The Spice Island is Hot and Spicy (Zanzibar)

Member Name: Emmamac1

Product:	Zanzibar
Date:	13/08/09 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful laid back time, fantastic beaches

Disadvantages: The roads and airport

Zanzibar, also named the Spice Island, is a beautiful island off the coast of Tanzania. It lies in the tropics of the Indian Ocean, and has other Islands near by, namely Pemba and Mafia. It really is a wonderful place, catering for both the back packers and the more affluent travellers.

Firstly a little history. Zanzibar was a major stopping port for the Arab traders. They would travel between Arabia, India and Africa, trading ivory, spices and slaves. It became a British protectorate in 1890, which led to the Anglo - Zanzibar war 1n 1896. This was the shortest war in history as it only lasted a good 45 minutes!

In 1964 Zanzibar gained independence from Britain and joined forces with Tanganyika to form Tanzania.

So, as you can gather, Zanzibar has a huge Arabic influence and has continued with its spice trade, thus it is known as the Spice Island. It's main religion is Muslim, and all over the island are Mosques in various sizes and conditions. You will hear the chants from the Mosque throughout the day, but it is the early morning pray call that can really wake you up at the wrong time.

How to get there. From Dar Es Salaam you can either take the ferry or fly, I have done both. Although Zanzibar is 25 - 50 kilometer from the mainland, the boat can take any time from two hours, and that is the express. I felt dreadfully sea sick on the way back, and vowed I would never do it again!!! There are numerous airlines which will pop you across in 15 minutes. It is simple and once you are up, you start descending to land. No probs.... Apart from the runway which does have a "few" potholes. Just keep your fingers crossed and hope the pilot knows what they are doing!

The airport itself is very archaic. It is a real bun fight trying to get to your luggage. It is all manually operated (yes by hand!), there are no electric conveyer belts. It can be a problem if your small plane lands at the same time as the huge Italian plane which comes regularly. On departing the island, it is just as much hassle. There are no air conditioners, and check in is in a shack like structure. The customs officials check your baggage in front of everyone else, so even if you make sure all your embarrassing things are at the bottom of the case, it doesn't matter, they churn everything around! When we were trying to check in, there was no official in site, people are very laid back, while you are sweating yourself into a frenzy. Hakuna matata (no problem in Kiswalhili)!

You can either use the local currency (Shillings) or US dollars. Just be careful you don't get ripped off by money changers, especially outside the airport.

Stone Town in the capital of Zanzibar. It is an ancient city which has plenty of history. Much of it is in a derelict state, and it really does need some conservation as it is a World Heritage Site. There are so many places to stay, from the cheap back packer haunts to the 5 star hotels. There is too much choice. If you are a drinker, make sure your hotel serves alcohol, as many with strong religious backgrounds do not.

Also there are so many different places to eat, from the vendors cooking on the side of the roads, to classy restaurants like Emersons. Emersons is a wonderful experience. Sitting on top of the flat roof, with cushions on the floor, and a huge piece of silk acting as a roof fluttering above your heads, watching the sun set over the ocean. Very romantic, but not for kids.

From Stone Town, there are plenty of tours to take. One is the Spice Tour, which is fascinating. Along with seeing all the spices, and how they are grown, you also learn about the history of the growth of the spices. The Arabs used slaves to grow the spices under dreadful conditions. You come away from the Spice Tour far more knowledgeable and with some variety packs of spices.

There is also Prison Island just of the coast of Stone Town. Here you will find some giant tortoises roaming around, and can spend a lazy day on the beach relaxing and snorkeling.

To travel around the island you can either go by taxi, called 'dala dala', mini bus or you can hire a vehicle. The roads are very old and worn out, so if you drive yourself, be careful. It is quite a nail bitting experience, being driven around Zanzibar. The laws of the road are up to the individual, with cows and goats crossing at intervals.

Zanzibar has some of the most beautiful beaches around its coastline. I have never been to the south east coast, but you can swim with dolphins here. On my most recent trip I stayed on the north east coast, in the Matemwe region, in a house called Zi Villa.

The driver from Zi Villa picked us up from the airport for a pricey sum of $20 each. The state of the mini bus was awful and quite scary. I had begun to doubt our choice of accommodation. However when we reached Zi Villa all was forgiven. It was a fabulous house, all decorated with an Arabic zest. It had air conditioning in all the bedrooms, and the sea breeze blew through the living areas. On the deck there was a large pool, and the ocean was just below with a white sandy beach. We, there were 13 of us, were spoilt rotten for 10 lazy days, with our own chef providing delicious sea food meals.

In the North of the island there is a great diving/snorkeling site called Mnemba Island. You cannot actually dock at the island as it is private and cost £1,000 a night, but many boats anchor off the shore. The sites under the water are amazing, they truly are. Even my 3 year old was snorkeling, and the best thing he saw was "the divers deep below him!".

The best time to visit Zanzibar if from August to November. December through to March are HOT waiting for the rains. Then April and May can bring heavy rains. June is the coolest month. We went in March and it was very hot, but the sea breeze helped.

Do not forget to take malarial medicine, as Zanzibar does have mosquitoes. Take precautions, spray, and sleep under a net (it always looks romantic sleeping under a net, with a fan purring above your head!). Remember lots of sun cream too.

To me Zanzibar is a beautiful unspoiled island. There are no sky scraping hotels, and there is certainly not an overload of tourists. It is extremely romantic, alongside being magical fun.


http://www.zivilla.co.za/

Summary: A piece of paradise