Telephones are hard to come by (there are a few pay phones at the post offices) and they are very expensive. Some offices allow callback service (you call home, give the number where you are and someone from home calls you back) but this is frowned upon by the local phone company so we don't name names. Ask around and you'll find the offices that allow callback.
To make an international call at the Tanzanian Telephone Company Ltd. (TTCL)/Post Office is very expensive and you're required to fill out a long boring form before they'll dial. Non-TTCL phone offices are more convenient to use. There's one in the same building as TTCL in Stone Town; it's called ASKO and it's on the left hand side of the building. ASKO, Next Step, and Modern Computer Centre all offer email service which, at about TSh 1,000 per message, is much cheaper than the telephone. Modern Computer Centre will also let you access the World Wide Web for a fee.
Keep in mind that Zanzibar had only one local ISP when this book went to print and phone connections are pricey, so email and access to the net aren't as cheap here as they are in America or Europe.
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