Old Stone Town Market. Be carefull when buying in the Stone Town market. Be prepared to negotiate down to at most 40% of the initial quoted price for goods (e.g. 500 TSH for a coconut, 7500 TSH for 500g of coffee, etc.) and ask for quotes from multiple sellers before making any purchase. Be *especially* carefull when buying goods marketed as made from ebony as they are fake. If you know how to check an ebony good and find that it is genuine (not covered with varnish/ shoe polish, correct density, etc.), be sure you do not let the good out of your hand and ask to package it yourself or, otherwise, it will be substituted with a fake. If the seller pretends to be offended, walk away. Another health risk is buying expensive spices (e.g. saffron) without being able to correctly identifiy the product. Be aware of unsafe chemicals/ substitutes added to or used instead of spices. Additionally, if you hire a guide do not rely on their advice as golden. The general attitude is that tourists won't come back so it's worth fleecing for everything they're worth.
