Happy couples honeymooning in Zanzibar all too often skip the island’s capital, Zanzibar Town, altogether – and understandably so. After all, these little islands are arguably the closest thing to paradise on earth, with stunning white sand beaches and warm, turquoise waters inviting you to kick back, relax and forget the stresses of the world for a while.
What’s more, the luxury hotels dotted around the exotic archipelago have everything a couple could wish for as all-inclusive service takes care of your every need and desire. But if you do fancy a break from the pampering and want a taste of traditional island life, there’s arguably no better place to get this than Forodhani Gardens, located in the heart of the oldest part of the main city, otherwise known as Stone Town.
After a morning out on the seas, local fishermen come to this compact public square to sell their catch. Alongside them, entrepreneurial traders grill the catch of the day on sizzling barbecues, serving up tuna, snapper and barracuda, as well as octopus or marlin, all incredibly fresh and refreshingly cheap. But it’s not just fish on sale here. Over recent years, enterprising chefs have flocked here to set up stall and offer up their own taste of paradise.
Check out the famous Zanzibar Pizza, which is cooked on top of, rather than inside an oven, and topped with cream cheese and any number of colourful extras, or tuck into grilled green banana. And if that’s not enough to give you a culinary fix, check out the nearby Spice Market, an explosion of colour, smells and noise as traders and shoppers jostle for attention close to the waterfront. Quite simply, this part of Stone Town really is foodie heaven – informal, vibrant and the perfect place for photographs as well as filling your stomach and seeing another side to the island. And then it’s back to the poolside to snooze off lunch in luxury.
