We offer package tours combining Zanzibar beach holidays with safaris
and treks. Have a look here for detailed
itineraries.
Photos of beach hotels and
attractions found here!
Zanzibar, the spice island,
whose
name leads your thoughts to tropical surroundings, exotic fruits and
spices, legendary sultans, palaces, harems and adventures taken from 1001
nights. The history of Zanzibar is fascinating. For thousands of years it has
been a central trade center for Portuguese, Arabs, Egyptians and Phoenixes. In the
17th century, the Arabs of Oman came to power, and imported spices to
Zanzibar and it's neighboring island Pemba, making these two islands the
worlds greatest exporters of spices. The slave trade contributed further to
Zanzibar's importance, and by the 1830's, Zanzibar's influence was so strong that
the sultan of Oman decided to move his entire staff from Oman to Zanzibar.
In the same period, famous
missionaries and discoverers came to the island in order to buy supplies and
hire porters, and to get permission from the sultan to continue their travels into
the unknown Africa. The most distinguished, David Livingstone, did not have high thoughts
of the people of Zanzibar. His impression of them was that they were lazy, not
willing to do much more than eat, get drunk and sleep. He came up with another name for the island,"
Stinkibar", due to the poor sanitary conditions.
In 1964, the sultan was
thrown out
of power by a blood shredding revolution, and the same year the island went in
to union with the mainland, Tanganyika, and formed the united republic of
Tanzania with the late Mr. Julius Nyerere of the CCM party as the President. Zanzibar has its own parliament which controls the island.
In the past years, people are expressing their wish for a different ruling
system within the union, with 3 separate parliaments for Zanzibar,
Tanganyika and Tanzania, and we
remain to see what will happen. The opposition is strong in the coastal areas
and the islands, but so far the CCM is still ruling.
Stone Town |
The main attraction here is without
a doubt the old Arabic area. Stroll around the narrow streets with old architecture, which is
characteristic for the Swahili towns on the East African coast. Though fascinating and interesting, Stone Town is not worth spending all
you time in. After getting the feel of the town and visiting the attractions,
the next thing you should do is to head up along the coast, find your own paradise and relax for a while.
A range of budget hotels and luxury lodges are set up along the coast, where you
can enjoy white sand, gentle waves, fishing villages, swimming with dolphins and coral
reefs. Most hotels organize snorkeling, diving and boat trips among others.
The best time to visit Zanzibar is between June and mid March, with the hottest
months from January.
From Dar es Salaam you can take an express boat to Stone Town, the trip takes
about 1.5 hours. The flight from Dar es Salaam takes 20 minutes, from Arusha the
flight takes 1 hour.
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Tours in Zanzibar:
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Spice tours
- Muscat,
vanilla,
cinnamon, pepper, ginger and other spices and fruits so exotic that they don't
have an English name, can be explored in the many plantations.
The slave chambers
- The underground
slave chambers in Mangapwani was the center of the illegal slave trade up until
1909.
Persian baths
- On the highest point
of the island, Kidichi, the sultan Sayyind Said built Persian baths in 1850, one for him
and one for his wife. They are still in a good condition with splendid Persian architecture,
so a visit here will be more than worth your time.
Prison Island
- In the middle
of this island, you will find the remains of an old prison built in 1893. Half an
hour by boat, you pay a modest fee to enter the island, which is ideal for
snorkeling and watching giant turtles, imported from the Seychelles at the end of
the century.
Jozani Forest
- The only remaining
natural forest on Zanzibar, where the rare red guerexa monkeys habituate. The best
time to go to Jozani is in the early morning hours, when the monkeys are active.
Swimming with dolphins
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Taking
place in the southern part of the island, the boat ride is long, and you are not
guaranteed to find dolphins, but when you finally do, and if you get the chance
to join them in the water, it will be an extraordinary experience.
Deep
sea fishing
Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia are excellent islands for sports fishing. Do as
Ernest Hemingway and catch sailfish, mackerel, kingfish and marlin among
others.
Diving
Coral reefs, tropical fish and clear water make this area ideal for scuba
diving. Take a diving course, get your certificate and jump in the Indian
Ocean.
Sailing
and water sports
Windsurfing and sailing are popular activities, and can be organized many
places.
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ZIFF |
The Zanzibar International Film Festival was established in 1997 to promote
the art and culture of the Dhow region. The Dhow region consists of the
Arabian Peninsula, the Indian sub-continent, Asia, Africa and the Indian
Ocean Islands.
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