Zanzibar Shopping and Districts

(Zanzibar, Tanzania, TZ, East Africa)

Souvenir hunting in Zanzibar needn't be an onerous task. Stone Town is something of a shoppers' paradise.

On offer are a cornucopia of handcrafted artefacts, including 'khangas' - a brightly coloured sarong-like garment, traditional board games, wood carvings and jewellery. Some are better made than others, with prices often being a good indicator of quality.

Visitors are advised to avoid anything that might relate to one of the island's protected animal or fish species, such as turtle shells.

When to Shop / Opening Hours

Shops in Zanzibar tend to open from 08:30 to 12:00 in the morning and then from 14:00 to 18:00, from Monday to Saturday.

Where to Shop

A stroll through Stone Town brings visitors close to the shopping action. Shops that sell everything from wood carvings to paintings, spices to clothes, jostle for company. Most of Stone Town's souvenir shops can be found along Kenyatta Road and on Gizenga Street.

If your shopping needs are of the everyday variety, the best place to head is Darajani Street, where it is possible to buy pretty much everything you could need. Textiles and jewellery shops tend to centre on Kiponda Street and Market Street. Stone Town's many antique shops are still popular tourist haunts.

As well as shops, Stone Town's streets are lined with stalls and pavement sellers who are keen to sell you everything from statues to spices. Forodhani Gardens usually has several stalls open during the day and at nighttime. It may also be possible to watch weavers and artists at work here.