FORODHANI GARDENS

The Forodhani Gardens on Stone Town's waterfront in front of the old fort are a must-see. A meeting point for locals by day and night, it's a lively place, with benches under the trees where groups of friends chat, and children's games (the park is only open in the evening and charges a few thousand shillings). It's a time for romantic encounters and family gatherings for the locals, a very authentic moment immortalized by itinerant photographers.

The sunset show. Over the past two years, the Forodhani waterfront has become a real showplace at sunset, like the ramblas in Barcelona or the Vieux Port in Marseille. Street performances take place every evening, starting with the dancers, who place their enclosures in the park to link up their steps, and the Maasaïs, who do high jumps and sing, but without asking for money, just out of pride in their culture and to get together. But the real crowd-pleasers are the port divers (the adults in the middle of the waterfront), who jump into the water in disguise, holding signs and becoming real stars on social networks.

The night market. A multitude of stalls are set up in the evening, in a halo of light. The atmosphere is convivial, as you sit on the low wall of the port with your plastic plate on your lap, with begging cats all around, not aggressive. Samosas, kebabs, shawarmas and local "pizzas" are on offer here, as well as seafood and meat kebabs. While meat, fish and seafood are strictly forbidden, samosas can be eaten, as can "shawarmas" (actually fat-laden kebabs), "pizzas" (actually brick pastry) and pre-prepared Swahili dishes. Ask for the price before you order, and choose stalls where the locals are queuing. You can finish your meal with a spice coffee, for a relaxing digestion.

Warning. Watch out for pickpockets in the tightly packed crowd watching the jumps or ordering a dish. Beware of the choice of food: many tourists catch severe food poisoning from the fish and seafood sold here, preserved in deplorably unhygienic conditions. Skewers piled up for days on end are treated with ammonia to kill bacteria and then placed back on the stall - really, don't touch them! Any local guide will tell you. What's more, the sellers charge twice as much.