Rooms | Tradewinds | Sunset Bar | The Majlis | The Library


Dance and disco into the new year with resident DJ Dullah at the Sunset Bar and Tradewinds while watching the fireworks from the legendary Africa House terrace.
In addition to traditional Maasai dancers we present the Safi Theatre Group, mixing ngoma music, flute, barrel drums and shakers combined with their incredible acrobatics dance performance.
Entrance: Tsh 20,000 (includes a cocktail toast into the new year).
Call for reservations at 0774 43 23 40.

House of Wonders

The House of Wonders is located near the Palace Museum and opposite of Forodhani Gardens in the old quarters of Zanzibar Town, also known as Stone Town.

Built in 1883 it was once the ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash. Spacious verandahs supported by columns surround this very large, four-storied building with a highly visible clock tower. A large roofed courtyard in the centre is surrounded by open galleries. Large wooden staircases wind up along the inner walls. On each floor are four giant carved wooden doors, some of which have inscriptions from the Koran. On order of Sultan Barghash the huge carved main door was made wide enough so that he could easily ride an elephant through. The upper balcony surrounds the entire building and offers great views onto the ocean and Stone Town. The locals named the palace Beit-al-Ajaib, meaning the House of Wonders, because it was the first house with electrical lights and even an electrical elevator in Zanzibar, built in 1913 by the British. Still today, it is one of the largest buildings in Zanzibar.

During the Anglo-Zanzibar-War in 1896 the palace was slightly damaged by a British bombardment in an attempt to overthrow Sultan Barghash, who claimed the thrown after the death of Sultan Hamad. After reconstruction, Sultan Hamoud used the upper floor as a residential palace during his reign from 1902 to 1911. Later on the building was used as government offices and after the Zanzibar Revolution as a school. Today the house is open for tourists as the Museum of History and Culture of Zanzibar & the Swahili Coast. The entrance fee is USD 3 per person.

AFRICA HOUSE HOTEL, STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR ISLAND
P.O. Box 3246, Shangani, Stone Town, Zanzibar
Tel.: +255 (0)774 43 23 40 or +255 (0)777 212621
Email: / Skype: africahousehotel