Zanzibar is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, under the corn of eastern Africa. It is formed by the islands of Pemba smaller and located on the north, and Unguja, the main one. Its location has been strategic for every trade of the past, making Zanzibar history unique and rich of the influences of many cultures and different sovereignty.
Zanzibar had been for many years an autonomous place, until 1964 when it united with Tanganyika, the main land, to form the country of Tanzania, in central Africa.
Stone Town
Stone Town is the main city and capital of Zanzibar. Its architecture and building structure reminds me of two cities that I visited before: Jerusalem, for its narrow streets and historical centre of poliregious culture, and La Havana, with its Malecon and proximaty to the port and the Ocean. The port of Zanzibar was, in fact, a very strategic point of connection for all the centuries since the Middle Age until now.
Firstly populated by the Swahili culture in the 11th century, it was taken by the Portugueses for the growth of the slave trade. By helping the locals to chase them away, the Sultan of Oman succesively succeded in taking the island, putting it under their protectorate and spreading around the muslim religion.
In the 19th century Stone Town flourished as a trading center. It was especially renowned for the commerce of spices and slaves. Included in the ticket to visit the Anglican church (5USD), there is an exhibition dedicated to the East African Slave Trade. In this way, you can understand what Zanzibar was for the West and the East in past centuries.
Moreover, Stone Town was also an important place for music. On the 5th of September 1946, the famous artist and vocalist of the band Queen was born under the name of Farrokh Bulsara, that was later converted in Freddie Mercury.
Born in a Parsi family, an ethnoreligious group origined from India. Even though he moved away from Zanzibar at the age of 8, the island can still be proud of landing his original house, that was now converted in a museum.
Paje Beach
The Island of Zanzibar is located in the East of Africa, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This makes its beaches extremely beautiful and landscape exotic.
Paje beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I saw in my life, with a long stripe of extremely white sand and a very clear ocean water. You can reach Paje beach with a public bus that would take you about one and a half hour.
Being in Paje could be an occasion to try classes of Kite-Surf, as the perfect waves and wind conditions make it a very popular sport and also affordable in term of prices.
Paje is also the occasion to sleep in a beauful hostel or hotel directly on the beach, to enjoy a relaxed and laid down athmosphere that would gift you with a perfect holiday.
On the beach of Paje, the it is not uncommon to see cows wandering around. This herd of cattle has historically been there and even though doesn't really seem to have a shepherd, they are incredibly disciplined and follow their path along the beach without minding the tourists that surprised take picture and try to make their way across them. It is very funny!
The Tours
Departing from Stone Town you can also join some tours that are extremely characteristic, two of which I would like to strongly recommend.
The first one is the excursion to Prison Island. This tour foresees the trip with a boat from the boardwalk of Stone Town, till the beach of Prison Island. There, you will find a sanctuary of Giant Tortoise, animals that were donated to Zanzibar by the Seychelles as a gift for the wife of the sultan Majid bin Said in 1800.
They have all ages and dimensions, and the oldest one is 189 years-old. You can read their age written on their shell and you can touch them and feed them with the lattuce that you will get at the reception.
The second excursion that I really enjoyed is the Spice Tour. A mini-van will drive you in the forest towards the middle of the island, where a spice farm is located. There, you will get to see and know a huge number of fruits and spices and their original tree and plants and all the curious stories behind their cultivation.
At the last stop, you will be able to witness how local people collect coconut climbing the three meters high trees, and you will be given bags and crowns made from leaves and flowers. For me it was extremely interactive and fun!
Did you know that Nakupenda in Swaili means I love you and Hakuna Matata means no worry ? Aman Upendo Umoja can be translated into Peace and Love and it's a way of life in which everybody cooperates with each other.
Is Zanzibar going to be your next destination? Let me know in the comments!
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