The Spice Island of Zanzibar
lies off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.
It is famous for once being the center of East
Africa and the last place to abolish slave trade.
Today it combines ancient Islamic ruins, noble
Arabic houses with miles of white sandy palm fringed
beaches and coves. the ocean offers warm clear
blue waters, excellent reefs for snorkelling and
diving, fantastic deep sea fishing, water sports
and, of course, delicious fresh sea food. And
if you think that isn't enough, visit the spice
plantations (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla,
cardamon and others) or haggling for carvings
in the Central Market is great fun too.
Climate
Zanzibar experiences ideal
holiday weather for most of the year, with the
exception of April and May which are seasonally
subject to the long rains. Short rains can occur
in November, but, do not last long.
The heat of summer is seasonally
often cooled by windy conditions, resulting in
pleasant sea breezes, particularly on the North
and east coasts. Being near to the equator, the
islands are warm all year round, but officially,
summer and winter peak in December and June respectively.
Zanzibar is blessed with and average of 7-8 hours
of sunshine daily.
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Wild
life
There are no large wild
animals in Zanzibar, and forest areas such as
Jozani are inhabited by monkeys, bush-pigs and
small antelopes. Civets (and rumour has it, the
elusive Zanzibar leopord!) and various species
of mongoose can also be found on the island. There
is a wide variety of birdlife, and a large number
of butterflies in rural areas. The coral reefs
that surround the east coast are rich in marine
diversity, and that makes Zanzibar and ideal location
for snorkelling and scuba diving.
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People,
Religion & Language
Zanzibar's local people
are an incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds,
indicative of her colorful history. Islam is the
dominant religion, and is practiced by most Zanzibaris,
although there are also followers of Christianity
and Hinduism. Population is estimated at 800,000,
with the largest concentration being Zanzibar
City which has approximately 100,000 inhabitants.
Zanzibaris speak swahili (known locally as Kiswahili),
a language which is spoken extensively in East
Africa. Many belive that the purest form is spoken
in Zanzibar as it is the birth place of the language.
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Government
Zanzibar is an island
state within the United Republic of Tanzania,
and has its own semi-autonomous government made
up of a Revolutionary Council and House of Representatives.
The present government is led by the island's
president, Mr. Amani Abeid Karume.
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Economy
Catch of the day fishing
and agriculture are the main economic activities
of the local people. Zanzibar was once the world's
largest producer of cloves, and her economy was
based on the large incomes thus derived. Although
cloves are still a mojor foreign export along
with coconut products and spices, tourism has
been ear-marked as a major foreign exchange earner,
with more visitors coming to Zanzibar each year
hence the potential for tourism is relatively
untapped. Zanzibar is dedicated to sensitive tourism
that benefits both visitors and the community,
without losing the romance and magic that is Zanzibar.
Click
here
for more information/enquiries and reservations.
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