4 Day Holiday to Zanzibar – Beach, Stone Town & Spice

Stone Town - Zanzibar Island

Our 4-day Zanzibar Holiday Package begins at the international airport near Zanzibar City. When you arrive at the airport your driver is there to welcome you to Zanzibar Island and transfer you to your hotel in Stone Town.

At your seaside hotel, you have some time to settle in and freshen up before your guide collects you for a walking tour of Stone Town.

It is as if time stood still in this fascinating old quarter of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The eclectic architecture is a testament to the various cultures– African, Arabic, Indian, and European–that have occupied this exotic island. Wander through winding alleys and admire the ornately carved and studded wooden doors, archways, and weathered shutters. Primarily a Muslim country there are numerous mosques in Stone Town as well as two cathedrals to serve the Christians who arrived with the British.

Visit the Old Fort, built by Omani Arabs after the Portuguese were expelled. It has served as a prison, garrison and today is a drawcard for tourists with its cultural center, market, restaurants, and amphitheater. The old slave market is the site today of the Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ, a building that houses many tributes to the city’s heinous past, one of which is an altar built over the spot where the whipping post stood. All newly captured Africans were tied to the tree here and whipped to test their mettle. Slave trade was a thriving industry in the 18th and 19th centuries until shut down by the British in 1873. The guide has many stories to tell, some amusing but many that tell the tale of the hardship experienced on this island.

Stone Town has a bustling market and many gift shops that have souvenirs and handicrafts on sale. The colorful market is filled with the aroma of the spices that give this island its Spice Island moniker. After a busy day, your guide will escort you back to your historic hotel next to the ocean. Enjoy sundowners and dinner on the hotel terrace or step out again to dine at one of Stone Town’s restaurants.

Spice Tour & Beach Resort – Zanzibar Island

On day two of this cheap Zanzibar Holiday Package, we leave Stone Town behind. Your guide collects you after breakfast at the hotel and transfers you north to your Zanzibar beach resort. Along the way, you stop to enjoy an aromatic Zanzibar Spice Tour on a plantation.

Introduced by the Omani Arabs in the 19th century at a time when spices were a valuable commodity worldwide, spices became Zanzibar's primary income source after the demise of the slave trade. Spices play an important role in the lives of the Zanzibaris for their use in their cuisine, as a cure for many ailments, and for the dyes and henna that are used for decoration at festivals and weddings. When you see spices such as cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, and turmeric root growing in the plantations, it’s easy to understand why Zanzibar is known as The Spice Island.

Taste some of the unusual fruits that are grown here, such as jack fruit, custard apple, rambutan, and carambola. Henna bush, lipstick tree, and lemongrass are some of the plants grown here. After the heady aromas of the spice plantation, it’s time to continue north to the beach resort.

On your Zanzibar beach holiday, you stay at the Ocean Paradise Resort & Spa (or similar). This lush and well-equipped beach resort is located in Pwani Mchangani, on the northeastern shores of the main island.

Arriving at the resort, it is time to kick off your shoes and head to the beach or take a dip in the large swimming pool and enjoy cocktails at the poolside bar. After dinner and a laid-back evening, retreat to your comfortable chalet and fall asleep to the sounds of the Indian Ocean.

Today is yours to enjoy the beach paradise of Zanzibar Island!

Waterbabies will be spoilt for choice, with numerous watersports and ocean activities available. If watersports are your thing, the beach resort has a professional PADI accredited dive center on-site to organize and oversee scuba diving and/or snorkeling trips. With some of the best diving in the world and a company that knows the best locations, your scuba diving adventure is in good hands. The qualified divers can also provide tuition to new divers and beginners.

Other watersports include kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, and sailing, or you may choose to take a dolphin tour or a boat trip.

On dry land, there is a fitness center, beach volleyball, billiards, and table tennis. If that’s all too energetic for you, visit the spa or chill by the pool, soaking up some rays. If you are keen to see more of Zanzibar Island book a tour with the hotel concierge. You can also take a stroll around the resort which is set in a 6.5-hectare garden of lush tropical vegetation with a waterfall and abundant birdlife.

Relax in the evening, toast the sunset with a sundowner, and dine to the sounds of the resident, resort band. Fall asleep under your mosquito net to the gentle soundtrack of the waves.

Beach Resort to Airport – Zanzibar Island

Wake up bright and early this morning for a last swim in the sea or a final stroll on the sandy beach.

All too soon this short Zanzibar Holiday Package comes to an end. Your driver will collect you from the beach resort after breakfast for your transfer back to the airport.