The streets wind between tall buildings, opening unexpectedly into ornamental squares that endow the town with gathering points for local people as well as atmosphere of Arabian Nights charm. Stone Town wa declared a Conservation area in 1988, although several individual buildings had already been declared national monuments well before then. Other national monuments include the House of Wonders and the Cathedrals as mentioned above. The old town of Stone Town is roughly the shape of a triangle, bordered on two sides by the Indian Ocean and the eastern side by Creek Road. Walking from one side of the old city to the other takes about 15 minutes, unless you are a beginner in which case it could easily take several hours.
Maps are available at any tourist shop.
Main Festival venues are centered around The Old Fort, House of Wonders and Forodhani Gardens, whose waterfront make a pleasant place to spend hours of an evening at any time of year, with the local traders selling freshly cooked kebabs, seafood, breads, chai and sugar cane juice.