Tropical island, spices and cruel slave history

Just the word Zanzibar evokes a tropical exotic experience, and it is an alluring destination to unwind from the safari, or simply as an alternative to other beach holiday destinations. Warm azure blue water, beautiful beaches and a different culture await you. Zanzibar consists of the main island of the same name, as well as Pemba Island, and 50 other smaller islands and coral reefs. Zanzibar is 35 km out in the Indian Ocean from the coast of Tanzania.



The island has a long and interesting history, having been visited by seafaring traders and explorers and being East Africa's grim embarkation station for the slave trade. The architecture of Stone Town has historical buildings, Arab palaces, a fort from the 18th century, which was built by the Arabs to protect themselves from the Portuguese who wanted Zanzibar. Zanzibar is part of Tanzania - it is "zan" in the amalgamation of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964 - after a revolution and rebellion against the Sultan of Zanzibar who had gained power after the British surrendered their colonization of Tanganyika.