A tourist has a meal at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the harbor in Zanzibar's Stone Town. The government of Zanzibar is struggling to preserve Stone Town before time and salt destroy its architecture. This town is used by its people - children loll on great staircases, men bend in prayer on the floors of mosques. Stray dogs sniff for breakfast on street corners as boys haul sacks of fish to market. The smell of the ocean is everywhere, and the women move slowly, draped in black, silent as shadows.
Mopeds are all the rage.
If you're looking for debauchery, don't go. Zanzibar is a traditional Islamic land, and social norms are conservative. Many restaurants don't serve liquor, and drinking in front of strangers is a faux pas. Local women leave only portions of their faces uncovered, and female tourists who wish to avoid harassment should consider following suit. Our skirts reached our ankles, but we still felt naked.