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Spice Tour
A trip to Zanzibar would be incomplete without the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices which are essential ingredient in a Zanzibari’s everyday life, it is the island’s connection to spices and herbs. Zanzibar and Spice is a romantic entanglement that dates back to the 16th century. Apart from being an important commodity on the trade routes. They can be seen in the plantations just outside Zanzibar town, this is also a fantastic opportunity to see the countryside and rural areas of Zanzibar and also connect with local people. There are several Spice Tours offered with in-depth information not only about spices, but also organically grown herbs and detailed descriptions about their uses in traditional dishes, as cures for ailments and even for dyeing traditional ceremonial outfits for weddings and festivals. A guided walking tour passes through villages and spice plantations, a walk through the farms as spice farms workers climbs trees, seek out specific plants and cuts off various barks, letting you see, feel and taste everything.
Zanzibar Food and Spices Tour Including Traditional Swahili Lunch Learn the true meaning behind Zanzibar’s nickname of ‘Spice Island’ on this 4-hour food-and-spice-oriented tour. With a local guide, dig deep into the ... More info
From USD $41.00
Zanzibar Food and Spices Tour Including Traditional Swahili Lunch Learn the true meaning behind Zanzibar’s nickname of ‘Spice Island’ on this 4-hour food-and-spice-oriented tour. With a local guide, dig deep into the ... More info
- Location: Zanzibar City, Tanzania
- Duration: 4 hours
From USD $41.00
Experience Handmade Zanzibar:
Visit a textile workshop to see how vibrant, colorful fabrics are dyed and turned into traditional clothing and decorative pieces. If you want to learn more, you can arrange to come in another day to create your own products.
Stop at the Mwanakwerekwe market, one of the biggest on the island, to browse the aisles and aisles of exotic fruits and veggies, clothes, and knickknacks. Refresh yourself with a drink of dafu, fresh juice from a whole coconut, one of the staples sold at the market.
The next stop is a traditional woodworking shop. See how intricate objects are carved. From the wooden doors you’ve walked past in Stone Town to the charming wooden beds that are a Zanzibar tradition, the workshop is a wonderful place to witness a traditional craft being made.
On the way to lunch, pass the Parliament building and some of the city’s wealthy suburbs. Top it all off with a traditional Zanzibar lunch and a beer at a restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean. After lunch you’ll be dropped back at your hotel.
Experience Handmade Zanzibar: Market and Workshops Tour Go far beyond Stone Town with a 4-hour off-the-beaten-path adventure in greater Zanzibar City. Visit a textile workshop and see artisans at work. Get a ... More info
Stop at the Mwanakwerekwe market, one of the biggest on the island, to browse the aisles and aisles of exotic fruits and veggies, clothes, and knickknacks. Refresh yourself with a drink of dafu, fresh juice from a whole coconut, one of the staples sold at the market.
The next stop is a traditional woodworking shop. See how intricate objects are carved. From the wooden doors you’ve walked past in Stone Town to the charming wooden beds that are a Zanzibar tradition, the workshop is a wonderful place to witness a traditional craft being made.
On the way to lunch, pass the Parliament building and some of the city’s wealthy suburbs. Top it all off with a traditional Zanzibar lunch and a beer at a restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean. After lunch you’ll be dropped back at your hotel.
Experience Handmade Zanzibar: Market and Workshops Tour Go far beyond Stone Town with a 4-hour off-the-beaten-path adventure in greater Zanzibar City. Visit a textile workshop and see artisans at work. Get a ... More info
- Location: Zanzibar City, Tanzania
- Duration: 4 hour
- From USD $48.00
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Jozani Forest Tour
Although most of Zanzibar’s natural forest has been lost to agriculture or construction, the Jozani Forest is a protected reserve, and is the largest conservation area in Zanzibar. It is conveniently located in the centre of Zanzibar about 24 km southeast of Stone Town, and at 44 square kilometers the Jozani Forest covers approximately 3% of the Zanzibar main island. The reserve contains a large mangrove swamp and natural coral rag forest that is home to over 100 different kinds of trees and species such as the rare and endangered red colobus monkey, Sykes monkey, bush babies, duikers, hyraxes, over 50 species of butterfly and 40 species of birds. With a population estimated at fewer than 2,000, the red colubus monkey is one of the rarest monkeys in Africa and can only be found on the main island of Zanzibar. The reserve is managed by the local residents who operate tree nurseries and act as rangers and guides. From the visitors' centre, visitors will take a guided 45-minute nature trail into the beautiful and peaceful forest where there is excellent opportunity to spot the red colobus monkey |
Family Friendly Activities:
Zanzibar is a fantastic destination for activities on and around the water, such as windsurfing, kite-surfing, snorkeling or boat trips. Many of these watersports have age restrictions, whereas others are also suitable for small children. For example, kayaks can be rented round every corner and at many hotels even children at the age of eight can get a taste of diving. A lot of the larger resorts have children's programs sure to keep the little ones entertained. Some of the family friendly excursions include spice tours, an excursion to prison island to see the large tortoises, the butterfly farm, and going to Jozani forest to see the red colobus monkeys.
