⚠️ Timetables, opening hours, prices and access conditions may change without notice, for reasons beyond our control (season, weather, decisions by operators, venues or local authorities). Before every trip, check the information with the relevant authorities and service providers.
Remains of a mosque and tombs from the old town of Ndagoni, probably 14th century, reached by boat.
Fifteenth-century fortress, considered the only early fortification known on the Swahili coast.
Former Omani fort housing the Pemba Museum, devoted to the island’s history and the spice trade.
Coral-stone houses, a prison and German-era buildings overgrown by fig trees, on Mafia’s former capital.
Swahili town abandoned after a raid by Sakalava from Madagascar in the 1820s, visited when the tide allows.
A legacy of the Portuguese presence, these festive contests pit villagers against bulls, which are neither killed nor injured.
Fasting slows daytime life; the end of Ramadan brings several days of family celebrations. Be discreet.
Celebration of the Prophet’s birth with songs, recitations and processions, widely observed on the Swahili coast.
Octopus curry, fish in coconut sauce (samaki wa kupaka) and grilled lobster, depending on the day’s catch.
Rice scented with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, the dish of choice for celebrations.
Mishkaki skewers, mandazi doughnuts and spiced chai at the market or on street corners at dusk.