton fabric, similar to chitenge) and stared in awe at the numerous packets of spices and teas.