Zanzibar: Dhow Silhouettes at Stone Town Sunset

Zanzibar Island sits in the Indian Ocean 35 kilometres off the Tanzanian coast. Stone Town, the historic UNESCO district on the west coast, has a waterfront that faces west across the Zanzibar Channel toward the Tanzania mainland — at sunset, the traditional wooden dhow sailing boats silhouette against the orange sky above the channel in an image that defines the island. Nungwi, the northernmost village, has beaches facing both west and east, giving both afternoon beach sunsets and early morning ocean sunrises. The east coast (Jambiani, Paje, Bwejuu) faces directly east into the Indian Ocean for unobstructed sunrise over the sea. At -6.2°S, golden hour lasts only 21 minutes throughout the year. The dry season (June through October) produces the clearest Indian Ocean horizons; the short rains in November can produce dramatic storm light over the water.