Travel Agent Runaway Bay

Zanzibar spices

Lying off the north coast of Tanzania lies Zanzibar also known as the Spice Island. It became the world’s largest producer of cloves after the introduction of a clove tree in the early 1800’s. It was also the world’s largest slave trade centre which made it the most important town on the African east coast for some time. It has had various rulers over its long history but became part of Tanzania in the mid 1960’s. From the charms of the main town of Stone Town to the many beachside villages like Nungwi in the north it is a fascinating island full of history.

It’s a good place to retreat to after hiking up Kilimanjaro or animal watching on a safari on the mainland. Stone Town has wonderful narrow winding streets lined with quaint buildings many in varying stages of disrepair. But you can visit the old palace, the fort and the cathedral which stands on the site of the old slave market. The Jamituri Gardens in front of the fort by the water are transformed at night to the best eating markets in town. An array of delicious fare is cooked on the spot and very cheap too. It’s a magic place to watch the sun go down. There are plenty of bars with icy cold beers and restaurants serving seafood and curry dishes if you prefer.

A must do on Zanzibar is a Spice tour which takes you to various plantations where you can sample spices, herbs and fruits. The main spices are cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and black pepper. On the tour I did with Mitu Tours we also visited some Palace ruins and Persian baths. Lunch was included at a plantation and was a great feast. After eating, the local woman painted henna tattoos on our hands and they stayed intact for around three weeks or more.

The beach beckoned at last and I went to the far north of the island to a small place called South Kadwe Rocks which you had to take a boat from Nungwi to get there. That made it more isolated but just the best place to relax. Was great just to watch the locals fishing or mending their nets. The water was a glorious colour and perfect for snorkelling or just swimming – a good massage for my weary Kilimanjaro climb muscles!! If you like diving or want to learn to dive, Zanzibar has some of the world’s best dive areas with good coral and warm clear waters. A course can be done here too at a reasonable cost to gain your PADI Certificate.

At South Kadwe Rocks I stayed in a basic hut right on the beach, the floor which was the sand of the beach! You don’t have to go that simple as there were more well equipped accommodations and nowadays there are several exotic places to stay of very good standard.

Put a bit of Spice in your life - go Zanzibar.