This fascinating island steeped in history, is a short flight from Dar es Salaam or Mombasa. It is surrounded by white beaches, clear water and coral reefs close in shore.
The island's capital, Stone Town, is a wonderful mix of African and Arabic culture, with fascinating markets in narrow winding streets where the aroma of spices fills the air. The old slave quarters, the spice plantations and the Josine Forest are also interesting places to visit. Zanzibar is actually an archipelago made up of Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, and several islets. It is located in the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles from the Tanzanian coast, and 60 miles south of the equator. Zanzibar Island (known locally as Unguja but as Zanzibar internationally) is 60 miles long and 20 miles wide, occupying a total area of approximately 650 square miles. It is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs, and the magic of historic Stone Town - said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.
WILDLIFE
There are no large wild animals in Zanzibar. The remaining forest areas such as Jozani are inhabited by monkeys, bush-pigs, small antelopes, civets - and rumour has it, the elusive Zanzibar leopard! Various species of mongoose can also be found on the island. There is a wider variety of bird-life, and a large number of butterflies in rural areas. The coral reefs that surround the East Coast are rich in marine diversity, and make Zanzibar an ideal location for snorkelling and scuba diving. Zanzibar has East Africa 1st Marine reserve, off Stone Town, at Chumbe.
PEOPLE, RELIGION AND LANGUAGE
Zanzibar's local people are an incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds, indicative of her colourful history. Islam is the dominant religion, and practised by most Zanzibaris, although there are also followers of Christianity and Hinduism. Population is estimated at 800,000, with the largest concentration in Zanzibar City, which has approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Zanzibaris speak Swahili (known locally as Kiswahili), a language which is spoken extensively in East Africa. Many believe that the purest form is spoken in Zanzibar, as it is the birthplace of the language.
GOVERNMENT
Zanzibar is an island state within the United Republic of Tanzania, and has its own semi-autonomous government made up of Revolutionary Council and House of Representatives.
ECONOMY
Fishing and agriculture and tourism are the main economic activities of the local people. Zanzibar was once the world's largest producer of cloves, and her economy was based on large incomes thus derived. Although cloves are still a major export along with coconut products and spices, tourism has been earmarked as the primary foreign exchange earner, with more visitors coming to Zanzibar each year. At this stage, the numbers are still low (less than 100,000 annually) and the potential for tourism is relatively, and happily so far,untapped.
HISTORY
Zanzibar has lured traders, adventurers, plunderers and explorers to its shores for centuries. The Assyrians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguese, Omani Arabs, Dutch and English have all been here at one time or another. Some, particularly the Shirazi Persians and Omani Arabs, stayed to settle and rule. With this influence, Zanzibar has become predominantly Islamic (97%) - the remaining 3% is made up of Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. The earliest visitors to Zanzibar were Arab traders who are said to have arrived in the 8th century. The earliest building that remains on Zanzibar is the mosque at Kizimkazi, which dates from 1107, and is a present-day tourist attraction. For centuries the Arabs sailed with the monsoon winds from Oman to trade primarily in ivory, slaves and spices. The two main islands, Unguja (normally known as Zanzibar Island) and Pemba, provided an ideal base for the Omani Arabs, being relatively small, and therefore fairly easy to defend. Indeed, in 1832, Sultan Seyyid Said, of the Busaid dynasty that had emerged in Oman, moved his Sultanate from Muscat to Zanzibar, perhaps making it easier to protect, where he and his descendants ruled for over 130 years. Most of the wealth lay in the hands of the Arab community, who were the main landowners at that time. They kept themselves to themselves, and generally did not intermarry with the Africans. This was not true of the Shirazi Persians who came from the Middle East to settle on the East African coast. The story goes that in AD 975, Abi Ben Sultan Hasan of Shiraz in Persia (now Iran) had a terrible nightmare in which a rat devoured the foundations of his house. He took this as an omen that his community was to be devastated. Others in the Shirazi court ridiculed the notion, but Sultan Hasan, his family and some followers obviously took it very seriously and they decided to migrate. They set out in seven dhows into the Indian Ocean but were caught in a huge storm and separated. Thus, landfalls were made at seven different places along the East African coast, one of which was Zanzibar, and settlements began. Widespread intermarriage between Shirazis and Africans gave rise to a coastal community with distinctive features, and a language derived in part from Arabic, which became known as Swahili. The name Swahili comes from the Arab word sawahil, which means 'coast'. The Zanzibar descendants of this group were not greatly involved in the lucrative slave, spice and ivory trades. Instead, they immersed themselves mainly in agriculture and fishing. Those Shirazi that did not intermarry retained their identity as a separate group. Two smaller communities were also established. Indian traders arrived in connection with the spice and ivory trade, and quickly settled as shopkeepers, traders, skilled artisans and professionals. The British became involved in missionary and trading activities in East Africa, and attempting to suppress the slave trade centred in Zanzibar.
MAP of ZANZIBAR and its ISLANDS
SUGGESTED COMBINATIONS
The following are some areas that can be combined:
Kenyan safari and Zanzibar.
Zanzibar, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
The Selous National Park and Zanzibar.
South Africa and Zanzibar.
CLIMATE
Zanzibar experiences ideal holiday weather for most of the year, with the exception of April and May, which are seasonally subject to the long rains. Short rains can occur in November but are characterised by short showers, which do not last long. The heat of summer is seasonally often calmed by windy conditions, resulting in pleasant sea breezes, particularly on the North and East coast. Being near the equator, the islands are warm all year round but officially summer and winter peak in December and June respectively. Zanzibar is blessed with an average of 7-8 hours of sunshine daily. SUMMER - November to May, Hot with some humidity particularly prior to rains in November, April & May.
WINTER - June to October, Warm with no rains other than occasional tropical shower, otherwise sunny.
BEST
December to March and July to October Avg Monthly Temperature (max F) | Avg Monthly Rainfall (inches) | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | 82 | 2 | 82 | 2 | 82 | 3.5 | 80 | 7 | 78 | 5 | 75 | 1 | 74 | 1 | 74 | .9 | 75 | .6 | 77 | 2.6 | 79 | 3 | 81 | 2 |
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