Zanzibar - the name evokes images of hot, sunny days on white sandy palm-fringed beaches bordering turquoise blue seas, the scent of cinnamon and cloves in the air, memories of the island's infamous past of sultans and slavetrade...

Indeed nowhere else in the world will you find such a unique combination of beautiful landscapes, history and culture; hospitable people, delicious cuisine, and ecological wonders.

To absorb this atmosphere, one needs to spend a day or two walking through the narrow twisting streets of Zanzibar Stone Town, with 150 year old houses with crumbling stone walls, overhanging balconies and massive intricately carved wooden doors. Visit the former slave market, the old fort, the National Museum and the House of Wonders.

Sample local cuisine - from Swahili Pilau or "vitumbua" (rice and coconut cakes) washed down with "madafu" (green coconut water) or freshly squeezed sugarcane juice to the wonderful barbeque on the Forodhani seafront at dusk (octopus, giant squid, lobster, crab, and a huge variety of freshly-caught fish from the Indian Ocean...)

The rest of the time can be divided between visiting Jozani Forest (home of the red colobus monkey and mangrove swamps), taking a Spice Tour (visit to plantations with all the spices that made the island so famous), visiting the little islands around the main island (Chumbwe, Prison Island, Grave Island and ---) and of course lounging under coconut palms with toes dangling in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.  There are numerous activites available for those seeking more adventure - scuba diving and snorkelling in the coral reef surrounding Zanzibar (the underwater world is absolutely breathtaking!!!) or dolphin watching...

Getting to and from the Isle of Spices
Tours And Excursions
Accommodations