Sehemu hii imeandikwa kwa Kiingereza. Tovuti halisi inaweza kuongeza tafsiri kamili.
Stone Town walks, spice farms, sandbanks, red colobus monkeys and sunset dhows — the best of the island away from your sunbed.
Zanzibar’s beaches are beautiful, but the island has much more to offer. Karibu Zanzibar! Here are my eight favourite things to do when my guests want a break from the sunbed.
1. Walk the streets of Stone Town
Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a maze of narrow streets, carved wooden doors, mosques, churches and old merchant houses. Walk with a local guide to hear the stories behind the House of Wonders, the Old Fort, the slave market memorial and the house where Freddie Mercury was born.
2. Eat at Forodhani Gardens
Every evening the seafront gardens fill with food stalls: grilled octopus, seafood skewers, sugar-cane juice and the famous Zanzibar pizza. Go at sunset and bargain politely.
3. Visit a spice farm
Zanzibar is called the Spice Island. On a farm tour you taste cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and lemongrass straight from the plant, and finish with a Swahili lunch.
4. Sail a dhow to a sandbank
A traditional wooden dhow takes you across Menai Bay to a white sandbank that appears at low tide, then to a coral garden for snorkelling and a seafood lunch on an island beach.
5. Meet the red colobus monkeys
Jozani Forest is home to the rare Zanzibar red colobus, found nowhere else on earth. The monkeys are relaxed around people, and a mangrove boardwalk completes the visit.
6. Snorkel at Mnemba Atoll
Off the north-east coast, Mnemba has some of the clearest water in East Africa, with turtles, reef fish and — in season — dolphins.
7. Watch the sunset from a dhow
From Nungwi or Stone Town, a sunset cruise with fresh fruit and cold drinks is the perfect end to a day.
8. Visit a seaweed farm in Paje
On the east coast, women farm seaweed in the shallow lagoon at low tide. A small cooperative shows how it is grown and turned into soaps and oils.
A few tips
- Zanzibar is mostly Muslim. In Stone Town and villages, cover shoulders and knees.
- Tides are big on the east coast — check the tide table before planning a swim.
- Carry small notes in shillings or dollars for markets and tips.
Ask Amina — me! — for help planning your days. I meet most of our guests at the airport.
Panga safari yako maalum leo
Tengeneza ratiba ya kila siku yenye makadirio ya papo hapo. Inachukua dakika tatu hivi.