Zanzibar
The archipelago of Zanzibar is a collection of two main islands and several smaller islands. Unguja Island is the most popular and many think this island alone is Zanzibar. It has earned the nickname of “The Spice Island” because of the long history of growing and trading in spices that dates back for centuries. The island’s most populous city is also called Zanzibar, but often referred to as “Stone Town” because of the many buildings built from coral stone.
Discover all Zanzibar has to offer
This atmospheric and mystical town is the cultural and historical heart of Zanzibar. It was constructed from coral stone during the 19th and 20th century. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.
Stone Town is a very lively place where you’ll find a mixture of Arabic, African, Indian and European cultures living comfortably together. As you walk through the labyrinth of streets too narrow for cars to pass, you can see mosques, churches and temples side to side. While you wonder around the city, your guide will take you on a historical and cultural journey through the old slave market, Darajani market place, the House of Wonders, the Old Fort and the Sultan’s Palace. Tour also includes a lunch in a restaurant or in a local house, if agreed beforehand.
While the tour is only half a day, we recommend you to stay in Stone Town for at least two days to discover many more magnificent wonders. Forodhani Gardens is definitely worth a visit, especially at night when it comes alive as one of the best street food markets in East Africa.
The Spice Tour is one of the most popular excursions in Zanzibar, the Spice Island. Zanzibar was one of the world’s leading producers of spices such as clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. Tour takes you to on organic farm with wide variety of plants around the year. You don’t just see, you also touch, smell and taste. Spices and herbs were originally introduced to Zanzibar by Portuguese traders in the 16th century, brought from their colonies in South America and India.
This tour is a walking tour in a spice farm (shamba). While there, you shall see how the spices, herbs and fruits grow and are cultivated. Your tour guide will describe how the crops can be used. You will be smelling and tasting spices, herbs and tropical fruits such as clove, lemongrass, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla, coconuts, papaya, chili, black pepper, jackfruit, cardamom, cassava and oranges. After the tour you will enjoy a traditional swahili lunch at the farm. Here is when you can really taste the different ways of using spices.
The tour finishes with a stop at a spice stall selling fresh packaged spices
Jozani Forest is best known for its red colobus monkeys, which are endemic to Zanzibar. About 20 years ago, the monkeys were considered to be in danger of extinction. This trend has since reversed due to the conservation project. There are about 6000 red colobus monkeys residing in Jozani Forest.
After visiting the red colobus, you will walk across to the Pete-Jozani Mangrove Boardwalk. It entwines through coral thicket vegetation, mangrove forest and across a creek. You walk through mangrove forest which is extremely crucial to Zanzibar’s ecosystems, providing a habitat for many lizards, snakes and birdlife as well as preventing the coastal erosion.
ozani Forest is situated 38 km southeast from Stone Town. In 1995, the Jozani Chwaka Bay Conservation Project was set up to protect the largest remaining patch of indigenous ground-water forest that used to cover Zanzibar. Local communities are involved in the project and some of your entrance fee contributes to development projects and to compensate local farmers whose crops are often damaged by the red colobus monkeys.
Jozani Forest has several habitats including swamp forest, evergreen thickets, mangroves, as well as a variety of wildlife, including sykes and red colobus monkeys, bush pigs, Ader’s duiker and suni antelopes, elephant shrews, chameleons and lots of birdlife.
The most popular dolphin spotting location in Zanzibar is in Kizimkazi village located on the Southern coast of Zanzibar Island where you can see both bottle-nose and humpback dolphins. The shallow coastal waters around Kizimkazi are a favorite hangout for dolphins that come here for the reliable food supply, to nurse their calves, rest and socialize. Several bottle-nose dolphins stay at Kizimkazi all year-round. There are also rather shyer humpback dolphins that put in an appearance here, although their schedule is a little more erratic.
Dolphin tour is best very early in the morning, because in the afternoon as the sun rises sea water tends to become warm, therefore dolphins dive deep down the sea bottom to escape heat, for the guests who stay in Stone town hotel, we pick them up from their hotels at 06:00am and 05:00am from beach hotels. You can do the trip later in the afternoon but the probability to see dolphins is very small, not only that but at this time there might be many boats at the dolphin sites this scare the dolphins which is not good for their sustainability.
Although dolphin-spotting is a popular activity, sightings aren’t guaranteed 100%, and actually managing to swim with dolphins is a rare occurrence, like with other wild animals spotting dolphins require time and patience as they are not confined in a cage or a zoo, they are in their natural environment. Dolphin trips last two to three hours.
Kizimkazi is also the site of a 12th century mosque, the earliest evidence of Islam in East Africa, and is thus worth a visit for both cultural and historical reasons. We provide Lunch on full day trips Only at the beach restaurant. We advice clients to wear their swimming costume. We also advise to wear waterproof sandals for boarding the dhows and to bring sunscreen, towel and spare T – shirt for snorkeling.
After you step on-board the vessel, the skilled crew on board take the dhow about 1km away from the shore by means of an engine, once out in the sea the engine is shut off and during a tense moment the skillful crew put up the sail, once the sail is in favor of the wind, the guest can sit back, relax and enjoy the peacefulness of the ocean as you hear the ripple of water on the sides of the dhow as it glides swiftly through the clear turquoise water.
Our sunset cruises leave Stone Town in the late afternoon to cruise along the coast, slicing through the clear turquoise water.
The sounds of the bustle of busy people in Stone Town grow faint in the distance until they seem there, only in a memory, as the dhow sail you will be served with sodas drinking water, and Zanzibar light snacks which will encourage you to sink back into the dhow bench and enjoy the romance of Zanzibar Island while the sun sets down with its beautiful orange colors.
Your breath will be taken away by the wonder of the fiery golden-sun setting beyond the horizon as it makes the sky a magical canvas of shades of pinks, purples, blues and orange. As you head back for stone town the wind gently blows into the Latin sail which is truly mesmerizing.
On board our dhow we have a personal guide who will accompany you on your cruise and give you a tour of Stone Town from the water as well as be able to answer any questions that you may ask him. You will come back to the shore at 1830hrs and drive to the hotel.