Playgrounds:
There are 2 big playgrounds around Stone town area – one in Forodhani Garden and one at Jamhuri Gardens. These have a small entrance fee of 1000 Tanzanian shillings, which is around 50 cents. Playgrounds have good equipment and lots to do as well as relaxing seating for the parents. They are also a great place for the kids to make local friends!
Amusement Park & Water Park:
There is a big, recently renovated amusement park in Zanzibar city, called Kariakoo. It has perhaps a dozen different kinds of rides. The park is run by the local fire department, so they should be very safe. There are also food and toy stalls throughout. It is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2PM and there is a 1000 TSH entrance fee and 1,000 for each ride.
Attached to the amusement park is a big water park with long water slides and pools.
Zoo & Water Park:
This is a decent small zoo and play park in Mwera, close to Zanzibar Town, that will appeal to young kids and where you can see species endemic to the Zanzibar archipelago such as the Ader’s Duiker and the Pemban Flying Fox. Horse and camel rides are also possible.
Playgrounds:
There are 2 big playgrounds around Stone town area – one in Forodhani Garden and one at Jamhuri Gardens. These have a small entrance fee of 1000 Tanzanian shillings, which is around 50 cents. Playgrounds have good equipment and lots to do as well as relaxing seating for the parents. They are also a great place for the kids to make local friends!
Amusement Park & Water Park:
There is a big, recently renovated amusement park in Zanzibar city, called Kariakoo. It has perhaps a dozen different kinds of rides. The park is run by the local fire department, so they should be very safe. There are also food and toy stalls throughout. It is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2PM and there is a 1000 TSH entrance fee and 1,000 for each ride.
Attached to the amusement park is a big water park with long water slides and pools.
Zoo & Water Park:
This is a decent small zoo and play park in Mwera, close to Zanzibar Town, that will appeal to young kids and where you can see species endemic to the Zanzibar archipelago such as the Ader’s Duiker and the Pemban Flying Fox. Horse and camel rides are also possible.
Zala Park:
ZALA stands for Zanzibar Land Animals and it is a park where "Zanzibar's native species live in beautiful natural surroundings. Zala Park is run by a local schoolteacher who was tired of seeing native species killed by locals out of fear. The park’s ranger ‘Muhammad’ will introduce you to snakes, monitor lizards, crabs, turtles, dik dik (tiny gazelles) and hyrax, the closest living species to the elephant.All the animals are living comfortably in a natural habitat. If you show an interest in them Mohammed will take you on a personal tour of the zoo. He may even let you crawl into the python area (caged in a type of chicken wire) to handle the snakes. With some weighing up to 35 kilos you may be left wondering who is handling whom
If you show an interest in the park and the animals, Muhammed, will give you a personal tour and take you into "labs" and let you in on all his other projects (starting an aviary, frog-catching, salamander hatching, etc.). He might even let you crawl into the python area (which is caged with a kind of chicken wire) where he keeps four jumbo sized pythons. I was allowed to handle one once but since it weighed 35 kilos, I'm not sure who was handling whom. He complains that the python babies keep getting away before he can catch them but he's learning more about the animals every day. Give generously, he's doing a great thing without formal grants, and it is a time-consuming and costly endeavor. You may also think of donating any related naturalist books you might have as a way of subsidizing his library.
Watersports:
Life on Zanzibar revolves around the ocean. There is no shortage of water activities to choose from. With world class fishing, diving and recently Zanzibar is becoming one of the worlds most popular destinations for kite surfing. There are several reputable kite surfing camps, companies and hotels catering to the kite surfing community. Other water sports include snorkeling, dhow cruises, kayaking, windsurfing, water skiing, parasailing, jet-skiing, SUP boarding, surfing during the season and other marine activities.
A diving paradise in East Africa, Zanzibar has a wealth of varied dive sites with different topography and conditions. There are sites with wall diving, continuous reefs, jigsaw-esque coral bommies, and of course there are the historical wrecks in Stone Town. With such an array of dive sites, there is something for every skill level of diver - from the first time beginner, to the seasoned advanced level diver. There are many professional dive centers and tours located on every part of the island. With many dive sites on Zanzibar you will always find a myriad of tropical reef fish, blue spotted rays, moray and ribbon eels, and other regularly seen species include octopus, barracuda, green turtles and hawksbill turtles. For some lucky divers they also get to see white-tipped and black-tipped reef sharks, and the whale-shark migration season runs from September until the end of the year.
A diving paradise in East Africa, Zanzibar has a wealth of varied dive sites with different topography and conditions. There are sites with wall diving, continuous reefs, jigsaw-esque coral bommies, and of course there are the historical wrecks in Stone Town. With such an array of dive sites, there is something for every skill level of diver - from the first time beginner, to the seasoned advanced level diver. There are many professional dive centers and tours located on every part of the island. With many dive sites on Zanzibar you will always find a myriad of tropical reef fish, blue spotted rays, moray and ribbon eels, and other regularly seen species include octopus, barracuda, green turtles and hawksbill turtles. For some lucky divers they also get to see white-tipped and black-tipped reef sharks, and the whale-shark migration season runs from September until the end of the year.