Reviews of trips to Stone Town
351 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Stone Town.
"Wonderful Holiday"
My family has an active, adventurous spirit, which Claire Scott (Expert Africa) picked up on right away as we discussed options nearly nine months prior. Accordingly, Claire recommended camps that met our desires and expectations. I cannot say enough about how easy it was to work with Expert Africa and how efficiently our holiday played out. Complex logistics were well planned and execution was seamless. Well done!" Read full review: 39 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari
"My Feb 2015 trip"
"My Feb 2015 trip"
We arranged a private guide and vehicle for these travellers, they commented:
Sadiq was an excellent and professional guide, he established what our expectations were and tried throughout the trip to accommodate our wishes. He is obviously an experienced guide of many years and knew the locations we visited well. He was also knowledgeable about the needs of a photographer and manoeuvred the vehicle to obtain the best photographic positions.
We could not have wished for a better guide - Thank you Sadiq
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I cannot think of anything" Read full review: 23 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
"Great experiences in Tanzania"
I am happy that we went to both Selous and Ruaha. We experienced the most diversity and abundance of animals in the Selous (we stayed at Azura Selous), but appreciated being able to sit and watch the interaction of the 'social' animals (lions, baboons and elephants) in the Ruaha. If I was forced to just go only to one place, I would reluctantly say Selous because of the more wilderness aspect of it. We didn't see a single 4x4 when we were out in the Selous, while in Ruaha we probably saw 6 on average per day. I understand that this is nothing compared to northern Tanzania, and is one of the main reasons we chose Selous and Ruaha.
The Tanzanians that we met were all extremely welcoming and hospitable. They all wanted us to go home as ambassadors for their country. We felt totally spoiled and were willing to overlook disappointments we had with some of the food because of this.
I'm glad that we spent some time shopping in Stone Town as it was a great place to pick up inexpensive home décor items, but I probably could have done that in a few hours and didn't need to overnight there.
Coming from Canada, we found the food and drink prices to be very inexpensive on Zanzibar. Watching the kite surfing in Paje was really interesting and made spending hours on the beach enjoyable." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
"Tanzanian adventure"
We were disappointed in one lodge where we stayed but James had made clear to us before booking that he didn't have any personal knowledge of this lodge. For the lodges which were recommend by EA we found their descriptions to have been fair and reliable. EA arranged all our local connections - taxis and flights and all worked out very well without a hitch." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zanzibar holiday
"Very good trip"
"My Nov 2014 trip"
"Amazing first taste of Tanzania"
Thank you so much for helping make this trip a reality!" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zanzibar holiday
"My Oct 2014 trip"
"Can't wait to return"
Some gliches. Lots of traffic from Zanzibar because of arriving evening last day of Ramadan. Luggage broken into and things stolen from luggage at Nairobi airport. No museum visit at Olduvai gorge and no lunch provided last day of safai as outlined in itinerary. Lots of flight delays. Last Masai village visit we felt extorted for the suggested donation of $200.
However, this was the best trip we have ever taken and we travel extensively. Thanks again to the staff of expert Africa for matching us up once again with a like minded couple whose company we enjoyed and for providing a TRIP WHOSE WONDERFUL MEMORIES WILL LAST ALL OUR LIVES. We hope to do a 3rd trip with your company." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 5 on a Tanzania safari
Where to stay in Stone Town
Our suggestions for places to stay in Stone Town
Zanzibar Coffee House
The Zanzibar Coffee House is a small quiet hotel tucked away in the back streets of Stone Town, with lovely, simple rooms.
Serena Inn
Now trumped by the nearby Park Hyatt, the Serena Inn, in its historic building, was formerly Stone Town's only international-style hotel.
Zanzibar Palace Hotel
The Zanzibar Palace Hotel is a highly regarded boutique hotel with very personal service and just nine rooms, all of them Zanzibari in style.
Beyt al Salaam
The Beyt al Salaam is a pleasant, boutique hotel with only six rooms and atmospheric and stylish Zanzibari décor.
Dhow Palace Hotel
The Dhow Palace is a very good-value, mid-range hotel, full of Swahili character, and the pool makes it appealing to families.
Emerson Spice
Emerson Spice is a beautiful small hotel in the heart of Stone Town with individually designed rooms adorned with gorgeous fabrics.
Kholle House
Kholle House offers an atmospheric Stone Town stay in a historic building, and is very good value for money.
Jafferji House
Jafferji House is a converted old house that blends modern facilities with traditional style. The ten, unique rooms are show great attention to detail.
Swahili House
Swahili House is a traditionally styled boutique hotel furnished to a high standard with a convenient location in the centre of Stone Town.
Tembo Hotel
The Tembo Hotel is a good-value, family-friendly hotel right on the seafront in Stone Town, with 36 rooms and a good-sized swimming pool.
Emerson on Hurumzi
Emerson on Hurumzi was Stone Town's first boutique hotel, featuring antique furniture, unique, stylish rooms and a superb rooftop restaurant.
Mbweni Ruins Hotel
Mbweni Ruins Hotel is very convenient if you want to stay on the beach, but very close to Stone Town, or visit Chumbe Island.
Park Hyatt
The Park Hyatt Zanzibar is a high-quality example of this group, with excellent facilities and service.
Maru Maru Hotel
In the heart of Stone Town, Maru Maru combines contemporary style and creature comforts with a Zanzibari twist.
Seyyida Hotel
The Seyyida is a characterful old hotel near the seafront in Stone Town, with the rare bonus of a swimming pool.
Kisiwa House
Kisiwa's central location in the heart of Stone Town's Shangani area makes it a great base to explore this fascinating town.
